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Presidential chief of staff offers to resign over bungled Cabinet nominations

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By Yi Whan-woo
  • Published Sep 21, 2026 1:28 pm KST
President Lee Jae Myung is accompanied by his chief of staff, Kang Hoon-sik, for a meeting with senior aides at Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul, Sept. 3. Yonhap.

President Lee Jae Myung is accompanied by his chief of staff, Kang Hoon-sik, for a meeting with senior aides at Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul, Sept. 3. Yonhap.

Presidential chief of staff Kang Hoon-sik offered to resign, Monday, taking responsibility for a string of bungled Cabinet nominations that has fueled criticism of President Lee Jae Myung’s personnel vetting system.

Kang conveyed his intention to step down to Lee earlier in the day, senior presidential secretary for public relations Sung Ki-hong said during a briefing.

The presidential office did not immediately say whether Lee had accepted the resignation.

Kang chairs Cheong Wa Dae’s personnel committee and oversees the selection and screening of minister-level officials.

His offer to step down is widely seen as a response to the successive withdrawals of gender equality minister nominee Yong Hye-in and justice minister nominee Kim Seung-won.