President Lee Jae-myung nominated six new ministers on Sunday in a cabinet reshuffle that Cheong Wa Dae framed as a response to falling approval ratings and mounting public criticism, timed ahead of a new National Assembly session and the formation of new leadership within the ruling Democratic Party. Chief of Staff Kang Hoon-sik announced the lineup at the presidential office.
The New Lineup
Lee Hyoung-il, a former World Bank economist born in 1971, was tapped as deputy prime minister for economic affairs and finance minister. Kang Shin-chul, a former deputy commander at the Korea-US Combined Forces Command born in 1968, was nominated as defense minister. Rep. Kim Seung-won of the Democratic Party, a former judge who passed the bar in 1996, was named justice minister nominee.
Hong Jee-sun, a career bureaucrat, was picked to lead the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. Rep. Lee So-young, a Democratic Party lawmaker with a background in environmental law, was named to head the ministry overseeing small and medium enterprises and startups. Rep. Yong Hye-in, the 36-year-old leader of the Basic Income Party, was nominated for gender equality and family minister, making her the youngest name on the list.
Filling Out the Presidential Office
The reshuffle extended beyond the cabinet itself. Rep. Lee Hae-min was named senior presidential secretary for AI planning, Lee Won-ju was appointed presidential secretary for megaprojects, Kim Kyoung-soo was named special adviser for political affairs, and Ha Jung-woo was tapped as vice chair of the National AI Strategy Committee, rounding out a broader personnel shakeup around the president.
A Mixed Political Reception
Reaction split along party lines. Democratic Party leader Kim Min-seok welcomed the move as a display of competence and youthful energy, pointing to the mix of technocrats and younger lawmakers on the list. People Power Party floor leader Jeong Jeom-sig took the opposite view, calling the reshuffle a form of governance by terror that he said prioritized protecting allies from prosecution over genuine reform.
What Analysts Expect
Outside assessments were similarly divided. Political scientist Park Sang-byung called the lineup a positive fit with the administration's progressive identity, while analyst Rhee Jong-hoon was more skeptical, predicting the reshuffle's practical impact would be limited and warning that confirmation hearings for several of the nominees could reignite political conflict rather than settle it.