Lee reshuffles Blue House staff in first big personnel move of his second year

President Lee Jae Myung reshuffled his senior staff at the presidential office on Sunday, the first major personnel move of his second year in office.

Presidential chief of staff Kang Hoon-sik said the changes built on the administration's first year and were meant to speed up Lee's second-year agenda. "Building on the achievements of the past year, we focused on swiftly realizing the second-year vision of an 'irreplaceable Korea,'" Kang said.

Lee named Han Chan-sik, a lawyer at Kim & Chang, as his new presidential secretary for civil affairs. Han is a member of the 21st class of the Judicial Research and Training Institute and previously served as director general of the human rights bureau at the Ministry of Justice and as chief prosecutor of the Seoul Eastern District Prosecutors' Office. He succeeds Bong Wook, who leaves the presidential office after about a year.

Kang linked the appointment to the government's prosecution overhaul. "We will strengthen accountability in the public sector in our second year and complete prosecution reform without setbacks, including the establishment of the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency and the Office of Public Prosecution," he said.

Han has a history of friction with the liberal government of former President Moon Jae-in, in office from 2017 to 2022. As chief of the Seoul Eastern District office, he oversaw the investigation into the Environment Ministry blacklist case, in which the ministry was accused of forcing out executives at public institutions who had been appointed under the previous Park Geun-hye government. The investigation led to the indictment of then-Environment Minister Kim Eun-kyung, who was later convicted, along with two former presidential secretaries.

At the time, Han drew fire from the then-ruling bloc because he was the son-in-law of Choi Byung-ryeol, a former leader of the conservative Grand National Party, the predecessor of today's main opposition People Power Party (PPP). He left the prosecution in 2019.

A ruling bloc official said the presidential secretary for civil affairs role demanded someone who knew the prosecution from the inside.

"To carry out the remaining tasks to reform the prosecution, such as revising the Criminal Procedure Act, we needed someone who knows the prosecution well, can communicate with the legal community and will push the work more forcefully," the official said. Han has reportedly voiced his commitment to prosecution reform to political figures several times in recent weeks.

For the new presidential secretary for public relations and communication, Lee chose Seong Ghi-hong, a former president of Yonhap News Agency. A career journalist, Seong served as political news editor, editorial writer and head of the newsroom at Yonhap.

"A veteran journalist with 30 years of experience, he combines a feel for the reporting field with the balance and judgment of a news executive," Kang said.

Kim Kyoung-ja, a visiting professor at Woosuk University, was named presidential secretary for social affairs. "She is a leader who has driven change in our society as a health care expert who trained as a pharmacist, as well as a labor and civil-society activist," Kang said. Kim previously led the Inha Hospital union under the National Federation of Hospital Workers' Unions and served as first vice president of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU), one of Korea's two major national union federations.

Lee also reshuffled the National Security Office. He named Kang Gun-jark, currently a member of the presidential Future Defense Strategy Committee, as first deputy national security adviser.

Kang headed the National Crisis Management Center at the National Security Office under the Moon Jae-in government and later served as secretary for defense reform. In that role, he helped drive the push to transfer wartime operational control (Opcon) from the United States to Korea. In a book published last year, "The Conditions for a Strong Military to Remake the Korean Armed Forces" (translated), he argued that the transfer was necessary.

Lee's choice of Kang has been read as a sign that he wants to hasten the Opcon transfer.

Song Ki-ho, the presidential secretary for economic security, was appointed third deputy national security adviser. Song began the Lee presidency as head of the presidential situation room and is now moving posts for the second time.

The replacement of former third deputy Oh Hyun-joo, a career Ministry of Foreign Affairs official, with Song — a former civilian advisor for the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy — is widely seen as a signal that the lead on economic-security policy is shifting from the Foreign Ministry to the Trade Ministry. The two ministries have long jockeyed over the lead on trade issues and over the sharing of information.

The Blue House also named Nam Jae-heon, currently head of the Arctic Route Promotion Headquarters at the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, as vice minister of oceans and fisheries.

The post of presidential secretary for AI and future planning, which opened when former occupant Ha Jung-woo stepped down to run in a National Assembly by-election, was not filled on Sunday. The presidential office is strongly considering Lee Ki-hyuk, who heads the startup ecosystem at Amazon Web Services Korea, for the role.

"We will let you know about the AI and future planning secretary when we can announce it," Kang said.

PPP floor leader Jeong Jeom-sig criticized the reshuffle. "This is not the change of governing direction the opposition called for, but merely a diversion to distract the public," Jeong said.

He took particular aim at the communications pick. "Naming yet another former head of a news organization is an inappropriate choice that undermines the independence of the press," Jeong said.

He also faulted the choice for the social affairs secretary. "By naming a former first vice president of the KCTU, the administration has further deepened union-biased, ideologically aligned appointments," Jeong said.

BY YOON SUNG-MIN [[email protected]]