Yongbum Kim Resigns as Policy Chief; Lee Accepts Within a Day

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On September 1, President Jae-myung Lee accepted the resignation of Yongbum Kim, Policy Chief at the Blue House. Just two days after the cabinet reshuffle and the appointment of senior Blue House aides—which included replacing six ministers on August 30—even the key advisor overseeing policy has stepped down, indicating that the personnel renewal of the second phase of President Lee's administration is now extending to the policy control tower itself.

Policy chief Yongbum Kim is speaking at the Cabinet meeting presided over by President Jae-myung Lee held at the Blue House on the 25th. 2026.8.25 Yonhap News Agency

On the morning of September 1, Kang Yoo-jung, Senior Spokesperson for the Blue House, held a briefing at Chunchugwan, announcing, "Policy Chief Yongbum Kim tendered his resignation yesterday, August 31," and, "President Jae-myung Lee accepted the resignation today, September 1." Kim offered his resignation to President Lee the previous day, and the president accepted it within a day. The Blue House did not provide any additional explanation concerning Kim's reasons for stepping down or details regarding the selection of his successor.

Consequently, the wave of personnel renewal, which began on August 30 in the second year of President Lee's administration, may continue. At that time, President Lee nominated new candidates for six ministries, including Deputy Prime Minister for Economy and Minister of Economy and Finance, as well as the Ministries of Justice, National Defense, Gender Equality and Family, Land, Infrastructure and Transport, and SMEs and Startups. He also appointed new officials for roles such as the Senior Secretary for Future AI Planning at the Blue House and the President’s Special Advisor for Political Affairs.

The Policy Chief is responsible for coordinating government policies across economic and social sectors and for designing the president’s core state agendas. Depending on the appointment of a successor, there are likely to be inevitable changes in the division of roles throughout the policy lineup at the Blue House. Kim has recently been proactive in delivering messages about the economic situation and the direction of state administration, addressing policy issues directly. Even on August 30, while assessing the economic recovery trend, he stressed the need to shift the focus of governance toward translating economic growth into improvements in people's lives and increased opportunities.

Kim was appointed as the first Policy Chief on June 6 of last year, immediately after the launch of the Lee administration, serving as a key advisor on economic and policy matters for roughly one year and three months. He was deeply involved in coordinating major economic policies, including restoring livelihoods, capital market reform, industrial and financial policy, AI investment, and large-scale growth projects. Recently, he has emphasized that the achievements of economic growth—bolstered by a recovering economy and rising tax revenues—must be connected to expanded distribution and greater social opportunity, thus presenting the policy direction for President Lee's second year in office.

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