Lee appoints new top aides as approval ratings fall

Presidential chief of staff Kang Hoon-sik, third from left, announces personnel appointments made by President Lee Jae Myung at the press briefing room of Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul, Sunday. From left are Seong Ghi-hong, new senior secretary for public relations and communications; Han Chan-sik, senior presidential secretary for civil affairs; Kang; Kim Kyoung-ja, senior secretary for social affairs; Kang Gun-jark, first deputy director of the National Security Office; and Song Ki-ho, third deputy director of the National Security Office. Yonhap

President Lee Jae Myung appointed five new senior aides, Sunday, in a move aimed at accelerating the implementation of his administration's policy agenda as it enters its second year, with appointments spanning communications, civil affairs, social policy and national security.

Presidential chief of staff Kang Hoon-sik announced the appointments during a briefing at Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul, emphasizing that the selections were designed to help realize Lee's vision for the second year of his administration.

Seong Ghi-hong, former president and CEO of Yonhap News Agency, was named senior presidential secretary for public relations and communications.

Han Chan-sik, a former senior prosecutor, was appointed senior presidential secretary for civil affairs, and is expected to play a key role in advancing the administration's prosecutorial reform agenda.

Kim Kyoung-ja, former vice chairperson of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions and a pharmacist by training, was named senior presidential secretary for social affairs.

Former Army commander Kang Gun-jark was appointed first deputy national security adviser and Song Ki-ho, currently serving as presidential secretary for economic security, was named third deputy national security adviser in recognition of his role over the past year in navigating global supply chain risks.

The new appointments come as Lee's approval ratings have fallen sharply since the June 3 local elections. A Realmeter survey released June 15 showed his approval at 51.5 percent in the second week of June — a fourth consecutive weekly decline from 60.5 percent in mid-May. The survey was commissioned by local news outlet EKN and conducted from June 8-12 by surveying 2,515 respondents nationwide, with a margin of error of plus or minus 2 percentage points at a 95 percent confidence level.

A separate poll by Jowon C&I, commissioned by Straight News and conducted from June 13 to 15 among 2,001 eligible voters, put Lee's approval at 47.7 percent, the lowest since he took office, with disapproval standing at 49.0 percent. It marked the first time the negative evaluation of the president's performance outpaced public support for Lee since his inauguration in June 2025.

Kang, meanwhile, stressed that the administration would maintain its focus on improving people's livelihoods and delivering tangible results.

Presidential chief of staff Kang Hoon-sik, top left, announces personnel appointments made by President Lee Jae Myung at the press briefing room of Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul, Sunday. From left are Kang; Seong Ghi-hong, new senior secretary for public relations and communications; Han Chan-sik, senior presidential secretary for civil affairs; Kim Kyoung-ja, senior secretary for social affairs; Kang Gun-jark, first deputy director of the National Security Office; and Song Ki-ho, third deputy director of the National Security Office. Yonhap

Political commentators viewed the new designations as an attempt to reinvigorate the administration and shift gears after a year spent laying the groundwork for governance, but largely found the appointments fail to signal any meaningful change in direction.

"The first year was largely devoted to setting the framework for governing according to President Lee's vision," Lee Jong-keun, a political commentator, told The Korea Times, Sunday.

"Now is the time to begin producing tangible results. The personnel changes signal that the administration is ready to move forward, but there are no particularly symbolic or groundbreaking figures that suggest a major transformation. In that sense, it feels somewhat underwhelming."

Shin Yul, a political science professor at Myongji University, said the appointments were also likely aimed at projecting a sense of renewal at a time when the president's approval ratings have been trending downward.

"With support ratings declining across different polling methods, the presidential office cannot ignore public sentiment," Shin said. "By replacing some senior aides, the administration appears to be trying to show the public that it is changing and renewing itself, while preventing further erosion of support."