Cho Hyun named foreign minister; Ex-Unification Minister Chung Dong-young returns to post

The presidential office announced President Lee Jae Myung’s Cabinet-level nominations, Monday. From left in the top row are Minister of Science and ICT nominee Bae Kyung-hoon, Foreign Minister nominee Cho Hyun, Unification Minister nominee Chung Dong-young, Defense Minister nominee Ahn Gyu-back, Minister for Patriots and Veterans Affairs nominee Kwon Oh-eul and Song Mi-ryung, who was retained as minister of agriculture. From left in the bottom row are Environment Minister nominee Kim Sung-whan, Labor Minister nominee Kim Young-hoon, Gender Equality Minister nominee Kang Sun-woo, Oceans Minister nominee Chun Jae-soo, SMEs Minister nominee Han Seong-sook and Yoon Chang-ryul, newly appointed minister for government policy coordination. Yonhap

Seasoned career diplomat Cho Hyun has been tapped as the Lee Jae Myung government’s first foreign minister, while former Unification Minister Chung Dong-young was named to return to the post.

Rep. Ahn Gyu-back of the Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) was nominated as defense minister. If appointed, Ahn will be the first defense minister since 1961 from a non-military background.

The president on Monday unveiled his first Cabinet nominations, naming candidates for 11 ministries and the position of minister of government policy coordination. The lineup comprises veteran politicians and professionals from a variety of backgrounds, reflecting Lee’s focus on pragmatism, competence and effective policy-making.

Cho, a former ambassador to the United Nations, has a reputation for his expertise in multilateral diplomacy and North Korean policy. He is expected to guide Korea’s foreign policy amid heightened global tensions.

Chung, who served as unification minister under former President Roh Moo-hyun, is expected to bring his extensive experience with inter-Korean dialogue to the role, the presidential office said.

Ahn, a five-term lawmaker and former chair of the National Assembly’s defense committee, is expected to lead the military’s reform efforts and reinforce the principle of civilian control. The presidential office described him as “the right person to restore trust in the military and ensure democratic oversight,” following former President Yoon Suk Yeol's martial law fiasco, which involved dozens of ranking military officials.

DPK Rep. Kang Sun-woo has been nominated as minister of gender equality and family, to fill a post that has been vacant for more than a year following Yoon's pledge to abolish the ministry. The presidential office acknowledged that the National Planning Committee was discussing the potential restructuring of ministries, including those responsible for gender and the environment, but said that such changes would adhere to legal and procedural guidelines.

Other notable selections include Kim Young-hoon, a former head of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU). Kim was nominated to lead the Ministry of Employment and Labor. If confirmed, he would be the first KCTU member to become labor minister. According to the presidential office, he will help to advance labor rights and industrial safety, as well as push for reforms such as the so-called “yellow envelope law,” aimed at protecting workers’ rights.

Presidential chief of staff Kang Hoon-sik briefs the press on Cabinet nominations at the presidential office in Yongsan, Seoul, Monday. Yonhap

Kim Sung-whan, a former secretary of the DPK’s climate task force, has been nominated as environment minister, while DPK lawmaker Chun Jae-soo has been chosen to lead the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries. Han Seong-sook, a former CEO of Naver, has been nominated to lead the Ministry of SMEs and Startups. Kwon Oh-eul, a former lawmaker, has been named for minister of patriots and veteran affairs, while Bae Kyung-hoon, head of LG AI Research, has been tapped for the science and ICT minister.

In a symbolic move, Song Mi-ryung was retained as minister of agriculture, food and rural affairs, marking the only holdover from the previous Yoon administration. Although she had previously clashed with Lee over policies such as the Grain Management Act, the presidential office stated that Song “agrees with the new administration’s direction and is expected to work closely with them to achieve their goals.”

Yoon Chang-ryul, a former senior presidential secretary for social affairs, was appointed as minister for government policy coordination. The office cited his balanced policy approach and experience coordinating across government sectors.

The nominees need to undergo confirmation hearings at the Assembly, while Yoon Chang-ryul does not.

When asked about the high proportion of lawmakers in the Cabinet, the presidential office responded, “We prioritized competence and vetting. Experienced parliamentarians were among the best-qualified candidates.”

It added that efforts to increase the number of female ministers will continue, although finding women with the right qualifications remains challenging.

Some of the nominees were selected through the government’s public recommendation program, although the office declined to disclose specific names.

The president urged the Assembly to expedite confirmation hearings, stating, “international conditions, including the crisis in the Middle East, are deteriorating rapidly and require prompt action from the new Cabinet.”