Ha Junkyung-Moon Shinhak Lead 2nd Blue House Economic Team... Focus Shifts from Growth to 'Balance and Tangible Impact'

President Lee Appoints New Policy Chief and Senior Secretary for Economic Growth
Strengthening Social Policy While Maintaining Economic Continuity
Addressing Polarization and Regional Disparities as Top Priorities
Ha Jun-kyung to Coordinate

On October 1, President Lee Jae-myung promoted Ha Junkyung, Senior Secretary for Economic Growth, to the position of policy chief, and appointed Moon Shinhak, Vice Minister at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, as the new Senior Secretary for Economic Growth, signaling a shift in the presidential Blue House's economic team. This move suggests that while the overall framework of economic policy will be maintained, the second year of the administration will see a shift in policy focus toward 'social policies' that address polarization and regional balanced development—areas that people can tangibly feel. Ha, who has described himself as a 'Keynesian scholar specializing in Schumpeterian growth theory,' will now lead as the control tower encompassing both economic and social policy, while Moon—a seasoned industry official with hands-on experience in the real economy—will be responsible for executing industrial policy, making the division of roles increasingly clear.

Ha Junkyung, Senior Secretary for Economic Growth, is speaking at the Chief Presidential Secretary meeting held at the Blue House on the 1st, presided over by President Lee Jae-myung. On this day, President Lee appointed Senior Secretary Ha as the new policy chief. 2026.10.1 Yonhap News

This personnel decision puts emphasis above all on continuity in economic policy. Rather than bringing in an outsider to replace outgoing policy chief Kim Yongbeom, President Lee opted to promote Ha, who has been involved in designing economic policy since the launch of the administration as Senior Secretary for Economic Growth. Observers interpret this as a decision not to overhaul the existing growth strategy, but to continue on the path set for industrial, capital market, and growth policy while expanding the scope of policy outward into social policy. In a briefing, Chief Secretary for Public Relations Sung Gihong commented, "He is a representative scholar who has incorporated social issues like polarization into economic discourse during his tenure as Senior Secretary for Economic Growth," adding, "He is expected to play a visible role in fields directly connected to the lives of the people."

Ha has regarded growth and distribution not as opposing concepts, but has considered alleviating polarization and strengthening the social safety net as integral components of a growth strategy. As Senior Secretary for Economic Growth, he was involved in capital market revitalization, corporate investment, and boosting industrial competitiveness; as policy chief, he will now also have to coordinate areas such as education, welfare, housing, and regional balanced development. Particularly since President Lee has named housing, employment, and financial support for low-income citizens as the three main areas of social policy, Ha is expected to focus more actively on coordinating not only industrial policy but also policies that directly affect people's daily lives.

Chief Secretary Sung explained the reasoning behind the personnel change, saying, "There are doubts as to whether the warmth of macroeconomic growth is truly reaching the working public and those at the lower end of society." By this, he meant that while macro indicators such as exports and growth rates have improved rapidly, these achievements have yet to be fully felt by households, regions, and vulnerable groups.

While Ha will be responsible for the coordination of broad policy frameworks, Moon will ensure that the engines of growth are operational on the real industrial frontlines. Having experience across industrial and energy sectors, Moon is a veteran industrial bureaucrat who has contributed to policy development for semiconductors, artificial intelligence (AI), and advanced industries. Working alongside Lee Wonjoo, the National Investment Strategy Secretary, his core task will be to rapidly implement government initiatives such as the three mega-projects in semiconductors, physical AI, and data centers, as well as supply chain restructuring and accelerating the AI transition across all industries. Sung added, "Based on his track record in spearheading the development of advanced sectors such as semiconductors and AI, Moon will be able to rapidly advance the three mega-projects and lead the way toward a recovery in potential growth by focusing on implementation-driven economic growth strategy."

The success of the new economic team will depend on whether it can combine growth policy and social policy without sacrificing either side. The challenge will be to sustain the anticipated export and growth recovery and ensure that the benefits of these gains extend to jobs, income, housing stability, and regional growth opportunities. Sung said, "This personnel change reflects the President's intention to better heed the wishes and daily lives of the public, reflecting their voices more faithfully in state affairs," adding, "We have focused on ensuring the clear flow of economic growth, such as record-breaking export performance and the highest upward revision of economic growth projections among the G20, translates into the real economy and to further strengthen social policies that bring tangible change to people's lives."

Meanwhile, alongside the changes to the economic team, President Lee also adjusted the foreign affairs, security, economic ministries, and regional balanced development lines. Song Younggil, a six-term lawmaker who previously chaired the National Assembly's Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee, has been appointed as the Special Adviser for Peace Diplomacy. Kim Byungjoo, a former Army general and sitting lawmaker, was designated as Special Adviser for Defense Policy. Kwon Daeyoung, vice chairman of the Financial Services Commission, was appointed as the First Vice Minister of the Ministry of Economy and Finance, and Jeong Euikyung, Director General for National Land and Cities at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, was named as its Second Vice Minister. Park Jeonghyeon, the former head of Buyeo County, was appointed as Chairman of the Presidential Committee for the Local Era.

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