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Lee names six new ministers, including two deputy prime ministers

Published: 29 Jun. 2025, 19:13 Updated: 30 Jun. 2025, 10:59

President Lee Jae Myung on June 29 nominated six new ministers. Clockwise from top left are: Koo Yun-cheol as deputy prime minister for economic affairs and Minister of Economy and Finance; Lee Jin-sook as deputy prime minister for social affairs and minister of education; Jung Sung-ho as the Minister of Justice; Jeong Eun-kyeong as the Minister of Health and Welfare; Kim Jung-kwan as the Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy; and Yun Ho-jung as the Minister of the Interior and Safety. [PRESIDENTIAL OFFICE]

President Lee Jae Myung named six new ministers, including two deputy prime ministers, as part of a partial Cabinet reshuffle on Sunday.

Announcing the appointments at the presidential office in central Seoul's Yongsan, presidential chief of staff Kang Hoon-sik said the changes would “strengthen the administration’s capacity to deliver on key national priorities.”

Koo Yun-cheol, former chief of the Office for Government Policy Coordination, was tapped as deputy prime minister for economic affairs and minister of economy and finance. Lee Jin-sook, former president of Chungnam National University, was named deputy prime minister for social affairs and minister of education.

Jung Sung-ho, a five-term Democratic Party (DP) lawmaker, was nominated to lead the Ministry of Justice, while Yun Ho-jung, also from the DP, was appointed minister of the interior and safety. Jeong Eun-kyeong, the former head of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency, was chosen as minister of health and welfare and Kim Jung-kwan, executive vice president of Doosan Enerbility, was named minister of trade, industry and energy.

Kim Kyoung-soo, former governor of South Gyeongsang, was appointed head of the Presidential Committee for Balanced National Development, a minister-level position.

Presidential chief of staff Kang Hoon-sik announces the Lee Jae Myung administration's six new ministers, including two deputy prime ministers, as part of a partial Cabinet reshuffle on June 29 at the presidential office in central Seoul. [NEWS1]

“Koo Yun-cheol has long contemplated how to drive innovation in Korea,” said Kang, describing him as “a seasoned expert on both fiscal matters and national policy who is ideally suited to guide Korea’s next phase of growth.”

Born in 1965, Koo is known as a veteran bureaucrat with expertise in finance policies, especially budgetary. He was previously the director-general of fiscal performance, chief budget officer and the second vice minister of economy and finance. He sat as an advisor to President Lee's economic growth committee during the presidential campaign, during which he helped shape Lee's policies to tackle slow economic growth, market stagnation and uncertainties of the United States' tariffs. Koo is expected to accelerate the Lee administration's expansion-driven fiscal policies.

Kim Jung-kwan was introduced as “a key talent with both bureaucratic experience and real-economy insight,” and someone expected to “embody the president’s economic philosophy centered on growth" by the presidential office.

Kim, born in 1968, held key positions in the finance ministry, mostly in the international finance bureau and economic policy bureau. He also served as a dispatched official to the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) in Washington. He was reportedly chosen for his experience both in the government and the private sector.

Jung Sung-ho was highlighted as “a figure with deep insight into judicial reform and policymaking, having led the special committee on judicial reform" by Kang.

Jung, born in 1962, is known as a close aide to President Lee. After winning his first seat in the National Assembly in 2004, Jung has been elected as a lawmaker for five terms. He served as a member of the parliamentary legislation and judiciary committee, chair of the strategy and finance committee and also the DP's chief spokesperson.

President Lee Jae Myung gives a speech during a luncheon meeting for people of national merits, war veterans and their family members at the former presidential office, Cheong Wa Dae or the Blue House, in central Seoul on June 27, 2025. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

On Lee Jin-sook, who previously served on the Presidential Advisory Council on Science and Technology and chaired the campaign committee for President Lee’s pledge to establish 10 universities on par with Seoul National University, Kang said, “She will play a leading role in cultivating future talent and promoting balanced educational development.”

"We hope he will become a credible symbol of substantive prosecutorial reform," Kang said.

Yun Ho-jung was described as someone capable of “transforming a conservative bureaucracy into a values-based and pragmatic system,” with a focus on fostering collaboration between central and local governments.

Calling Jeong Eun-kyeong “a public health expert who demonstrated exceptional policy responsiveness and communication during the Covid-19 pandemic,” Kang said she would “provide concrete solutions amid challenges such as a looming medical crisis.”

Kim Kyoung-soo, tasked with leading the administration’s push for regional development, was described as “a strong advocate for balanced development and local autonomy” and “a fitting choice to swiftly implement policies such as the five major regional hubs and three special zones.”

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY YOON SO-YEON, LEE JI-YOUNG [[email protected]]