President Lee Jae Myung Announces First Cabinet Appointments
Emphasizes Immediate Economic Recovery Measures
"Supplementary Budget Likely to Be Key"
Addresses Need for Swift Emergency Policies and Smooth Transition
President Lee Jae Myung is announcing the first personnel appointments of the new administration on the 4th at the Yongsan Presidential Office Building in Seoul. Photo by Yonhap News
On the 4th, President Lee Jae Myung stated, "As early as this evening, I will gather the heads and working-level officials of all relevant ministries to review what immediate economic recovery policies can be implemented right away."
That day, after personally announcing the first appointments of the new administration, including the nominee for Prime Minister, at the Yongsan Presidential Office, President Lee responded to a question from reporters about why there were no appointments for economic ministries. He explained, "What we need right now are economic recovery policies that can be implemented immediately, and the key is likely to be the formulation of an additional supplementary budget."
Regarding questions about the direction of the reorganization of the presidential office, President Lee said, "A minimum amount of time is necessary," and added, "We have decided to start with emergency measures that can be taken under the current circumstances." He further explained, "If we try to change various aspects of the organizational structure, there are many factors to consider, so it will likely take some time."
When asked to evaluate the first round of appointments, President Lee said, "I can only hope that the people will judge them favorably," and was reserved in his comments. However, he added, "You will see that the appointments were not centered around my close associates," and continued, "For the next round of cabinet appointments, I plan to take the opportunity to gather a wide range of opinions from the public and within the party."
When asked whether he would continue the solutions proposed by former President Yoon Suk Yeol regarding the forced labor issue, President Lee replied, "Policy consistency is especially important in intergovernmental relations." He went on to explain, "National policies cannot be unilaterally imposed or enforced based solely on personal convictions," and added, "We must take into account that this is the reality."
Meanwhile, President Lee also directly criticized the lack of a smooth transition process from the Yoon Suk Yeol administration. He said, "When I arrived at the Yongsan office, it felt like a tomb," and added, "There isn't even an employee to provide writing utensils." He continued, "I need to sign and approve documents, but there is no system in place," and pointed out, "Even if I try to write by hand and use a seal, there is no ink pad."
President Lee also remarked, "It seems that all career civil servants have been sent back to their original posts," and added, "It appears that I will need to immediately issue orders for them to return so that they can resume their duties."
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