Cabinet of Lee Jae Myung
Cabinet of Lee Jae Myung | |
|---|---|
State Council of South Korea | |
| 2025–present | |
| Date formed | 4 June 2025 |
| People and organisations | |
| President | Lee Jae Myung |
| Prime Minister |
|
| Deputy Prime Minister |
|
| Member party | Democratic Party |
| Status in legislature | 168 / 300 (56%) |
| Opposition parties | |
| Opposition leader | Song Eon-seog (ERC) |
| History | |
| Election | |
| Predecessor | Cabinet of Yoon Suk Yeol |
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|---|---|---|
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Personal life Career President of South Korea
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Lee Jae Myung assumed office as the 14th president of South Korea on 4 June 2025 and is expected to form a cabinet after winning the 2025 presidential election.[1][2][3]
Nomination
He nominated Kim Min-seok as Prime Minister, while former Unification Minister Lee Jong-seok, former Deputy National Security Adviser Kim Hyun-jong, and diplomat-turned-politician Wi Sung-lac were reportedly among his potential picks for positions in national security and foreign affairs posts.[4][5] Lee also nominated Rep. Kang Hoon-sik, a former DPK spokesman, as his first chief of staff, Lee Jong-seok for the director of the National Intelligence Service, Hwang In-kwon, a retired four-star Army general, as the chief of the Presidential Security Service, Wi Sung-lac as director of the National Security Council (NSC), and Rep. Kang Yu-jung, who was a spokeswoman for Lee's 2025 presidential campaign team, as his presidential spokesperson.[6]
Seeking to ensure continuity in state affairs, Lee turned down the resignation offers of holdover members of the previous cabinet, with the exception of Justice Minister Park Sung-jae.[6] He met with Yoon's holdover cabinet on 5 June, including Acting Prime Minister Lee Ju-ho.[7]
By 23 June 2025, Lee had nominated numerous more ministers. On 23 June alone, he would nominate 10 ministers to his cabinet, including his defense, foreign affairs and unification ministers.[8] His defense minister nominee Ahn Gyu-back will be the first civilian defense minister since 1961 upon confirmation.[8][9] His unification minister nominee Chung Dong-young is known for his close engagement with North Korea during his previous tenure as the unification minister under the President Roh Moo-hyun.[10]
On 24 June 2025, Kim Min-Seok's two parliamentary day confirmation hearing began.[11][12] The second and final confirmation hearing for Kim at the National Assembly was held on 25 June 2025.[13][14][15]
On 30 June 2025, South Korea National Assembly Speaker Woo Won-shik stated that the motion to approve Kim's prime minister nomination would be voted on no later than 3 July 2025.[16] The same day, Lee Jae-myung nominated six new cabinet ministers including two deputy prime ministers and tapping his longtime aide Jeong Seong-ho as the new Justice Minister and former President of Chungnam National University Lee Jin-sook, which shares similar name with the chairwoman of Korea Communications Commission Lee Jin-sook, as the new Education Minister.[17][18][19]
On 3 July 2025, the South Korean National Assembly voted to approve the nomination of Kim Min-seok as Prime Minister in a 173-3 vote.[20] The post of prime minister is the only cabinet level position which requires National Assembly approval in South Korea.[20] As of 30 June 2025, Lee has nominated 17 of 19 cabinet ministers.[21] On 11 July 2025, the last two remaining cabinet ministers were named, thus finalizing the lineup for Lee Jae Myung's 19-member cabinet.[22][23] The cabinet now awaits official presidential confirmation.[23] Lee has opted for his cabinet minister nominees to face scrutiny hearings in the National prior to their confirmation, with the hearings for some nominees set to begin 14 July 2025.[24] Both Minister of Science and ICT nominee Bae Kyung-hoon and Minister of Oceans and Fisheries Chung Jae-soo will have their confirmation hearings on 14 July, while Defense Minister nominee Ahn Gyu-back will have his confirmation hearing on 15 July.[24]
Cabinet
Cabinet ministers
Other non-member attendees
| Cabinet of President Lee Jae Myung | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Serving in an acting capacity
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Source: [41] | ||
| Office | Minister | |
|
Chief of Staff to the President |
Kang Hoon-sik[42] | |
|
Director of National Security Office |
Wi Sung-lac | |
|
Chief Presidential Secretary for Policy |
Kim Yong-beom[43] | |
|
Minister of Government Policy Coordination |
Yoon Chang-ryul[44] | |
|
Minister of Food and Drug Safety |
Oh Yoo-kyung[45] | |
|
Director General of Free Trade Negotiations |
Yeo Han-koo[46] | |
|
Mayor of Seoul |
Oh Se-hoon | |
Timeline
References
- ^ "Lee sworn in as S. Korean preside". Yonhap News Agency. 4 June 2025. Retrieved 4 June 2025.
- ^ "Lee Jae Myung set to be South Korea's new president, exit poll shows". The Straits Times. 3 June 2025. ISSN 0585-3923. Retrieved 3 June 2025.
- ^ "Lee Jae Myung to take presidential oath at National Assembly at 11 am". Hankook Ilbo. 4 June 2025. Retrieved 4 June 2025 – via The Korea Times.
- ^ a b Kim, Seung-yeon (4 June 2025). "DP's Lee taps top campaign aide Kim Min-seok as prime minister". Yonhap News Agency. Retrieved 4 June 2025.
- ^ "DP lawmaker nominated as prime minister". Yonhap News Agency. 4 June 2025. Retrieved 5 June 2025.
- ^ a b Min-ho, Jung (4 June 2025). "President nominates Rep. Kim Min-seok as prime minister". The Korea Times. Retrieved 5 June 2025.
- ^ Kim, Jack; Yim, Hyunsu (5 June 2025). "South Korea's new President Lee begins moves to tackle economic 'crisis'". Reuters. Retrieved 7 June 2025.
- ^ a b "South Korea's Lee names first civilian defence minister in decades". Reuters. 23 June 2025. Retrieved 24 June 2025.
- ^ Kim, Tong-hyung (23 June 2025). "President Lee picks South Korea's first civilian defense chief in 64 years". AP News.
- ^ a b Boram, Park (23 June 2025). "(profile) Veteran lawmaker Chung nominated for second term as unification minister". Yonhap News Agency. Retrieved 23 June 2025.
- ^ Min-kyung, Jung (24 June 2025). "Parties clash at PM nominee's confirmation hearing". Korea Herald. Retrieved 24 June 2025.
- ^ "Parties clash at PM nominee's confirmation hearing". KBS World. 24 June 2025. Retrieved 24 June 2025.
- ^ Haye-eh, Kim (25 June 2025). "Rival parties clash during confirmation hearing for PM nominee". Yonhap News Agency. Retrieved 26 June 2025.
- ^ "PM nominee to undergo 2nd day of confirmation hearings". The Korea Herald. 25 June 2025. Retrieved 25 June 2025.
- ^ Yunkyung, Bae (25 June 2025). "Prime Minister nominee Kim Min-seok answers questions at a confirmation hearing held at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, the day before". Maelil Business Newspaper. Retrieved 25 June 2025.
- ^ Min-kyung, Jung (29 June 2025). "Tensions escalate as DP pushes to approve PM nominee, extra budget". The Korea Herald. Retrieved 30 June 2025.
- ^ "Lee names six new ministers, including two deputy prime ministers". Korea JoongAng Daily. 29 June 2025. Retrieved 30 June 2025.
- ^ Min-kyung, Jung (29 June 2025). "Lee's longtime aide, political heavyweight tapped as justice minister". The Korea Herald. Retrieved 30 June 2025.
- ^ Jeong-yoon, Choi (29 June 2025). "First female university president tapped as education minister". The Korea Herald. Retrieved 30 June 2025.
- ^ a b Dong-woo, Chang (3 July 2025). "Kim Min-seok officially appointed as S. Korean PM following Nat'l Assembly approval". Yonhap News Agency. Retrieved 5 July 2025.
- ^ Shin, Mitch (30 June 2025). "South Korean President Nominates Prime Minister and Ministers". The Diplomat. Retrieved 4 July 2025.
- ^ "President Lee completes his Cabinet with new land, culture ministers picks". Korea JoongAng Daily. 11 July 2025. Retrieved 12 July 2025.
- ^ a b Ji-hyoung, Son (11 July 2025). "Lee Jae Myung finalizes Cabinet lineup with 2 minister picks". The Korea Herald. Retrieved 12 July 2025.
- ^ a b Arin, Kim (8 July 2025). "Lee's Cabinet picks to face hearings starting next week". The Korea Herald. Retrieved 12 July 2025.
- ^ a b Yun-hwan, Chae (29 June 2025). "(LEAD) Lee nominates veteran bureaucrat Koo Yun-cheol as finance minister". Yonhap News Agency.
- ^ a b "법무장관 정성호·민정수석 봉욱..경제부총리 구윤철·사회부총리 이진숙". 4th.kr (in Korean). 29 June 2025.
- ^ Hyeon-woo, Kang (23 June 2025). "LG's AI chief named science minister nominee". The Korea Herald. Retrieved 23 June 2025.
- ^ Da-gyum, Ji (23 June 2025). "Cho Hyun: Veteran diplomat with broad global, trade experience". The Korea Herald. Retrieved 23 June 2025.
- ^ Yun-hwan, Chae (29 June 2025). "(URGENT) Lee names 5-term lawmaker Jeong Seong-ho justice minister". Yonhap News Agency.
- ^ "South Korea's Lee names first civilian defence minister in decades". Reuters. 23 June 2025. Retrieved 23 June 2025.
- ^ Boram, Park (23 June 2025). "(profile) 3-term lawmaker from conservative bloc named as veterans minister". Yonhap News Agency. Retrieved 23 June 2025.
- ^ "Choi Hwi-young appointed Minister of Culture, sparking debate over qualifications". Chosun Biz. 11 July 2025. Retrieved 11 July 2025.
- ^ Kyung-ui, Hong (23 June 2025). "尹 정부 마지막 농식품부 장관 송미령 유임". Sisa News (in Korean). Retrieved 23 June 2025.
- ^ Han-na, Prk (29 June 2025). "Economic technocrat-turned-Doosan executive nominated as industry minister". The Korea Herald.
- ^ Kyung-min, Ahn (23 June 2025). "김성환 환경부 장관 내정자는 누구? '이재명표 기후 정책' 주도". Kyunghyang Shinmun (in Korean). Retrieved 23 June 2025.
- ^ Jeong-yoon, Choi (23 June 2025). "Kim Young-hoon: Former KCTU head to lead Labor Ministry". The Korea Herald. Retrieved 23 June 2025.
- ^ So-jung, Park (23 June 2025). "Kang Sun-woo nominated as first female Minister of Gender Equality and Family". Chosun Biz. Retrieved 23 June 2025.
- ^ "Kim Yoon-deok nominated as South Korea's first Minister of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport". Chosun Biz. 11 July 2025. Retrieved 11 July 2025.
- ^ Min-jung, Shin (23 June 2025). "해양수산부 장관 후보자에 전재수 의원…'해수부 부산 이전' 속도낼 듯". The Hankyoreh (in Korean). Retrieved 23 June 2025.
- ^ In-seok, Hong (23 June 2025). "Han Seong-sook appointed as Minister of Small and Medium Enterprises and Startups". Chosun Biz. Retrieved 23 June 2025.
- ^ 국무회의규정. www.law.go.kr. Retrieved 19 November 2020.
- ^ "(URGENT) Lee appoints three-term DP lawmaker Kang Hoon-sik as chief of staff". Yonhap News Agency. 4 June 2025. Retrieved 23 June 2025.
- ^ "Top office appoints national policy director, newly established fiscal policy adviser". Korea JoongAng Daily. 6 June 2025.
- ^ Ju-hyeong, Lee (23 June 2025). "Yoon Chang-ryeol nominated to lead Korea's Office for Government Policy Coordination". Chosun Biz. Retrieved 23 June 2025.
- ^ Kyung-rak, Kim (29 June 2025). "인공지능 의약품 법적 기준 만든 오유경 식약처장 유임". The Hankyoreh (in Korean). Retrieved 30 June 2025.
- ^ Jack Kim; Cynthia Kim; Hyunjoo Jin (10 June 2025). Sharon Singleton; Susan Fenton (eds.). "South Korea appoints ex-trade chief Yeo Han-koo as new trade minister". Reuters.