Various Interpretations Arise Over Sudden Resignation
Director Kim States "Duty Fulfilled" as Reason for Resignation
Director Lee Gwansub Likely to Accelerate Secretary Office Changes
The sudden resignation of Kim Dae-gi, Chief of Staff to President Yoon Seok-yeol and a close aide deeply involved in overall policy, has drawn attention to the background of his departure. Lee Gwan-seop, Director of the Policy Office, will assist President Yoon as the new Chief of Staff, Professor Sung Tae-yoon of Yonsei University's Department of Economics has been appointed as the new Policy Director, and Jang Ho-jin, First Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, has taken on the role of the new National Security Director.
At a briefing held at the Yongsan Presidential Office in the afternoon, Kim Dae-gi announced that Lee Gwan-seop, Director of the Presidential Policy Office, will assume the position of Chief of Staff starting January 1 of next year. With Cho Tae-yong, National Security Director, being nominated as the candidate for the National Intelligence Service Director and Kim Dae-gi stepping down, all three key presidential office directors (Chief of Staff, Policy Director, and National Security Director) have been replaced.
Kim stated, "Having served as Chief of Staff for about 20 months since the transition period, fulfilling about one-third of the president's term, I have done my duty," explaining his reason for resignation. However, cautious speculation about his dismissal is circulating inside and outside political circles. The resignation was sudden, and Lee Gwan-seop, the successor, was promoted from Senior Secretary to Policy Director less than a month ago on the 30th of last month.
There is growing weight to the view that factors such as the government's stagnant approval ratings and the failure of the Busan Expo bid, led by the Chief of Staff's office, which raised questions of responsibility, influenced this decision.
A ruling party official said, "Although Chief of Staff Kim exerted enormous influence over overall policy, there were considerable complaints that voices from the field were not properly conveyed to Yongsan," adding, "While it is a heavy responsibility to meet the president and discuss national issues, the decline in President Yoon's approval ratings and the emergence of personnel controversies increased the need for a change." It is also rumored that criticism arose within the party and government that the direct reporting system to the president was not functioning properly, especially as controversies surrounding First Lady Kim Geon-hee expanded. With Lee Gwan-seop, who has President Yoon's deep trust, taking over as Chief of Staff, it is expected that the overall atmosphere of the Chief of Staff's office will change rapidly.
The appointment of Professor Sung Tae-yoon of Yonsei University's Department of Economics as the new Policy Director is also seen as a personnel move aimed at reform. As an external professor rather than a traditional bureaucrat, he is expected to bring a young and fresh perspective. A key ruling party official said, "Traditional bureaucrats tend to be relatively reluctant to voice opposition to higher-ups," adding, "Professor Sung, born in the 1970s, is a young scholar with a liberal market economy perspective and has consistently expressed his opinions on government policies, so he is expected to contribute to changing the atmosphere in the Presidential Office." Professor Sung graduated from Yonsei University's Department of Economics and earned a Ph.D. in Economics from Harvard University. While serving as a university professor, he actively participated in policy advisory roles for ministries such as the Ministry of Strategy and Finance and the Financial Services Commission.
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