President Lee Jae-myung Implements Medium-Scale Cabinet Reshuffle, Nominating Kim Seung-won for Justice Minister

President Lee Jae-myung has implemented a medium-scale cabinet reshuffle, replacing ministers across six key ministries including Economy and Finance, Justice, and Land, Infrastructure and Transport.

While some initially anticipated a "sequential reshuffle" that would only fill the vacant positions at the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, President Lee opted for a broader, simultaneous overhaul to strengthen governance momentum heading into his second year in office.

Representative Kim Seung-won, a two-term lawmaker of the Democratic Party, was tapped as the nominee for Minister of Justice.

Regarding the nomination of Kim, Chief of Staff Kang Hoon-sik stated, "As a former judge and a two-term lawmaker serving as the secretary of the Legislation and Judiciary Committee, he understands the purpose of the criminal and judicial system reforms better than anyone. We expect him to protect victims' rights as a top priority and quickly settle the new systems into place."

Personnel appointments for the economic sector followed.

Lee Hyung-il, the current 1st Vice Minister of Economy and Finance, was nominated as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance.

Chief of Staff Kang evaluated, "Nominee Lee is a renowned policy expert who has served in key economic policy positions," adding, "He proved his execution capabilities by leading the introduction of the maximum oil price system in response to the high oil price crisis originating from the Middle East."

He added, "As a young economic commander, we expect him to connect record-high economic indicators to qualitative changes in the lives of the public, overcome polarization, and achieve stable growth for our economy."

Hong Ji-sun, the current 2nd Vice Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, was chosen as the nominee for Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, while Representative Lee So-young of the Democratic Party was selected as the nominee for Minister of SMEs and Startups.

Regarding Nominee Hong, Chief of Staff Kang expressed expectations, saying, "She is a field-oriented bureaucrat who has held key housing positions in Gyeonggi Province, overseeing the entire process from housing supply policy design to on-site implementation and connecting housing stability to actual results. She will be able to swiftly supply sufficient housing where the public wants it."

Regarding Nominee Lee, he evaluated, "She possesses extensive policy experience, having actively engaged in legislation to protect small business owners," and added, "She will successfully lead the transition into the national startup era and the fostering and support of small business owners."

In addition, Kang Shin-chul, former Deputy Commander of the ROK-U.S. Combined Forces Command, was nominated as Minister of National Defense.

Chief of Staff Kang stated, "As a four-star general who has served in key positions such as the Director of Operations for the Joint Chiefs of Staff, he is expected to strengthen self-reliant defense capabilities preparing for future warfare based on a solid ROK-U.S. alliance, and boldly pave new paths for national defense innovation, such as the integration of military academies."

Representative Yong Hye-in of the Basic Income Party was named as the nominee for Minister of Gender Equality and Family.

Born in 1990, Nominee Yong will become the first minister born in the 1990s if formally appointed following the confirmation hearing.

As this reshuffle features the first ministerial nominee from an opposition party, political circles are paying keen attention to whether Yong's selection could extend to a future "coalition cabinet" initiative.

Chief of Staff Kang said, "Nominee Yong is a young two-term lawmaker who has voiced clear positions on the side of socially vulnerable groups, such as preventing digital sex crimes and creating conditions for balancing work and family," adding, "She is the right person to transcend generational and gender conflicts and pursue gender equality for all together with the younger generation."

Representative Lee Hae-min of the Rebuilding Korea Party was selected as the Blue House Senior Secretary for AI Future Planning.

Nominee Lee's appointment is also notable, similar to Yong's, in that it appoints an opposition figure belonging to the pan-ruling camp coalition.

Chief of Staff Kang introduced her, saying, "She is a next-generation politician with a background as a Google engineer and is the right person to unite cross-governmental capabilities in the AI industry."

Ha Jung-woo, former Senior Secretary for AI Future Planning, was appointed as the Vice Chairman of the National Artificial Intelligence Strategy Committee.

Chief of Staff Kang stated, "Vice Chairman Ha, who proved his expertise as the inaugural AI secretary, will set the direction for Korea to leap forward as one of the top three AI global powers and closely unite the capabilities of industry, academia, and research to present a national AI strategy."

Kim Kyoung-soo, former Governor of South Gyeongsang Province, was appointed as the Presidential Special Advisor for Political Affairs.

Emphasizing Special Advisor Kim, Chief of Staff Kang stressed, "Based on his abundant political experience, he will serve as a bridge for national integration and stable governance while connecting diverse voices from the National Assembly and local regions to state affairs."

The position of Blue House Mega Project Advisor, which will lead the "three major mega projects" promoted by the government, went to Lee Won-joo, the current head of the Energy Transition Policy Office at the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment.

Chief of Staff Kang said, "Advisor Lee is a veteran bureaucrat who has held key positions in energy, industry, and other fields," adding, "He has accumulated expertise by acting as a fixer during national crises such as the material, component, and equipment regulations in 2019. Based on proven problem-solving capabilities, he is the right person to lead the success of South Korea's mega projects."
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.