Lee Hyeong-il Nominated as Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs; "A Great Leap Forward Through Three Mega Projects" [Lee Administration's Mid-Level Cabinet Reshuffle]

President Lee Jae-myung carried out a mid-level Cabinet reshuffle on the 30th, nominating candidates for six ministerial posts, including the Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs and Minister of Economy and Finance. In the economic and land sectors, he tapped incumbent vice ministers to strengthen policy continuity and execution. For the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, and the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, he placed sitting lawmakers in key positions. Cheong Wa Dae also reorganized its artificial intelligence and political affairs teams. The move is aimed at accelerating the administration's key policy agenda in its second term.
Chief of Staff to the President of the Republic of Korea Kang Hoon-sik said at a briefing at the Chunchugwan Press Center that Lee Hyeong-il, the first vice minister of the Ministry of Economy and Finance, had been nominated for Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs and Minister of Economy and Finance. Lee is a seasoned policymaker who has held major posts across the economic policy bureaucracy. He was also credited with driving the introduction of a ceiling price system for oil in response to soaring crude prices triggered by tensions in the Middle East.
After his nomination, Lee said, "I feel an immense sense of responsibility at being nominated as the second candidate for deputy prime minister since the launch of the Lee Jae-myung administration." He added, "I will work to create new investment and growth opportunities through the three mega projects and lay the groundwork for a rebound in the potential growth rate."
Hong Ji-seon, the second vice minister of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, was selected as the candidate for minister. She is a career official who has experience designing and implementing housing supply policy, including during her tenure as head of the housing and urban affairs office in Gyeonggi Province. As real estate policy has recently emerged as a major national issue, Cheong Wa Dae said it expects Hong to "quickly supply enough housing in the places people want."
Kim Seung-won, a former judge and current lawmaker from the Democratic Party of Korea who serves as secretary of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee of the National Assembly, was nominated for Minister of Justice. He will be responsible for helping stabilize the criminal justice system after the abolition of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office of the Republic of Korea (SPO). For Minister of National Defense, the administration chose Kang Shin-cheol, the ambassador to Saudi Arabia and a retired four-star general who once served as deputy commander of the ROK-U.S. Combined Forces Command. Regarding Kang's role during the Dec. 3 martial law episode, Kang Hoon-sik said, "As far as I know, he was not implicated in the Constitutional Respect TF or the Ministry of National Defense audit."
Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Lee So-young was nominated for Minister of SMEs and Startups, while Basic Income Party lawmaker Yong Hye-in was named candidate for Minister of Gender Equality and Family. On the appointments, Kang Hoon-sik said, "To bring about practical changes that the public can feel more quickly and spread them more widely, we set merit as the only criterion for personnel decisions." He added, "We also tried to bring in capable people, even from the opposition, if they were willing to work together."
The administration also reshuffled its policy team for AI, one of its national agenda items. Lee Hae-min, a lawmaker from the Rebuilding Korea Party and a former Google engineer, was tapped as Senior Presidential Secretary for AI Future Planning. Former AI chief Ha Jung-woo will move to serve as vice chair of the National AI Strategy Committee. Lee Won-joo, the head of energy transition policy at the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment, was named to the newly planned post of megaproject aide. Former local government committee chair Kim Kyung-soo was appointed as the president's special aide for political affairs.
A senior Cheong Wa Dae official described the reshuffle as an effort to "tighten our shoelaces again and run hard." The emphasis, the official said, was less on disciplining outgoing Cabinet members and more on assembling a new team to fully carry out major policies. President Lee said, "Add new vitality to people's livelihoods and growth, protect daily life more safely, and accelerate innovation in future industries, including AI."


[email protected] Reporter Seong Seok-woo Reporter