[Profile] Hyung Hoon Lee Appointed as 2nd Vice Minister of Health and Welfare... Veteran Official Skilled in Dialogue with Medical Community

Expectations for Resolving Government-Medical Community Disputes
Based on Experience with the Medical Issues Consultative Body

Hyung Hoon Lee, president of the Korea Public Organization Bank, has been appointed as the new 2nd Vice Minister of Health and Welfare. As a career official at the Ministry of Health and Welfare, he has accumulated 30 years of extensive experience across the entire health and welfare sector. He is also recognized for his strong communication skills with the medical community.

Hyung Hoon Lee, newly appointed 2nd Vice Minister of Health and Welfare, Yonhap News

Born in Gwangju in 1966, Lee graduated from Yonsei University with a degree in business administration and began his public service career after passing the 38th Higher Civil Service Examination in 1995. He has served as Director of the National Pension Finance Division, Director of Welfare Policy Division, and Director of Health and Medical Policy Division at the Ministry of Health and Welfare. He was promoted to director-general in 2016, subsequently holding various key positions such as Director-General for Korean Medicine Policy, Director-General for Pension Policy, Director-General for Health Industry Policy, Director-General for Health and Medical Policy, and Director-General for Mental Health Policy, thereby overseeing practical affairs in both the health and welfare fields. He also served as spokesperson for the ministry and, during the Moon Jae-in administration, worked as a senior administrative officer in the Social Policy Secretary's Office at the Presidential Policy Office.

As Director-General for Health and Medical Policy, he was responsible for major issues such as the introduction of telemedicine and the enactment of the Nursing Act. As Director-General for Mental Health Policy, he focused on establishing suicide prevention measures. After taking honorary retirement from the ministry in March this year, he has been overseeing the donation and management of public organizations in Korea as president of the Korea Public Organization Bank.

In 2023, while serving as Director-General for Health and Medical Policy, Lee led the Medical Issues Consultative Body, a bilateral consultative group between the government and the medical community, facilitating discussions with organizations such as the Korean Medical Association on expanding the physician workforce, strengthening essential medical services, and telemedicine. Based on this experience, he is expected to play a leading role in resolving the ongoing dispute between the government and the medical community, which has lasted for over one year and four months, and to spearhead healthcare reforms aimed at strengthening essential and regional healthcare services.

The Office of the President also described Lee as "the right person to swiftly resolve the medical crisis and to lead the recovery and normalization of the health sector with meticulous planning capabilities."

▲ Born in Gwangju in 1966 ▲ Bachelor's degree in Business Administration from Yonsei University ▲ Master's degree in Public Administration from Seoul National University Graduate School of Public Administration ▲ Completed doctoral coursework in Economics at the University of York, UK ▲ Passed the 38th Higher Civil Service Examination ▲ Served as Director of National Pension Finance Division, Director of Welfare Policy Division, Director of Health and Medical Policy Division, Director-General for Korean Medicine Policy, Spokesperson, Director-General for Pension Policy, Director-General for Health Industry Policy, Director-General for Health and Medical Policy, Director-General for Mental Health Policy at the Ministry of Health and Welfare ▲ Senior Administrative Officer in the Social Policy Secretary's Office at the Presidential Policy Office ▲ President of the Korea Public Organization Bank