Lee highlights economic focus with new appointments

President Lee Jae-myung appointed key economic aides to the presidential office Thursday, signaling a strong emphasis on economic expansion. Kim Yong-beom, former first vice minister at the Ministry of Economy and Finance, was named chief of policy. Ha Joon-kyung, an economics professor at Hanyang University, took the role of senior secretary for economic growth, a newly titled position replacing the former senior secretary for economic affairs. Moon Jin-young, a social welfare professor at Sogang University, was selected as senior secretary for social affairs.

Presidential Chief of Staff Kang Hoon-sik said during the announcement that the president prioritized immediate impact and professional expertise. “President Lee, determined to confront the economic downturn directly, urged his aides to achieve tangible results the public can experience, even amid difficult circumstances,” Kang said.

Kim Yong-beom, the new policy chief, served as vice minister under the Moon Jae-in administration and previously worked as a senior economist at the World Bank. Kang praised him for his broad understanding of economic policy and global perspective, highlighting his crisis-management experience during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ha, the new senior secretary for economic growth, has been a close adviser to President Lee since his time as governor of Gyeonggi Province. Moon, the new senior secretary for social affairs, helped design Lee’s welfare policies, including during his tenure as CEO of the Gyeonggi Jobs Foundation.

Ryu Deok-hyun, a finance expert from Chung-Ang University and former member of the Korea Institute of Public Finance, was appointed the new fiscal planning adviser, a newly created senior-level position. This appointment reflects President Lee’s focus on fiscal expansion to support economic recovery and signals the presidential office’s intent to directly manage budgetary affairs. “By creating a senior fiscal planning adviser, we aim to implement fiscal strategies that fully realize the president’s policy vision in a practical way,” Kang said.

The presidential office also announced a restructuring plan. A new judicial system secretary will be established under the office of civil affairs to oversee judicial and prosecutorial reform. The National Situation Room will be expanded and upgraded to serve as a central control tower for state affairs. The National Crisis Management Center, previously under the second deputy director of the National Security Office, will now report directly to the National Security Adviser.

The current Office of Civil Society will be expanded into the Office for Public Listening and Integration, adding a new position for a youth affairs officer. The Gender and Family Secretary post, abolished under the previous administration, will be reinstated as the Gender Equality and Family Secretary. The presidential records secretary position will also be restored. Kang added that a temporary administrative secretary role will be created to manage operations related to relocating the presidential office to the Blue House.


윤다빈 기자 empty@donga.com