People Power Party Voices Strong Opposition, Including Expulsion
Broader Ruling Coalition Also Calls for "Further Explanation from the Nominee"
President Lee Jaemyung’s unexpected nomination of former Saenuri Party (predecessor of the People Power Party) lawmaker Lee Hyehun as the first Minister of Planning and Budget reflects his commitment to pursuing national unity and pragmatic governance.
Lee Hyehun, nominee for Minister of Planning and Budget, is arriving at the confirmation hearing preparation office set up at the Korea Deposit Insurance Corporation in Jung-gu, Seoul on December 29, 2025. Photo by Kang Jinhyung
In the same vein, the President appointed Kim Sungsik, a former lawmaker from the Hannara Party with a reputation for rational conservatism, as Vice Chairperson of the National Economic Advisory Council, a ministerial-level post. Additionally, Lee Kyungsoo, former Director of the National Fusion Research Institute, was named Vice Chairperson of the National Science and Technology Advisory Council. Kim Jonggu, Director of Food Policy at the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, was appointed Vice Minister of the same ministry. Hong Jisun, Deputy Mayor of Namyangju, Gyeonggi Province, was appointed as the Second Vice Minister of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. Cho Jungshik, a lawmaker from the Democratic Party, was named Special Political Advisor to the President, while Lee Hanju, Chairman of the National Research Council for Economics, Humanities and Social Sciences, was appointed Special Policy Advisor to the President.
Lee Guyoun, Senior Secretary for Public Relations and Communications at the Presidential Office, explained regarding nominee Lee Hyehun, “She sponsored the amendment bills for the Minimum Wage Act and the Interest Rate Limitation Act based on her philosophy of economic democratization,” adding, “We consider her the right person to restore future growth engines.” Lee Hyehun is a three-term lawmaker who served in the Hannara Party, Saenuri Party, and United Future Party, and in the 22nd general election, she ran as the People Power Party candidate for Jung-gu-Seongdong-gu Gap in Seoul.
The People Power Party strongly objected to Lee’s nomination, holding a Supreme Council meeting immediately after the news broke and deciding to expel her. On December 29, Kim Jaewon, Supreme Council member of the People Power Party, appeared on YTN Radio and criticized, “The Lee Jaemyung administration will bring in self-serving, unscrupulous people, use them like disposable tissues, and then discard them.”
Within the broader ruling coalition, there have been calls for further explanation regarding the nominee. One Democratic Party lawmaker told The Asia Business Daily, “Although there isn’t an explicitly oppositional atmosphere, there are posts in group chat rooms suggesting that an explanation about the liquidation of the insurrection issue is necessary. Still, fundamentally, there is a prevailing sentiment that the President’s wishes should be respected.” Another Democratic Party lawmaker commented, “It may be necessary to consider a shift in the (insurrection liquidation) policy. We need to examine whether the party’s base is expanding.” A lawmaker from the Reform Party for the Nation expressed concerns about the fiscal policy direction, saying, “If a confirmation hearing is scheduled, it will be necessary to verify how her stance has changed.”
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