By The Straits Times | Created at 2026-08-30 09:21:37 | Updated at 2026-08-30 10:15:48
1 hour ago
SEOUL – South Korea President Lee Jae Myung reshuffled his Cabinet on Aug 30, replacing six ministers as he moved to reset his administration for its second year.
The shake-up also filled monthslong vacancies in key presidential AI posts, and a new presidential aide position dedicated to coordinating the Lee administration’s flagship megaprojects in semiconductors and AI.
The Cabinet changes included new leadership at the defence and justice ministries.
For defence minister, Lee nominated Kang Shin-chul, a retired four-star general who has served as South Korea’s ambassador to Saudi Arabia since January, presidential chief of staff Kang Hoon-sik said at a press briefing.
Kang Shin-chul, a graduate of the Korea Military Academy, previously served as deputy commander of the South Korea-US Combined Forces Command and as head of the Operations Directorate at the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
“Based on the solid Korea-US alliance, he is expected to strengthen independent national defense capabilities in preparation for future warfare and boldly and swiftly open a new path for defense reform, including the integration of the military academies,” Kang Hoon-sik said during the press briefing.
Cheong Wa Dae – the presidential office – also said Kang Shin-chul had been vetted for any involvement in the martial law declaration during his tenure as deputy commander of the South Korea-US Combined Forces Command.
“Neither the Task Force nor the Defence Ministry’s audit found him to have been involved,” Kang Hoon-sik said.
Ruling Democratic Party of Korea Representative Kim Seung-won, a two-term lawmaker and former judge, was nominated as justice minister, filling a post left vacant since President Lee on Aug 24 accepted the resignation of Kim’s predecessor, Jung Sung-ho, who cited health concerns.
Kim’s nomination comes ahead of a sweeping overhaul of the criminal justice system set to take effect on Oct 2. Under the changes, prosecutors will lose their investigative powers while retaining the authority to indict, with investigative authority shifting to the police.
“Given his deep understanding of the purpose behind the reform of the criminal justice system, he is expected to swiftly implement the new criminal justice system while making protecting victims’ rights his top priority,” Kang explained.
However, the main opposition People Power Party denounced President Lee for nominating Kim, who has been a vocal advocate of withdrawing prosecutors’ indictments against Lee. Kim has argued that the cases brought under the Yoon Suk Yeol administration were politically motivated attempts to prosecute the then-opposition leader.
Economic team reshuffled amid headwinds
Lee also reshuffled his economic policy team at a delicate juncture, as the government grapples with high interest rates, persistent inflation and a weak won while striving to stabilise the housing market through expanded supply and tax measures.
Lee nominated First Vice Finance Minister Lee Hyoung-il as deputy prime minister for economic affairs and minister of finance and economy, putting a career economic policymaker in charge of the government’s economic agenda, Kang said.
Vice Minister for Transport Hong Jee-sun was nominated as minister of land, infrastructure and transport. Hong previously held a series of housing-related positions in the Gyeonggi provincial government and, as head of the province’s urban and housing bureau, oversaw housing policy from design through implementation.
Kang said Hong was “expected to swiftly provide an adequate supply of housing in areas where people want to live”.
Democratic Party Representative Lee So-young was nominated for minister of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and startups. The two-term lawmaker has worked on legislation aimed at supporting startups and protecting small merchants.
Youngest-ever minister nominee named
Representative Yong Hye-in of the minor progressive Basic Income Party was nominated as minister of gender equality and family.
If confirmed, the 36-year-old would become the youngest person ever to hold the post, surpassing Kim Hee-jung, who was 43 when she took office in 2014. Yong would also be the first Cabinet minister born in the 1990s.
Kang described Yong as a “young, two-term lawmaker who has been an outspoken advocate for socially vulnerable groups on issues including preventing digital sex crimes and creating better conditions for balancing work and family life”.
“With her fresh, grounded perspective and strong drive, she is well suited to move beyond generational and gender divisions and advance gender equality for all together with the younger generation.”
AI, megaproject posts filled
President Lee also filled two long-vacant posts at the center of his AI policy push and tapped the first presidential adviser for megaprojects.
Rebuilding Korea Party Representative Lee Hai-min, a longtime Google product manager, was named senior presidential secretary for AI and future planning. The post had been vacant since late April, when its inaugural officeholder, Ha Jung-woo, stepped down to run in the June 3 National Assembly by-election in Busan.
Ha, meanwhile, was nominated as vice chair of the Presidential Council on National AI Strategy, another post that had remained vacant since his predecessor, Im Moon-young, resigned in early May to run in the National Assembly by-election in Gwangju.
Lee Won-ju, a senior official at the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment, was tapped for the newly created post of presidential adviser for megaprojects, overseeing major initiatives across semiconductors, physical AI and AI data centers.
Former South Gyeongsang Governor Kim Kyoung-soo, a prominent figure closely associated with former President Moon Jae-in, was also appointed as Lee’s special adviser for political affairs. KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
