President Lee Jae-myung has reportedly nominated Kim Min-seok, the senior highest council member of the Democratic Party of Korea, as the first prime minister of the new government set to launch on 4th. Kang Hoon has been designated as the chief of staff.
According to political circles, President Lee is expected to hold an inauguration ceremony in Yeouido on this day, nominate the prime minister candidate, and appoint presidential office staff, including the chief of staff. Since this government is starting without a transition committee, there are plans to finalize key personnel appointments within this week.
Initially, the four-term Congressman Kim is being prominently considered as the candidate for prime minister. Congressman Kim, who previously served as the president of the student council at Seoul National University and chair of the National Student Union, is from the '86 student movement' and held the position of co-chair of the central election campaign committee for this presidential election.
Congressman Kang, a three-term lawmaker, is said to be appointed as the presidential chief of staff. Kang served as the head of the campaign committee's comprehensive situation room. For a sitting lawmaker to take the role of chief of staff at the presidential office, they must resign from their congressional position. In the past, former chief of staff Moon Hee-sang during the Roh Moo-hyun administration and Yim Tae-hee during the Lee Myung-bak administration opted to resign their congressional badges for positions in the Blue House.
President Lee plans to appoint a national security chief, who will coordinate tariff negotiations and other matters with the Donald Trump administration in the United States, as early as that day. Congressman Wi Sung-lak is being strongly mentioned for the security chief position. A former diplomat, Wi has served as the director of the Bureau of North American Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the chief negotiator for peace on the Korean Peninsula, and ambassador to Russia, and was elected as a proportional representative in the 22nd general election.
The policy director, who will play a controlling role for the presidential office's policies, is reported to be Lee Han-joo, the head of the Democratic Research Institute. Lee oversaw key presidential campaign pledges and policies as the head of the comprehensive policy headquarters. Lee is also being mentioned as the chair of the Presidential Advisory Planning Committee, which will perform the role of a transition committee.