Lim Gwang-hyun named Blue House chief of staff; Jang Dong-hyuk: “Lee even looks after his lawyer’s family”

[Financial News] The People Power Party criticized President Lee Jae-myung’s appointment of National Tax Service Commissioner Lim Gwang-hyun as Blue House chief of staff, asking whether he was “just a figurehead for the Seongnam-Gyeonggi network.” Concerns were also raised that, as the first NTS commissioner under the Lee Jae-myung administration, his appointment meant “an even bigger tax bomb is on the way.”
Jang Dong-hyuk, leader of the People Power Party, said on social media on the 14th that “(Chief Lim) was still defending ‘Lee Jae-myung’s Together Mortgage’ during the parliamentary audit as recently as yesterday.”
Jang said, “He was more zealous than anyone in carrying out tax audits ordered by the president. He also led the push for real-estate tax bombs, including abolishing the Long-Term Holding Special Deduction (the special deduction for long-term holdings). He has also pressed ahead with taxing virtual assets, which young people oppose.” He added, “In the end, this means an even bigger tax bomb is on the way. The public will be left wailing.”
Jang also pointed out that attorney Lee Seung-yeop, Lim’s brother-in-law, is a lawyer for President Lee Jae-myung. Jang wrote, “He’s a president who takes such good care of even his own lawyer’s family. I wish he would take care of the public like that.”
He continued, “Kang Hoon-sik resigned as chief of staff three weeks ago, yet the chief of staff was replaced in the middle of the parliamentary audit. The Samsung Electronics-SK hynix ETF, Kim Hyun-ji and Jeong Jin-sang’s abuse of power in appointments, and the situation surrounding reports on North Korean landmines—what could anyone ask someone who has only just become chief of staff about these matters? This is clearly an obstruction of the audit.”
Floor leader Jeong Jeom-sik told reporters that day, “This appointment shows that President Lee has no awareness whatsoever of the crisis in state affairs. The chief of staff is a position that requires a comprehensive understanding of government affairs, including politics, the economy, North Korea, diplomacy, real estate and public safety. Yet Lim, apart from one year as a National Assembly member, has spent his entire career in tax administration. I question whether he has the ability to unravel the tangled mess of governance as a whole.”
Jeong asked, “Is this administration’s talent pool too narrow, or did everyone refuse to board a sinking ship?”
He added, “I cannot shake the suspicion that this ultimately means installing Chief Kim Hyun-ji, the administration’s top power broker, alongside a figurehead for the Seongnam-Gyeonggi network.” He said, “It is deeply concerning that even Chief Kang Hoon-sik, who had served as a red-team voice inside the Blue House, has been pushed aside by Chief Kim.”
Jeong urged, “The new chief of staff’s first task should be to dismantle absurd organizations such as the task force (TF) for a golf meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump, and immediately halt schedules like going to see bukangi. The new chief should end the Seongnam-Gyeonggi network’s involvement in state affairs, including that of Kim Hyun-ji, Jeong Jin-sang and Kim Yong, and rein in the president’s excessive use of social media.”
Ahn Cheol-soo, a People Power Party lawmaker, said on social media that this was “the ultimate example of patronage appointments for the ‘Daejang-dong family.’” He noted that the lawyer’s older sister—who is Lim’s wife—was appointed consul general in Houston, U.S., despite coming from the Ministry of Health and Welfare and not being a career diplomat.
He also said, “The so-called ‘Daejang-dong family,’ with the president at its head, has taken over the Blue House too, after the judiciary, diplomacy and tax administration.” He expressed concern that this was “a completely misguided choice for chief of staff.”
[email protected] Lee Hae-ram Reporter