President Lee Jae-myung on the 18th appointed former Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker Hong Ik-pyo, 58, to succeed Woo Sang-ho as senior presidential secretary for political affairs. Following Woo, who is expected to submit a resignation soon to run for Gangwon governor, Hong, a senior figure in the ruling camp and a policy expert, will take on the role of bridge between Cheong Wa Dae and the government. A three-term lawmaker in the 19th, 20th and 21st National Assembly, Hong served as the Democratic Party of Korea floor leader, policy committee chair, chief spokesperson and head of the Democracy Research Institute.
Cheong Wa Dae Senior Secretary for Public Communication Lee Kyu-yeon said at a Cheong Wa Dae briefing that "former lawmaker Hong Ik-pyo has a reasonable and amicable disposition and, during his time as a lawmaker, consistently practiced politics of tolerance and collaboration under the conviction that conflicts and confrontation should be resolved through compromise and consultation," adding, "Cheong Wa Dae will carry forward the framework of cooperative politics so there is no gap in political functions going forward," explaining the background of the appointment.
Born in Seoul, the new senior secretary entered the National Assembly by winning in the Seongdong B district of Seoul in the 2012 general election after serving as Policy Advisor to the Minister at the Ministry of Unification, among other posts. He then won three consecutive terms in the same district. In 2023, when Lee was party leader, he served as the party's floor leader. The following year, in the 22nd general election, he ran in the Seocho B district of Seoul, considered a tough district for the Democratic Party of Korea, but was defeated.
The new senior secretary's term begins on the 20th. The appointment comes about six months before the Lee Jae-myung administration's first local elections, and a sweeping reshuffle of the first-term aides is expected soon. Kim Byung-wook, a member of the "Group of Seven," a circle of close aides since Lee's tenure as Seongnam mayor, and the senior presidential secretary for political affairs, is also expected to submit his resignation within the month to run for Seongnam mayor in Gyeonggi. However, the senior secretary said, "In light of the loss of political functions, we are taking more time to review other appointments."