Lee Appoints Lee Hyungil as Deputy Prime Minister for Economy, Kim Seungwon as Justice Minister, Kang Shinchul as Defense Minister in Six-Ministry Reshuffle (Comprehensive)

Secretary to the President Kang Hoon-sik Announces Appointments on August 30

Hong Ji-sun for Land Ministry, Lee So-young for SMEs, Yong Hye-in for Gender Equality

Ha Jung-woo Named Vice Chair of National AI Strategy Committee

President Lee Jae-myung carried out a reshuffle involving six ministries on August 30. Lee Hyung-il, current First Vice Minister of the Ministry of Economy and Finance, was nominated as both Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance. Hong Ji-sun, Second Vice Minister of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, was named as the candidate for Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. Lee So-young, a member of the Democratic Party, was appointed as the candidate for Minister of SMEs and Startups. In addition, appointments were made for vacant Blue House advisory positions and other posts.

Kang Hoon-sik, Secretary to the President, announced this reshuffle during a briefing at the Blue House Press Center on the same day.

The Blue House announced that President Lee Jae-myung nominated six ministerial candidates on the 30th, including the candidate for Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance.

From the top row, left to right: Lee Hyung-il, nominated as candidate for Minister of Economy and Finance; Kim Seungwon, Democratic Party member nominated as candidate for Minister of Justice; Kang Sincheol, former deputy commander of the Combined Forces Command, nominated as candidate for Minister of National Defense.

From the bottom row, left to right: Yong Hyein, Basic Income Party member nominated as candidate for Minister of Gender Equality and Family; Hong Jisun, Second Vice Minister nominated as candidate for Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport; Lee Soyoung, Democratic Party member nominated as candidate for Minister of SMEs and Startups. August 30, 2026, Yonhap News.

Lee Hyung-il, nominated as the incoming head of economic policy following former Deputy Prime Minister Koo Yoon-cheol, was born in 1971 in Daegu. He graduated from Seoul National University with a degree in economics and earned his PhD in economics from Texas A&M University in the United States. He began his public service career by passing the 36th National Public Administration Examination and has served as Secretary for Economic Policy at the Presidential Office.

Regarding Lee's nomination, Secretary Kang said, "He has demonstrated his ability to deliver results, such as leading the introduction of an oil price cap in response to persistently high oil prices from the Middle East. As a young economic leader, we expect him to translate the largest economic indicators in history into qualitative improvements in people's lives, address polarization, and achieve stable economic growth for Korea."

Hong Ji-sun, the candidate for Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, graduated from Seongnam High School in Seoul and earned a bachelor's degree in civil engineering from Hanyang University, as well as a master's degree in urban and regional planning from the University of Birmingham in the United Kingdom. Within the Ministry, she has served as Director of the Railroad Port Logistics Bureau, Director General of the Urban Housing Office, and as Deputy Mayor of Namyangju City. Lee So-young, the candidate for Minister of SMEs and Startups, is a two-term lawmaker recognized for her legislative efforts to support startups and protect small business owners, and has accumulated broad policy experience ranging from innovation-led growth to livelihood issues.

Kang Shin-chul, former Deputy Commander of the ROK-US Combined Forces Command, was nominated as the candidate for Minister of National Defense. Kang, a four-star general who has served in key positions such as Chief of Operations at the Joint Chiefs of Staff, is currently Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Saudi Arabia. Secretary Kang evaluated, "On the foundation of a rock-solid Korea-US alliance, I expect him to strengthen our autonomous defense capabilities in preparation for future warfare, and to boldly and rapidly open new paths for defense innovation, including integrating the military academies."

Kim Seung-won, a member of the Democratic Party, was nominated as the candidate for Minister of Justice. Kim, a former judge and two-term lawmaker, currently serves as the secretary on the National Assembly's Legislation and Judiciary Committee. Secretary Kang stated that Kim's deep understanding of the criminal justice system reform makes him well-suited to prioritize victims' rights and swiftly transition to a new criminal justice system.

Yong Hye-in, a member of the Basic Income Party, was nominated as the candidate for Minister of Gender Equality and Family. She is a two-term National Assembly member who has been a strong advocate for preventing digital sexual crimes and for creating conditions for work-family balance. Secretary Kang explained, "With her fresh and practical perspective and strong drive, she is the right person to move beyond generational and gender conflicts and work with young people to advance gender equality for all."

Kang Hoon-sik, Chief Secretary, is giving a briefing on personnel matters at the Cheong Wa Dae Press Center on the 30th. Photo by Yonhap News

Appointments were also made for vacant Blue House advisory positions and other posts. Lee Hae-min, a member of the Progressive Party for National Renewal, was nominated as the new Chief of AI Future Planning at the Blue House. Lee Won-ju, Director-General for Energy Transition Policy at the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment, was named as the advisor for the newly established Blue House Megaprojects Office. Kim Kyung-soo, former chair of the Committee for the Decentralization Era, was appointed as Special Political Advisor to the President, and Ha Jung-woo, former Chief of AI at the Blue House, was appointed as Vice Chair of the Presidential Committee on National AI Strategy.

Regarding Chief Lee, Secretary Kang emphasized, "He has been a pioneer in charting the path for Korea's AI. He is the right person to serve as the control tower to unite interagency capabilities and link the national AI strategy to both industrial innovation and tangible service improvements for the public." Regarding Vice Chair Ha, he said, "As the inaugural AI Chief, he has proven his expertise and policy skills. Having participated in the launch of the National AI Strategy Committee, he will serve as the helm for propelling Korea to become one of the top three AI leaders, and present a consolidated national strategy leveraging the combined strengths of academia, industry, and research."

Secretary Kang stated, "President Lee has called for new momentum in the economy and public welfare, greater safety in people's daily lives, and accelerated innovation in future industries including AI. Through this, we will deliver tangible results that allow the Korean people to truly feel Korea's leap forward as an irreplaceable nation."

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