President Lee Appoints Former First Vice Minister Kim Yongbeom as Chief Policy Officer, Hah Joonkyung of Hanyang University as Chief Economic Growth Officer
Ryu Deokhyun of Chung-Ang University Named as Newly Established Senior Secretary for Fiscal Planning
"Appointments Focused on Experience and Expertise"
Organizational Restructuring Implemented: National Policy Situation Room Expanded as Governance Control Tower
Office of Civil Society Chief Expanded into Listening and Integration Chief Office; AI Chief Created, Secretary for Gender Equality and Family Restored
On June 6, the outline of the presidential office's economic team, which will work closely with President Lee Jaemyung to design the direction of economic policy, was revealed. President Lee appointed Kim Yongbeom, former First Vice Minister of Economy and Finance, as Chief Policy Officer; Hah Joonkyung, a professor at Hanyang University, as Chief Economic Growth Officer; and Ryu Deokhyun, a professor at Chung-Ang University, as the newly established Senior Secretary for Fiscal Planning. Moon Jinyoung, a professor at Sogang University, will serve as Chief Social Policy Officer.
The core of these appointments is expertise and relevant experience, aiming to swiftly implement President Lee’s state philosophy of “economic recovery” and “pragmatic government,” especially considering that the current administration launched without a transition committee. The appointees are expected to communicate closely with the “National Policy Planning Committee,” which will serve as a de facto transition team, to identify key policy tasks and establish implementation strategies. On the previous day (June 5), President Lee selected Lee Hanjoo, head of the Democratic Research Institute, as chair of the National Policy Planning Committee. The committee is expected to launch as early as next week.
President Lee also reorganized the presidential office, creating a new Senior Secretary for Fiscal Planning under the Chief Policy Officer to oversee fiscal strategy for implementing national tasks. The offices of the Secretary for National Policy Tasks and the Secretary for Policy Coordination, which had faced difficulties due to overlapping duties and inefficiency, were merged.
Veteran Bureaucrat and “Finance Expert” Kim Yongbeom Appointed as Chief Policy Officer; Hah Joonkyung Named Chief Economic Growth Officer
Kim Yongbeom, appointed as Chief Policy Officer, is a veteran bureaucrat widely recognized as a leading “finance expert.”
Kim entered public service in 1986 through the 30th administrative examination and has served as Director of Financial Policy at the Ministry of Finance and Economy, Director General of Financial Policy, and Secretary General at the Financial Services Commission. During the Moon Jaein administration, he was Vice Chairman of the Financial Services Commission and First Vice Minister of Economy and Finance. Bank of Korea Governor Rhee Changyong once described him as one of the few economic bureaucrats fluent in advanced English, and he is highly regarded for his crisis management and leadership skills.
Going forward, Kim is expected to serve as the control tower for designing the new administration’s policy direction, leveraging his long experience as a bureaucrat, and to assist President Lee in forming the cabinet, including the appointment of the Minister of Economy and Finance and the Chairman of the Financial Services Commission.
Hah Joonkyung, appointed Chief Economic Growth Officer, was selected to take responsibility for restoring livelihoods and driving economic growth, which are priorities for the president. The position of Chief Economic Officer was changed to Chief Economic Growth Officer to place greater emphasis on “growth” in economic policy.
Hah, a professor of economics at Hanyang University and former Bank of Korea official, is known for his comprehensive understanding of both practical and theoretical economics, including macroeconomics and industrial policy. He also served as an advisor to the Presidential National Economic Advisory Council, and is expected to play a pivotal role in shaping the new administration’s economic growth strategy.
A presidential office official explained, “The economic downturn is deeper and more serious than expected, so we believe it is necessary to focus more on growth. This is not simply about maintaining or supplementing the current economy, but about expressing our determination to turn things around and overcome the challenges.”
Ryu Deokhyun, appointed Senior Secretary for Fiscal Planning, is a professor of economics at Chung-Ang University and a fiscal expert who previously worked at the Korea Institute of Public Finance, a leading think tank in taxation and fiscal policy. Ryu will oversee the new office, playing a key role in restoring fiscal soundness at the Ministry of Economy and Finance and securing resources needed to fulfill presidential pledges, thereby strengthening democratic control over national finances.
Moon Jinyoung, appointed Chief Social Policy Officer, is regarded as someone who understands the president’s philosophy of governance and can realize the Lee Jaemyung administration’s vision of a welfare state. Moon is a professor in the Department of Social Welfare at Sogang University’s Graduate School of Theology, former CEO of the Gyeonggi Job Foundation, and former head of the Inclusive Society Committee under the Presidential Committee for Policy Planning. As a scholar with a deep understanding of social welfare, he has presented effective alternatives such as the introduction of child allowances.
Kang Hoonshik, Chief of Staff of the Presidential Office, stated, “To overcome the complex crises facing the nation, the competence and agility of the presidential office are more important than anything else. The best experts will assist the president to swiftly overcome the livelihood crisis currently facing the people.”
Presidential Office Restructuring: Expansion of the National Policy Situation Room, Creation of AI Chief, and Restoration of the Secretary for Gender Equality and Family
President Lee also carried out a reorganization to expand the National Policy Situation Room, transforming it into the control tower for national governance. In addition to the new Senior Secretary for Fiscal Planning, the Office of Civil Society Chief will be expanded and renamed the “Listening and Integration Chief Office,” with a dedicated officer for youth affairs. The Secretary for Gender Equality and Family, which was abolished under the Yoon Sukyeol administration, will be restored as the Secretary for Gender Equality and Family. Chief of Staff Kang explained, “The presidential office aims to build a fast and pragmatic organization with responsibility, a focus on the future, and competence as its core principles.”
The National Policy Situation Room will be expanded and reorganized to address the shortcomings in overall policy coordination experienced by the previous administration. The National Crisis Management Center will be transferred from the Deputy Director of National Security to report directly to the Director of National Security. Regarding this, Chief of Staff Kang stated, “We will take full responsibility for the nation’s primary mission of ensuring the safety of the people.” The offices of the Secretary for National Policy Tasks and the Secretary for Policy Coordination will be merged to systematically manage national policies.
The Office of Civil Society Chief will be expanded into the Listening and Integration Chief Office to facilitate conflict resolution and promote social dialogue. Under this office, a youth officer will be appointed to actively reflect the opinions of the younger generation. A new AI Future Planning Chief Office will also be established, responsible for the nation’s strategy to become one of the top three AI powers, as well as for growth strategy and future policy tasks. The office will also focus on advanced technology, demographic issues, and climate crisis challenges.
Additionally, the Secretary for National Records and the Secretary for Gender Equality and Family, both abolished under the Yoon Sukyeol administration, will be reinstated. The Secretary for Gender Equality and Family will be expanded as the Secretary for Gender Equality and Family. New positions will also be created, including the Secretary for Oceans and Fisheries, who will oversee the relocation of the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries to Busan and the development of Arctic routes; the Secretary for Judicial System, who will handle prosecution and judiciary reform; and the Administrative Secretary, a temporary position to oversee the presidential office’s return to the Blue House. The organizational restructuring of the presidential office will be implemented after related regulations are revised and necessary procedures are completed.
As a result of this restructuring, the presidential office, which previously consisted of four minister-level officials, eleven vice-minister-level officials, and forty-nine secretaries, will now have four minister-level officials, eleven vice-minister-level officials, and fifty secretaries. The restructuring plan will be implemented following the revision of relevant regulations and procedures.
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