President Lee Jae-myung carried out the appointment of ministerial candidates for 11 departments, including foreign affairs and unification, on the 23rd.
Kang Hoon, chief of staff at the Presidential Office, announced these appointments at the Presidential Office that afternoon.
First, he named Ahn Gyu-baek, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, as the candidate for Minister of National Defense. This is the first time a civilian has been nominated as a defense minister candidate since the May 16 military coup.
For the Minister of Unification, he nominated Jeong Dong-young, a member of the Democratic Party, and for the Minister of Foreign Affairs, he nominated Cho Hyun, a former first vice minister of foreign affairs.
Chief Kang noted, "The Minister of Foreign Affairs candidate, Cho Hyun, has extensive experience in bilateral and multilateral diplomacy, having served as the first and second vice ministers of foreign affairs." He added that this was a move considering her expertise in economic issues and her ability to actively respond to pressing issues such as the Middle East conflict.
Regarding candidate Jeong Dong-young, he said, "He is a figure with more experience than anyone and has a firm philosophy regarding peace on the Korean Peninsula, making him the right person to create conditions for dialogue with North Korea and facilitate a breakthrough in easing tensions on the Peninsula."
Candidate Ahn Gyu-baek has served as the secretary and chairperson of the National Defense Committee in the National Assembly. Chief Kang added, "Having spent most of his five terms as a National Assembly member working on the Defense Committee, he has a deep understanding of the military and will be responsible for leading changes in the military mobilized during the martial law after 64 years as a civilian Minister of National Defense."
The selection of incumbent ruling party legislators is also notable. In addition to candidates Jeong Dong-young and Ahn Gyu-baek, he has nominated Kim Seong-hwan as the Minister of Environment, Jeon Jae-soo as the Minister of Oceans and Fisheries, and Kang Seon-woo as the Minister of Gender Equality and Family.
Former legislator Jeon is a three-term lawmaker (Busan North District 1) representing Busan and served as the chairperson of the Arctic Route Promotion Committee during the 21st presidential election. Chief Kang evaluated this background, saying, "He is the optimal candidate to implement the president's pledge of relocating the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries to Busan and promoting the Arctic shipping route."
Regarding candidate Kim Seong-hwan, he said, "He is a three-term lawmaker who has consistently considered future environmental issues, actively participating in the National Assembly's Special Committee on Climate Crisis, and understands well the president's awareness of the climate crisis as a survival issue for all. He is expected to actively respond to environmental issues based on his legislative experience."
About nominee Kang Seon-woo, he stated, "As a policy expert who has worked on the National Assembly's Health and Welfare Committee and the Gender Equality and Family Committee to protect the rights of socially disadvantaged individuals, I expect him to address social conflict issues based on communication and listening."
He also nominated Baek Gyeong-hoon, head of LG AI Research Institute, as the Minister of Science and ICT; Han Seong-sook, an advisor at Naver, as the Minister of SMEs and Startups; Kim Young-hoon, former chairperson of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU), as the Minister of Employment and Labor; and Kwon Oh-eul, a former legislator, as the Minister of Veterans Affairs.
Chief Kang remarked, "Ministerial candidate Baek Gyeong-hoon is an AI scholar and entrepreneur who received the Industrial Medal for commercialization of super-large AI, and I expect him to enhance national competitiveness in AI along with Jung Hae-woong, Chief of AI Future Planning."
Regarding Han Seong-sook, the Minister of SMEs and Startups nominee, he said, "She has led innovations at Line and Naver Webtoon and has been selected as one of the '50 Most Powerful Women in International Business' for four consecutive years, and based on her rich experience and understanding of related fields, she will bring newness to the strategies for fostering SMEs."
On nominee Kim Young-hoon, he noted, "He has represented labor issues while serving as the chairperson of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) and is expected to strengthen workers' rights through reducing industrial accidents, revising the yellow envelope law, and implementing a 4.5-day workweek."
What stands out in this appointment is the retention of current Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs Song Mi-ryung, who was appointed by the Yoon Suk-yeol administration.
Chief Kang added, "The retention of Minister Song signifies an appointment based on practicality rooted in the philosophy of the Lee Jae-myung administration, which is about providing opportunities regardless of conservative or progressive affiliations and judging by performance and capability."
Yoon Chang-ryul, former first deputy at the Office for Government Coordination, has been appointed as the head of the Office for Government Coordination.
Chief Kang expressed, "The 11 ministerial candidates are individuals who will implement the president's governance philosophy in their respective fields, and by emphasizing practicality and efficacy, we will create an administration that delivers results, especially since they have clear missions such as national interest diplomacy, easing tensions on the Korean Peninsula, military reform, preparing for the climate crisis, and promoting Arctic shipping routes."
The Ministry of Economy and Finance and the Ministry of Justice, among others, were excluded from this appointment. A key figure at the Presidential Office remarked, "The delay in the appointments is due to analyzing public recommendations and reflecting those opinions, and we will announce the remaining appointments in the near future."