[Current Affairs Show] Presidential Office Dominated by Lawyers, Seongnam-Gyeonggi Network, and MOEF... Who Are the 47 Secretaries and Above?

Analysis of 47 Presidential Office Secretaries and Above
Summed Up as: Lawyers, Seongnam/Gyeonggi, and MOEF
Civil Affairs - Lawyers, Personnel - Seongnam/Gyeonggi, Economy - MOEF

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There are four minister-level positions in the Presidential Office: Chief of Staff, Chief of Policy Office, Chief of National Security Office, and Special Advisor for Foreign Affairs and Security. There are 11 deputy minister-level (senior secretary) positions and 50 secretary-level positions. In total, there are 65 positions at the secretary level or higher in the Presidential Office. As of August 10, 47 of these positions have been filled. Most of the remaining 18 positions are vacant, with the head of the National Crisis Management Center being the only one retained from the Yoon Suk Yeol administration. The vacant positions are either in the process of finding successors or are undergoing vetting. Only the offices of the Senior Secretary for Political Affairs, Senior Secretary for Public Relations and Communications, and Senior Secretary for Civil Affairs have had all their secretaries appointed.

18 out of 65 Secretary-Level or Higher Positions in the Presidential Office Remain Vacant

Among the secretaries directly under the Chief of Staff, the Speech Secretary, National Records Secretary, and Balanced Personnel System Secretary have yet to be appointed. The Secretary for National Integration and the Secretary for Public Conflict under the Senior Secretary for Listening and Integration are also vacant. The Secretary for Growth Economy under the Senior Secretary for Economic Growth, the Secretary for Culture and Sports under the Senior Secretary for Social Affairs, the Secretary for Population Policy under the Senior Secretary for AI Future Planning, and the Secretary for Security Strategy under the National Security Office have not been decided yet either. As two and a half months have passed since the inauguration of the Lee Jaemyung administration, there are calls to speed up the appointment process.

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Key Backgrounds of Secretary-Level or Higher Appointees in the Lee Jaemyung Presidential Office: Law, Seongnam/Gyeonggi, and Ministry of Economy and Finance

Looking at the backgrounds of secretary-level or higher appointees in the Lee Jaemyung Presidential Office, they can be summarized by three keywords: lawyer, Seongnam/Gyeonggi, and Ministry of Economy and Finance. In short: Law, Seongnam, and Finance. First, those who served as President Lee Jaemyung's legal defense team, who were at the forefront in defending him against judicial risks such as violations of the Public Official Election Act, the Daejang-dong case, and suspicions of remittances to North Korea, have been placed at the forefront of the Office of the Senior Secretary for Civil Affairs. These include Lee Taehyung, Secretary for Civil Affairs; Jeon Chiyeong, Secretary for Public Discipline; and Lee Janghyung, Secretary for Legal Affairs.

The Office of the Senior Secretary for Civil Affairs, which oversees investigative agencies such as the prosecution, police, and the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials and is responsible for public office inspections, has always wielded significant power in any administration. The fact that these lawyers are at the core of the Presidential Office, not just the numbers, indicates their importance. Lee Chanjin, Governor of the Financial Supervisory Service; Cho Woncheol, Head of the Ministry of Government Legislation; and Kim Heesoo, Director of Planning at the National Intelligence Service, are also former defense attorneys for President Lee.

Former Defense Attorneys in Civil Affairs, Seongnam/Gyeonggi Affiliates in Personnel and General Affairs

Those from the Seongnam and Gyeonggi lines, who have long shared both hardships and successes with President Lee, have taken control of personnel and general affairs in the Presidential Office, and they are numerous. They have secured both "money and positions." Representative figures include Kim Hyeonji, Secretary for General Affairs; Kim Namjun, Chief of the First Presidential Secretariat; and Kim Yongchae, Secretary for Personnel Affairs. Including others who have long supported President Lee, such as Moon Jinyoung, Senior Secretary for Social Affairs; Kim Namguk, Secretary for Digital Communications; and Kim Byungwook, Secretary for Political Affairs, there are about 10 people from the Seongnam/Gyeonggi line in the Presidential Office.

Former Ministry of Economy and Finance Officials Dominate the Economic Line

From an economic perspective, former officials from the Ministry of Economy and Finance have been placed in key positions. Numerically, there are only two: Kim Yongbeom, Chief of Policy Office, and Kim Jeongwoo, Chief of National Situation Room. However, considering the former Ministry of Economy and Finance officials who have advanced throughout economic ministries, the headquarters is the Presidential Office. Based on their civil service exam cohorts, the order is: Kim Yongbeom, Chief of Policy Office (30th class); Koo Yooncheol, Minister of Economy and Finance and Deputy Prime Minister (32nd class); Lee Eogwon, Chairman of the Financial Services Commission (35th class); Kim Jeonggwan, Minister of Industry, and Yeo Hangu, Chief Negotiator for Trade (36th class); and Kim Jeongwoo, Chief of National Situation Room (40th class). During the Moon Jaein administration, when Kim Yongbeom was the First Vice Minister of the Ministry of Economy and Finance, Koo Yooncheol was the Second Vice Minister. Lee Eogwon succeeded Kim Yongbeom as First Vice Minister. The economic line of the Lee Jaemyung administration is dominated by former Ministry of Economy and Finance officials.