President taps new aides for politics, communications and civil affairs

From left, senior secretary for political affairs Woo Sang-ho, senior secretary for public relations and communication Lee Kyu-youn and senior secretary for civil affairs Oh Kwang-soo. President Lee Jae-myung appointed senior secretaries for political affairs, public relations and civil affairs, Sunday. Yonhap

President Lee Jae-myung on Sunday appointed Woo Sang-ho, a prominent former Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) lawmaker, as his senior secretary for political affairs — a move seen as part of a broader shake-up aimed at bolstering political outreach, improving communication with the public and advancing prosecutorial reforms.

Lee also named veteran journalist Lee Kyu-youn, former CEO of JTBC, as senior secretary for public relations and communication, and appointed Oh Kwang-soo, a former senior prosecutor, as senior secretary for civil affairs, according to Chief of Staff Kang Hoon-sik.

Woo, 62, is a prominent figure from South Korea’s influential 1980s student activist movement, and part of the generation born in the 1960s that played a pivotal role in pro-democracy mobilization.

Woo officially entered politics in 1998 as a deputy spokesperson for then-Seoul mayoral candidate Goh Kun under the National Congress for New Politics. Woo served multiple terms as party spokesperson across different liberal parties.

Woo was first elected to the National Assembly in 2004 as a member of the now-defunct Uri Party. During the 20th National Assembly, he served as DPK floor leader, playing a key role in the impeachment of former President Park Geun-hye.

“Woo is the right person to promote unity, with a strong philosophy of bipartisan cooperation,” Kang said. “With his extensive legislative experience, he is expected to serve as an effective bridge between the presidential office and the National Assembly.”

Lee Kyu-youn, a former investigative journalist at the JoongAng Ilbo, led JTBC’s news division before becoming its CEO. Kang called him a “fitting choice” to lead the administration’s communications strategy and promote its reform agenda.

Oh Kwang-soo, who last served as chief prosecutor at the Daegu District Prosecutors’ Office, is a longtime acquaintance of the president from their time at the Judicial Research and Training Institute — the state-run academy that trained legal professionals before Korea adopted anAmerican-style law school system in 2008. He held senior posts in several major investigative units and is regarded as a key figure in prosecutorial reform.

“Oh has a deep understanding of the president’s philosophy on prosecutorial reforms, making him a suitable choice as the first presidential secretary for civil affairs,” Kang said.

Kang emphasized that the appointments reflect Lee’s push for national unity and pragmatic governance.

“The president is committed to serving all citizens — not as a conservative or a progressive, but as a leader focused on the people and the nation,” he said.