Speculation Surrounding Cabinet Formation
Unification, Defense, Environment, and Welfare Ministers Considered
Koo Yooncheol and Kim Taenyeon in the Running for Deputy Prime Minister for Economy
"Seongnam-Gyeonggi Line" Dominates Presidential Office
Key Inner Circle Figures Kim Namjoon and Kim Hyunji Appointed
The Lee Jaemyung administration has officially begun forming its cabinet, starting with the nomination of Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Minseok as Prime Minister. Since the administration began work immediately following an early presidential election without a transition committee, it plans to nominate or appoint officials in stages, starting with those positions that can be filled most quickly.
On June 4, the new administration nominated the Presidential Chief of Staff, National Security Office Chief, Presidential Security Service Chief, and Spokesperson, as well as the Ministers of National Defense, Unification, Environment, and Health and Welfare. It is expected to sequentially appoint the economic team, including the Minister of Economy and Finance and the Chairman of the Financial Services Commission.
According to the ruling party on June 5, Democratic Party lawmaker Chung Dongyoung is being strongly considered for the position of Unification Minister. Chung has a wide range of governmental experience, having served as Unification Minister and Standing Committee Chair of the National Security Council (NSC) during the Roh Moo-hyun administration. Given that restoring inter-Korean relations through dialogue and communication was one of President Lee’s main campaign pledges, there is a high likelihood that an experienced individual will be appointed to this role.
Democratic Party lawmaker Ahn Gyu-baek is being mentioned as a candidate for Minister of National Defense. Multiple ruling party officials explain that, since President Lee has pledged to appoint a civilian as Defense Minister, Ahn?who previously chaired the National Assembly’s Defense Committee?is considered well qualified. Former Defense Minister Kim Yonghyun, a graduate of the Korea Military Academy, used his academy connections to carry out the 12·3 Martial Law, so President Lee’s goal is to prevent a recurrence of such martial law incidents and to strengthen civilian control over the military. Kim Minki, Secretary General of the National Assembly, and Min Hongchul, a former military judge advocate who retired over ten years ago, are also being discussed as possible candidates.
Kim Sunghwan, a Democratic Party lawmaker, is considered highly likely to be nominated as Minister of Environment. Known as a “policy expert,” Kim has proposed numerous bills related to energy and the environment and helped design President Lee’s climate and energy pledges. For this reason, he was initially mentioned as a candidate for the inaugural Minister of Climate and Energy, but as the government reorganization is expected to take time, he has now been included among the candidates for Environment Minister.
Jung Eunkyung, who served as Director of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency and led the COVID-19 response during the Moon Jaein administration, is being considered for Minister of Health and Welfare. Jung is an expert who began her career as a researcher at the National Institute of Health and has served as the inaugural Director of the KDCA, Director of Emergency Medical Services at the Ministry of Health and Welfare, and Director of both the Disease Prevention Center and Emergency Response Center at the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
She is particularly regarded as someone who can confidently advance the new administration’s policies to strengthen public healthcare and expand regional and essential medical services. Cho Hyun, former Ambassador to the United Nations and Co-Chair of the National Interest and Practicality Committee under the campaign’s Global Responsible Power Committee, is being considered for Foreign Minister. Yoo Hongjun, former Administrator of the Cultural Heritage Administration and former head of the campaign’s K-Culture Power Committee, is being considered for Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism.
For the inaugural Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance, former Minister for Government Policy Coordination Koo Yooncheol and Democratic Party lawmaker Kim Taenyeon are being considered. As Budget Director at the Ministry of Economy and Finance in 2019 under the Moon Jaein administration, Koo oversaw the drafting of a super-budget. In 2020, as Second Vice Minister, he also led the formulation of the first and second supplementary budgets. Kim, a five-term lawmaker who previously served as floor leader, is a member of the National Assembly’s Strategy and Finance Committee. He also chaired the Economic Security Committee, a direct advisory body to then-candidate Lee, and leads the Democratic Party’s largest economic study group, “Economy is the Democratic Party.” Hah Jun-kyung, a professor of economics at Hanyang University, is also seen as a possible addition to the economic team. Professor Hah is known as the architect of President Lee’s “growth discourse” presented during the presidential campaign. In 2021, President Lee famously contacted Professor Hah first, saying, “I would like to meet you in person.”
Many of President Lee’s closest associates have been appointed to secretary positions. Key posts in the presidential secretariat, such as finance, aide, and personnel, have been filled by those known as the “Seongnam-Gyeonggi Line.” According to the presidential office and the ruling party, former aide Kim Hyunji has been nominated as Chief Secretary for General Affairs, responsible for the finances of the presidential office. Kim, considered President Lee’s closest confidant and often referred to as his “shadow,” first became associated with Lee in 1995 as Secretary General of the Seongnam Citizens’ Association, which Lee founded.
Kim Namjoon, former Political Affairs Deputy Chief of Staff and regarded as President Lee’s spokesperson, has reportedly been appointed as Chief of the First Aide’s Office, the position closest to the president. Kim previously served as spokesperson for Seongnam City Hall, press secretary to the Gyeonggi Governor, and chief secretary in Lee’s parliamentary office. In the 2022 presidential election, he was spokesperson for Lee’s primary campaign, and in the current election, he led the secretariat’s scheduling team. Former aide Kim Yongchae has reportedly been nominated as Personnel Secretary, a position responsible for formulating personnel policies for the executive branch and vetting key appointments in the government and public institutions. Kim previously worked with President Lee on policy matters during Lee’s tenure as Gyeonggi Governor.
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