Senior Secretary for Civil Affairs Han Chansik and Senior Secretary for Public Relations Sung Kihong... Blue House: "Accelerating Governance in Year Two"

Blue House Announces 'Second-Term Senior Staff' Appointments on June 21
First and Third Deputy Directors of National Security Office Also Replaced
Kang Hunsik: "Implementing an Irreplaceable Korea"

On June 21, President Lee Jaemyung carried out a reshuffle, replacing the Senior Secretary for Civil Affairs, the Senior Secretary for Public Relations, and the Senior Secretary for Social Affairs. The First and Third Deputy Directors of the National Security Office were also replaced. The Blue House stated that through this personnel change, the Lee administration aims to accelerate the pace of governance in its second year in office.

At a briefing at Chunchugwan, Kang Hunsik, Chief Presidential Secretary, announced the personnel changes and stated, "Based on the achievements of the past year, we have focused on rapidly implementing the vision for the second year of the administration: an irreplaceable Republic of Korea."

Gi Hong Sung, Senior Secretary for Public Relations and Communication (from the left), Chan Sik Han, Senior Secretary for Civil Affairs, Kyung Ja Kim, Senior Secretary for Social Affairs, Geon Jak Kang, First Deputy Director of the National Security Office, Ki Ho Song, Third Deputy Director of the National Security Office. Photo by Cheongwadae

Han Chansik, an attorney at Kim & Chang who previously served as Chief Prosecutor at the Suwon District Prosecutors' Office and the Seoul Eastern District Prosecutors' Office, has been appointed as the new Senior Secretary for Civil Affairs. Following the previous appointment of Bong Wook, another former prosecutor has been named to this position. Chief Secretary Kang explained, "We will ensure the smooth completion of prosecutorial reforms, including the establishment of the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency and the Public Prosecution Office."

Sung Kihong, former CEO and president of Yonhap News Agency, has been selected as the Senior Secretary for Public Relations and Communications. Chief Secretary Kang introduced him as "a veteran journalist with 30 years of experience, who combines on-the-ground reporting sensibility with balanced judgment and responsibility as a news executive."

Kim Kyungja, adjunct professor at Woosuk University, who is a licensed pharmacist, a healthcare expert, and former Senior Vice Chairperson of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, has been appointed as Senior Secretary for Social Affairs. Chief Secretary Kang evaluated her as "the right person to devote herself to solving social issues so that all citizens are not excluded from benefits and can enjoy a dignified life."

In the National Security Office, both the First and Third Deputy Directors have been replaced. Geonjak Kang, a member of the Presidential Commission on Future Defense Strategy and a former commander of the 6th Corps, will serve as First Deputy Director. Chief Secretary Kang noted that he is a graduate of the 45th class of the Korea Military Academy and stated, "He is the right person to further strengthen our national security capabilities."

Giho Song, previously the Blue House Secretary for Economic Security, will serve as Third Deputy Director of the National Security Office. Song, who is a former member of Lawyers for a Democratic Society, transitioned from the current government’s Situation Room Chief to Secretary for Economic Security, and has now been promoted to Deputy Director in this reshuffle.

The Senior Secretary for AI Future Planning was not included in this round of appointments. The AI Secretary position has remained vacant since former secretary Ha Jeongwoo ran in the Bukgu-gap by-election. Regarding reports that Lee Kihyuk, Head of the Startup Ecosystem at Amazon Web Services (AWS) Korea, has been nominated, Chief Secretary Kang firmly stated, "Nothing has been confirmed, and we cannot confirm any details."

Chief Secretary Kang commented on this personnel move by saying, "Over the past year, the government of the people’s sovereignty has tirelessly worked to overcome the shock and confusion following the insurrection and to improve the lives of the people, and I believe we have achieved significant results in some areas." He added, "There has been dedication and effort from the Blue House staff, including those who are being replaced in this reshuffle, and we are very grateful for that."

He continued, "We will further accelerate the pace of state affairs to become a global leader in diplomacy and security, to build a normal society where norms and rules are upheld, and to protect the lives of our people. We expect the new senior secretaries to dedicate themselves with a sense of urgency for the future of the Republic of Korea."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.