Another Cabinet reshuffle expected soon

President Yoon Suk Yeol poses for a selfie with actors after seeing a play in Seoul during his summer vacation last year on Aug. 3, 2022. Courtesy of presidential office

President to take week-long leave from Aug. 2

By Nam Hyun-woo

Speculation is growing that President Yoon Suk Yeol might carry out another reshuffle of his Cabinet in the near future ― most likely after spending a week on summer vacation starting Wednesday.

According to multiple sources with knowledge of the matter, at least two ministers will likely be sent packing, while some other ranking officials at the presidential office may also be replaced as Yoon seeks to tighten his grip on state affairs on the back of improving job approval ratings.

Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Lee Chang-yang speaks during a government committee meeting at the Government Complex in central Seoul's Gwanghwamun, July 20. Yonhap

Among Cabinet members in the hot seat are Trade, Industry and Energy Minister Lee Chang-yang and Science and ICT Minister Lee Jong-ho.

In May, President Yoon sent his then-secretary for industrial policy Kang Kyung-sung to serve as the second vice industry minister, after complaining about the government's efforts to normalize the country's nuclear energy policy and threatening to carry out drastic reshuffles of those who do not abide by the administration's policy direction.

The science ministry also suffered criticism over the slow legislative progress of establishing a national space agency, to be called the Korea Aerospace Administration, and lukewarm efforts in breaking the practice of unfairly distributing research and development subsidies to research organizations.

In June, Yoon sent his then-secretary for science and technology Cho Seong-kyung to serve as the first vice minister of science. Yoon reportedly asked Cho to focus on eradicating what he called unfair subsidy practices, which the president has branded as “cartel-like behavior.”

“A number of candidates have emerged as candidates for the industry minister post, including Minister of the Office of Government Policy Coordination Bang Moon-kyu, and these may be part of a broader reshuffling,” an official of the ruling bloc said on condition of anonymity.

“The matter of personnel is totally up to the president,” another official said. “It is difficult to rule out the possibility given the precedents of presidents making sweeping reshuffles of their Cabinets after having summer vacations.”

An official at the presidential office said Monday that Yoon will go on summer vacation from Aug. 2 to 8, which will include a sojourn at a presidential retreat on Jeo Island off the northern tip of Geoje Island in South Gyeongsang Province.

“Along with the island, he will likely visit several places which he finds it necessary to visit,” the official said. “Though he will be officially taking a week-long leave, he may attend some official events during the vacation.”

Former President Park Geun-hye writes in the sand at a beach on Jeo Island, South Gyeongsang Province, during her summer vacation in 2013, in this photo uploaded to Facebook on July 30, 2013. Captured from Park's Facebook

Yoon's predecessors have used their summer vacations as time and space for making important decisions.

In 2010, then-President Lee Myung-bak nominated then-South Gyeongsang Province Governor Kim Tae-ho as the prime minister, in order to turn things around amid growing negative sentiment on the government's plan to develop the city of Sejong as an economic hub, not an administrative capital as it is now. However, Kim resigned after facing questions about election funds.

Former President Park Geun-hye replaced her chief of staff and four senior secretaries after her summer vacation in 2013 while nominating a new culture minister after a summer vacation in 2014. She also replaced the health and welfare minister and senior secretary for welfare after her summer vacation in 2015.

Yoon also carried out a staff reshuffle after his summer vacation last August, replacing his senior secretary for public relations and creating a new post of senior secretary for policy planning.

Along with personnel matters, Yoon is anticipated to prepare for a three-way summit on Aug. 18 between South Korea, the United States and Japan at Camp David, upon U.S. President Joe Biden's invitation.

During the scheduled summit, the leaders are expected to discuss their cooperation on deterring North Korea's nuclear and missile threats, securing the economic security of semiconductors and key minerals and exploring ideas on a number of regional and global issues, such as the war in Ukraine.

In recent months, the North has attempted to launch a military reconnaissance satellite and tested the new Hwasong-18 solid-fuel intercontinental ballistic missile. Against this backdrop, the leaders are anticipated to discuss ways to promptly activate a North Korean missile alert information-sharing mechanism. Additionally, discussions could be held on expanding and standardizing trilateral exercises involving the three countries, to encompass missile defense and anti-submarine warfare training.

“The upcoming three-way summit will be an important chapter upgrading the three countries' cooperation to a new level,” presidential spokesperson Lee Do-woon said in a briefing.