President Lee Jae-myung on the 14th named Park Su-keun, an emeritus professor at Hanyang University School of Law, as the Central Labor Relations Commission Chairperson at the ministerial level. He also appointed Lee Byeong-gweon, former head of the Seoul Regional Office of the Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS), as the second vice minister of the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, and Lee Yong-chul, former Vice Administrator of the Defense Acquisition Program Administration, as the administrator of the Defense Acquisition Program Administration, respectively.
Spokesperson Kim Nam-joon said the president carried out these minister and vice minister-level appointments that day. Park Su-keun, the nominee from Changwon, South Gyeongsang, previously served as Central Labor Relations Commission Chairperson from 2019 to 2022 and will again take the post under the current administration. Park served as president of the Korean Labor Law Association and as Chairperson of the committee to improve labor-management relations systems and practices at the Economic, Social and Labor Council (hereafter the Economic, Social and Labor Council).
Kim said, "He has been active in academia and government commissions and is a labor expert who combines theory and practice," adding, "As Central Labor Relations Commission Chairperson, who handles rulings and mediation on labor issues, he is expected to fairly protect workers' lives while contributing to the development of mature labor-management relations."
The second vice minister post at the MSS is the first appointment since the creation of a vice minister dedicated to microbusiness owners. New second Vice Minister Lee Byeong-gweon served as Director General for Policy Planning at the MSS and head of the Microbusiness Policy Division, and worked as a specialist member of the policy committee of the Democratic Party of Korea. Kim said, "He has expertise in microbusiness policy and has been recognized for strong execution by formulating various policies to expand sales channels for microbusinesses and protect neighborhood commercial districts," adding, "He is expected to resolve the difficulties faced by microbusiness owners and reinvigorate local economies."
Regarding new Defense Acquisition Program Administration Administrator Lee Yong-chul, Kim said, "He is a defense acquisition law expert who, while serving as the inaugural Vice Administrator of the Defense Acquisition Program Administration, led the initial planning of the defense acquisition system," adding, "Based on his experience and insight in launching the agency, he is expected to be the optimal strategist to realize the vision of becoming one of the four leading defense industry powers by massively investing in defense R&D budgets and activating the defense industry fast-track system."
The president also appointed Han Sam-suk, a standing Commissioner of the Anti-Corruption & Civil Rights Commission (ACRC), as vice chairperson of the commission, a vice minister-level post, and Lee Jeong-ryeol, Secretary-General of the Personal Information Protection Commission, as vice chairperson of the Personal Information Protection Commission. He also appointed Lee Jung-han, director general of employment policy at the Ministry of Employment and Labor, as a standing Commissioner of the Economic, Social and Labor Council.
Kim said of standing Commissioner Han Sam-suk, "A career bureaucrat with expertise in anti-corruption and grievance handling, Han played a leading role in establishing the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act and contributed to improving practices and social perceptions regarding improper solicitations and the exchange of money and valuables in the public sector," adding, "As ACRC vice chairperson, Han is the right person to build a warm society where the socially vulnerable are protected based on common sense and a fair society without corruption."
Kim added, "Standing Commissioner Lee Jung-han, with long administrative experience in the employment and labor field, has steadily led government policy with a gentle character and sense of responsibility," and said, "As a standing Commissioner of the Economic, Social and Labor Council, a tripartite dialogue body, Lee is expected to lead dialogue and compromise among economic actors and help restore Korea's stalled growth potential."