▲ Ha Jun-kyung, Senior Presidential Secretary for Economic Growth
The appointments of Senior Presidential Secretary Ha Jun-kyung as the new Cheong Wa Dae Chief of Staff for Policy and Vice Minister of Trade and Industry Moon Shin-hak as the new Senior Presidential Secretary for Economic Growth have finalized the "second-term policy lineup" of the Lee Jae-myung administration.
Senior Secretary for Economic Growth Ha Jun-kyung has been appointed as the second Cheong Wa Dae Chief of Staff for Policy under the Lee Jae-myung administration.
Vice Minister of Trade and Industry Moon Shin-hak has been named the new Senior Presidential Secretary for Economic Growth.
At a briefing midday today (October 1), Sung Ki-hong, Senior Presidential Secretary for Public Communication, stated, "The new Chief of Staff for Policy Ha Jun-kyung is a leading scholar who has combined fair growth and polarization reduction into growth strategies," adding, "As the first senior secretary for economic affairs under this administration, he demonstrated the competence to transform the 'Korea Discount' into a 'Korea Premium.'"
Sung further explained, "Looking ahead, we expect him to encompass both social and economic policies to create policy changes that everyone can feel in areas directly related to people's livelihoods, such as welfare, jobs, education, and housing."
Regarding the new Senior Secretary for Economic Growth Moon Shin-hak, Sung expressed high expectations, describing him as "a real-economy expert who has held key positions across the industry and energy sectors." Sung noted, "Based on his leadership in fostering cutting-edge industries such as semiconductors and artificial intelligence (AI), he will not only swiftly advance new growth engines such as the three mega projects, but also lead an execution-focused recovery in the potential growth rate."
A native of Jeonju, North Jeolla Province, the new Policy Chief Ha is a macroeconomic expert who graduated from Seoul's Choongang High School and Seoul National University's Department of Economics.
He served as a professor in the Department of Economics at Hanyang University and as a member of the National Economic Advisory Council. In June of last year, he was appointed as the Lee Jae-myung administration's first Senior Presidential Secretary for Economic Growth and has held the position since.
Appointed to succeed Ha, Senior Secretary Moon is a native of Haenam, South Jeolla Province, and graduated from Chosun University High School and Seoul National University's Department of Economics.
After passing the 38th Higher Civil Service Examination, he served as spokesperson and director general for nuclear power industry policy at the Ministry of Trade and Industry, and served as vice minister until recently.
President Lee also appointed Kwon Dae-young, Vice Chairman of the Financial Services Commission, as the First Vice Minister of Finance and Economy, and Jeong Ui-gyeong, head of the Territorial and Urban Development Office, as the Second Vice Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.
The posts of first vice minister of finance and economy and second vice minister of land, infrastructure and transport had been vacant since their predecessors were tapped as ministers last month (September).
Senior Secretary Sung praised the new First Vice Minister of Finance and Economy Kwon Dae-young, calling him "an economic and financial expert who served as director general of the financial policy bureau and secretary general at the Financial Services Commission." He evaluated Kwon as "the right person to stably manage overall economic issues such as the economic growth rate, inflation, and employment by boldly harmonizing various policy instruments based on his hands-on experience and policy coordination capabilities built in the financial policy field, while continuously uncovering future growth momentum."
Introducing the new Second Vice Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Jeong Ui-gyeong, Sung characterized him as "a career bureaucrat with extensive experience in both policy and field operations in transport and land affairs." He added, "He will broaden the foundation for regionally driven growth by expanding metropolitan transit and logistics networks and build infrastructure for the three mega projects without disruption, while also swiftly resolving transit issues felt in citizens' daily lives with a keen sense of the field."
President Lee also named Democratic Party of Korea lawmakers Song Young-gil and Kim Byung-joo as Special Presidential Adviser for Peace and Diplomacy and Special Presidential Adviser for Defense Policy, respectively.
Senior Secretary Sung introduced Special Adviser Song as "a six-term lawmaker who has built extensive experience and expertise in foreign affairs and unification, having served as chairman of the National Assembly Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee."
Regarding Special Adviser for Defense Policy Kim Byung-joo, Sung praised him as "a defense policy expert who is a retired four-star army general," adding that he is "the right person to incorporate the public's voice into national security and defense reform initiatives under the principle that strong national defense is a key pillar safeguarding the national interest."
(Photo: Yonhap News)
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