President Lee Selects Ha Jun-kyung as Blue House Policy Chief... Shifting Focus From Economic Recovery to Tangible Improvements in People's Lives

Suhn Hak Moon Appointed Senior Secretary for Economic Growth
Song Young-gil and Byungjoo Kim Named Special Advisors for Diplomacy and Defense
Daeyong Kwon Appointed First Vice Minister of Finance and Economy, Jungikyeong Jeong Named Second Vice

On October 1, President Lee Jaemyung promoted Ha Junkyung, Senior Secretary for Economic Growth at the Blue House, to the position of Chief Policy Aide. For the Senior Secretary for Economic Growth, he selected Suhn Hak Moon, currently Vice Minister at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. Whereas the first year of the administration focused policy capabilities on economic normalization and restoring the growth rate, the second year is expected to prioritize spreading the fruits of growth into quality-of-life improvements that the public can directly feel, such as in housing, jobs, and financial support for ordinary people.

On the same day, the President appointed Song Young-gil, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, as Special Advisor for Peaceful Diplomacy at the Presidential Secretariat, and Byungjoo Kim, also of the Democratic Party, as Special Advisor on Defense Policy. Daeyong Kwon, Vice Chairman of the Financial Services Commission, was appointed First Vice Minister of the Ministry of Finance and Economy, and Jeong Ikyeong, Director General of Urban Policy at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, was named Second Vice Minister at the same ministry. For the ministerial-level Presidential Committee for Balanced Regional Development, Jeonghyeon Park, former head of Buyeo County, was appointed chairperson.

Seong Gihong, Senior Secretary for Public Relations and Communications at the Blue House, stated in a briefing, "In line with the President's intention to pay closer attention to public sentiment and the people's livelihoods, we sought to better reflect the people's voices in state affairs." He further explained that, amid recent improvements in economic indicators such as exports and growth rate forecasts, "We are prioritizing reinforcing policy and execution capabilities in national governance—from ensuring solid economic growth flows into the everyday economy, to reinforcing social policies that deliver real improvements in the people's lives, and strengthening diplomacy and security."

Ha Junkyung, the Economic Control Tower... Combining Growth and Distribution

Policy Chief Ha Jung-kyung of the Blue House

The centerpiece of this personnel appointment is the selection of the new Chief Policy Aide, Ha. By filling the vacancy in the control tower for economic and social policy—which was left open after the resignation of former Chief Policy Aide Kim Yongbeom—through internal promotion, the administration aims to maintain continuity in its economic policy while also strengthening efforts to ensure policies are felt by the public and to address polarization.

As a representative 'Schumpeterian' (someone who views technological innovation and entrepreneurship as core drivers of economic growth), Ha has consistently incorporated strategies for fair growth and resolving polarization into his approach as an economist. Since the launch of the current administration, Ha has worked as the inaugural Senior Secretary for Economic Growth, coordinating economic policy alongside former policy chief Kim. The Blue House evaluated that Ha has demonstrated policy expertise in areas such as revitalizing capital markets and resolving the so-called 'Korea Discount' (the undervaluation of Korean stocks).

Senior Secretary Seong elaborated on the reasoning behind Ha's appointment, saying, "There are questions as to whether the warmth of macroeconomic growth has truly reached the working-class public and those on the lower rungs of society. The selection of Ha as policy chief comes from considering who can best address polarization and strengthen social policies for the most vulnerable—a crucial requirement for leading the administration’s second year agenda in a balanced manner."

Notably, with President Lee having recently identified housing, employment, and inclusive finance as the three main social policy pillars, Ha is expected to coordinate not only economic growth strategies but also the broader areas of education, welfare, and housing. Seong emphasized, "The President’s commitment to reform as the administration’s core identity remains unwavering, and under the overall direction to strengthen these three major social policies, Ha will combine growth strategies and social policies in driving our agenda."

Suhn Hak Moon as Senior Secretary for Economic Growth... Accelerating the Big Three Mega Projects

Suhn Hak Moon, Senior Secretary for Economic Growth at the Blue House

Succeeding Ha as Senior Secretary for Economic Growth is Suhn Hak Moon, currently Vice Minister at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. Recognized as a real-economy expert who has held key positions across the industrial and energy sectors, Moon’s strength lies in his experience steering advanced industry policies such as semiconductors and artificial intelligence. The Blue House expects him to rapidly push forward the government's 'Big Three Mega Projects' and to help restore potential growth through action-oriented economic strategies.

Younggil Song, Member of the Democratic Party of Korea

Byungjoo Kim, Member of the Democratic Party of Korea

For diplomacy and national security, the President appointed current ruling party lawmakers as Special Presidential Advisors. Song Young-gil, assigned as Special Advisor for Peaceful Diplomacy, is a six-term National Assembly member and former Chair of the Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee, and is expected to leverage his legislative experience and networks at home and abroad to support the President’s foreign policy. Byungjoo Kim, a former Army General, will provide advice on defense reform and security policy as Special Advisor for Defense Policy.

Regarding the establishment of these Special Advisor positions and the issue of lawmakers holding concurrent posts, Seong explained, "Previous administrations have also operated various Presidential Special Advisor roles, and there are precedents for lawmakers serving as special advisors, both under this and prior governments," emphasizing that the two advisors "will reinforce the President’s leadership in national affairs, each leveraging their expertise."

Daeyong Kwon as First Vice Minister of Finance and Economy, Jeong Ikyeong as Second Vice Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport... Jeonghyeon Park as Chair of the Balanced Regional Development Committee

Daeyong Kwon, First Vice Minister of the Ministry of Finance and Economy, Yonhap News

Daeyong Kwon, newly appointed as First Vice Minister of Finance and Economy, is a seasoned expert in finance and economic policy, having served as Director General for Financial Policy and as Secretary General at the Financial Services Commission. The Blue House intends for him to leverage his experience in policy coordination to stably oversee key macroeconomic factors such as the growth rate and inflation and to lead efforts to discover future growth engines.

Jeong Ikyeong, newly selected as Second Vice Minister at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, is a career official whose background spans the full range of land and transportation affairs. Key tasks ahead include laying the groundwork for region-led growth through expanding metropolitan transportation networks, establishing infrastructure for the three mega projects, and resolving transportation issues.

Jeonghyeon Park, former head of Buyeo County, will chair the Balanced Regional Development Committee. Park brings hands-on experience in local administration, having worked as Deputy Governor of South Chungcheong Province and served consecutive terms as head of Buyeo County in its 7th and 8th popularly elected governments. After stepping down as county chief this February, he announced a bid for integrated mayor of Chungnam and Daejeon but withdrew in March. The Blue House expects Park to shift the country's Seoul-centric growth structure toward a region-led growth system, based on his direct experience dealing with local extinction and regional imbalance issues in the field.

Seong concluded regarding these appointments, "We must respond to the public’s desire for tangible improvements in daily life and create real reform outcomes alongside the people. The Lee Jaemyung administration will be judged by its actions, not words, across all areas of governance and will devote every effort to fulfilling its responsibility to the people."

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