Rep. Park Hong-keun, a four-term lawmaker and former floor leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, has been nominated as the first Minister of Planning and Budget under the Lee Jae-myung administration.
In contrast to former nominee Lee Hye-hoon, whose nomination was withdrawn amid various allegations, observers note that President Lee has now put forward a close ally with whom he has worked for many years.
Presidential spokesperson Lee Kyu-yeon announced in a briefing on the 2nd that President Lee Jae-myung nominated Rep. Park as Minister of Planning and Budget. The nomination comes 36 days after former nominee Lee Hye-hoon's nomination was withdrawn on January 25.
Park served as chief of staff for President Lee's campaign committee during the 2022 presidential election and was floor leader while Lee served as Democratic Party chairman, placing him in the president's inner circle. In the National Assembly, he served as chairman of both the Special Committee on Budget and Accounts and the House Steering Committee. He is regarded as having accumulated substantial policy and budget experience, including serving as head of the planning division in the State Affairs Planning Committee, which functioned as the transition team for the Lee Jae-myung administration.
Hwang Jong-woo, chairman of the international cooperation committee at the Korea Maritime Cooperation Center, was nominated as Minister of Oceans and Fisheries. The position had been vacant for 81 days following the resignation of former Minister Jeon Jae-su.
Jung Il-yeon, an attorney at law firm Basis, was nominated as chairman of the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission, while Song Sang-kyo, former secretary-general of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, was nominated as chairman of that commission.
President Lee also nominated Yoon Kwang-il, a professor of political science and diplomacy at Sookmyung Women's University, and Jeon Hyun-jung, a partner at law firm LKB Pyeongsan, as candidates for National Election Commission members.
Nam Goong-beom, an advisor at S-1 Corporation, former Democratic Party lawmaker Park Yong-jin, and Lee Byung-tae, an emeritus professor at KAIST's School of Management Engineering, were appointed as vice chairmen of the Regulatory Rationalization Committee.
Kang Nam-hoon, an emeritus professor of economics at Hanshin University, was appointed as vice chairman of the Basic Society Committee, and Kim Ock-joo, a professor and head of the Medical Humanities department at Seoul National University College of Medicine, was appointed as chairman of the National Bioethics Committee.