Lee Hanju, 'Mentor to Lee,' Appointed Chairman Overseeing 26 National Research Institutes

Appointed as Chairman of the National Research Council for Economics, Humanities and Social Sciences
Lee Previously Served as Head of Policy Division for Presidential Campaign Committee

Lee Hanju, Chairman of the National Policy Planning Committee, is giving opening remarks at the prosecution office work report held on the morning of June 20 at the Changseong-dong Annex of the Government Seoul Office in Jongno-gu, Seoul. Photo by Jo Yongjun

Lee Hanju, former Chairman of the National Policy Planning Committee, was appointed as the new Chairman of the National Research Council for Economics, Humanities and Social Sciences (NRC), which oversees 26 national research institutes in the fields of economics, humanities, and social sciences, on November 7.

The Office for Government Policy Coordination announced that Prime Minister Kim Minseok appointed Lee as the new chairman of the NRC on this day. Lee will begin his three-year term on November 10 and will lead the NRC until November 9, 2028.

The Office for Government Policy Coordination stated, "Chairman Lee is a macroeconomist and policy expert who has conducted research on the structural analysis of the Korean economy, sustainable growth, and welfare."

Chairman Lee is known as a 40-year mentor to President Lee. He is said to have laid the groundwork for the basic income policy, which was a signature policy brand of President Lee, and also served as the head of the policy division of the election campaign committee during the last presidential election, where he designed campaign pledges.

The NRC supports and manages 26 government-funded research institutes in the fields of economics, humanities, and social sciences. The chairman of the NRC represents the council and oversees its work, and holds the authority to appoint and dismiss executives at affiliated institutes such as the Korea Development Institute (KDI) and the Korea Research Institute for Human Settlements.