National Tax Service chief named new presidential chief of staff

President Lee Jae Myung on Wednesday named the chief of the National Tax Service as his new chief of staff, his office said.

Outgoing chief of staff Kang Hoon-sik announced the appointment of Lim Kwang-hyun as his successor, weeks after he offered to resign amid Lee's falling approval ratings and controversy over the qualifications of two Cabinet nominees who ultimately withdrew.

"[Lim] is a former economic official-turned-politician with both abundant administrative experience and political acumen," Kang told a press briefing at the Blue House.

"With experience across the National Assembly and government, he is the right person to more broadly incorporate the people's voices into the running of state affairs and speed up state achievements through cooperation between the ruling party, government and the Blue House."

The former tax service chief served in various posts at the NTS before being elected a lawmaker of the ruling Democratic Party by proportional representation in 2024. He gave up his parliamentary seat upon taking office as NTS chief in 2025.

Standing alongside Kang, Lim told reporters he believes it is his calling to build on the accomplishments of the administration and create tangible changes in the people's lives.

"As the top official responsible for assisting the president, I will take responsibility for the overall work of the Blue House and give my all to improving people's livelihoods," he said.

Yonhap