Lee nominates 6 ministers in Cabinet reshuffle

President Lee Jae Myung reshuffled his Cabinet on Sunday, replacing ministers in six key posts as his administration faces mounting public criticism and falling approval ratings.

Presidential chief of staff Kang Hoon-sik announced the nominations at a briefing at Cheong Wa Dae. Lee Hyoung-il, first vice minister of finance and economy, was tapped to serve as deputy prime minister for economic affairs and minister of finance and economy.

Born in 1971, Lee is a veteran bureaucrat who has held key posts since joining the finance ministry in 1993, building expertise in both domestic and international economics as a senior economist at the World Bank and as commissioner of Statistics Korea. He has served as vice minister since June 2025.

In a statement following his nomination, Lee said the Korean economy needs to take on new challenges to achieve a "great leap forward toward an irreplaceable Korea."

He pledged to build on the momentum achieved over the past year while creating new investment and growth opportunities through three megaprojects, laying the groundwork for a rebound in potential growth and working to ensure the benefits are shared broadly to address polarization and support people's livelihoods.

The president also named Kang Shin-chul, a former deputy commander of the Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command, as defense minister and Rep. Kim Seung-won of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) as justice minister.

Born in 1968, Kang graduated from the Korea Military Academy and rose to senior posts at the Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command, the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Office of National Security before retiring as a four-star general last year. He has served as Korea's ambassador to Saudi Arabia since January.

Kim, the justice minister nominee, passed the bar exam in 1996 and served as a judge before practicing law and joining the Moon Jae-in administration's presidential office in 2018. An advocate for prosecutorial reform, he has been a leader on the issue in the National Assembly since winning a seat in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, in 2020.

"Korea now stands on the cusp of a major transformation of the criminal justice system that has remained in place for 70 years," Kim said in a statement after his nomination. "I will work to uncover the substantive truth more swiftly, protect public safety and more thoroughly safeguard the rights of crime victims."

Hong Jee-sun, second vice minister of land, infrastructure and transport, was nominated to lead that ministry, while Rep. Lee So-young of the DPK was nominated to head the Ministry of SMEs and Startups.

Hong is a career bureaucrat who built his career mainly in Gyeonggi Province, holding major posts in urban development, housing, construction and transportation planning.

Lee So-young, a former lawyer specializing in climate and environmental law, wrote on Facebook after her nomination that she would dedicate herself to "building a receptive foundation for innovation and moving toward an 'Innovative Nation' — one where the creativity and ideas of our people seamlessly translate into real-world change."

Rep. Yong Hye-in, leader of the minor Basic Income Party, was nominated as minister of gender equality and family. Born in 1990, Yong, a two-term lawmaker and former civic activist, is the first ministerial nominee born in the 1990s and the youngest among today's nominees. She has drawn on her own experience with childbirth and parenting to shape her political agenda, notably appearing at a National Assembly press conference in May 2021 carrying her 59-day-old son while serving as a sitting lawmaker.

"I received news of my nomination on a weekend morning while caring for my six-year-old child. As a working mother in her 30s and a member of an opposition party sharing responsibility for state affairs, I feel a greater sense of responsibility than ever before," Yong wrote on Facebook.

"Gender equality for all is not only a constitutional duty to protect the lives and dignity of our citizens, but also a vital national task to overcome the complex crises that Korea is facing and open the door to a sustainable future."

In related appointments, Rep. Lee Hae-min of the minor Rebuilding Korea Party was named senior presidential secretary for AI future planning, while Lee Won-ju, director general for energy transition policy at the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment, was appointed presidential secretary for megaprojects. Kim Kyoung-soo, former governor of South Gyeongsang Province, was named special adviser to the president for political affairs.

Ha Jung-woo, former senior presidential secretary for AI future planning, was named vice chair of the National Artificial Intelligence Strategy Committee under the presidential office.

Political parties split over the reshuffle, with the ruling DPK broadly welcoming the move and the main opposition People Power Party (PPP) condemning it.

"I welcome the cabinet reshuffle, a move that symbolizes competence, youthful energy and the strengthening of a progressive and reform-minded coalition," newly elected DPK leader Kim Min-seok wrote on Facebook, Sunday.

PPP floor leader Jeong Jeom-sig took the opposite view, writing on Facebook that "this cabinet reshuffle is far from reviving people's livelihoods. It is an act of 'governance terror' that makes clear the administration's priority for its second year in power is dropping criminal indictments [against President Lee]."

Experts said the shuffle reflects the administration's response to criticism over Lee's falling approval ratings, though most described it as largely routine.

“This cabinet reshuffle is a positive move in that the president tried to listen to people’s criticisms. By returning to his early stance, he appointed figures who align with the core identity of the Lee Jae Myung administration. Also, this reshuffle seeks to underscore the progressive stance of the government," political commentator Park Sang-byung said, adding that the timing — ahead of the regular National Assembly session and following the formation of new DPK leadership — was favorable.

“It is sending a message that the so-called pan-ruling bloc should team up under the Lee administration, especially as swing voters withdraw their support ahead of the upcoming general election.”

Another expert was more skeptical of the reshuffle's political impact.

“The move appears to be an effort to shift the narrative as approval ratings drop sharply, with the administration bringing the reshuffle forward to regain political momentum. However, the impact of this cabinet overhaul will likely be limited, as it falls short of generating the momentum needed to spark a meaningful rebound in public support,” political commentator Rhee Jong-hoon said.

“It would have been better to conduct the reshuffle early next year following the National Assembly's regular session, as the confirmation hearings risk devolving into political conflicts as personnel come and go."