President Lee names 11 ministers, including first civilian defense chief in decades

From left, Defense Minister nominee Ahn Gyu-back, Labor Minister nominee Kim Young-hoon, and SMEs and Startups Minister nominee Han Seong-sook

President Lee Jae-myung appointed his first group of ministers on June 23, naming nominees for 11 ministries as part of his new administration. Chief of Staff Kang Hoon-sik announced the selections, which include politicians, policy experts, and figures from the private sector.

The nominees are Bae Kyung-hoon for Science and ICT, Cho Hyun for Foreign Affairs, Chung Dong-young for Unification, Ahn Gyu-back for National Defense, Kwon Oh-eul for Patriots and Veterans Affairs, Kim Sung-whan for Environment, Kim Young-hoon for Employment and Labor, Kang Sun-woo for Gender Equality and Family, Chun Jae-soo for Oceans and Fisheries, and Han Seong-sook for SMEs and Startups. Song Mi-ryung, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, will remain in her post. Yoon Chang-yul, head of the LG Global Strategy Center, was appointed Minister for Government Policy Coordination.

Graphics by Chosun Design Lab Han Yoo-jin

If Ahn Gyu-back is confirmed, he would become the first civilian to lead the Defense Ministry since the military coup of May 16, 1961.

Cho Hyun, nominated for Foreign Affairs, is a veteran diplomat who served as ambassador to the United Nations and held senior roles in the Foreign Ministry during the Moon Jae-in administration. He also served as ambassador to Austria and India.

President Lee Jae-myung (left) walks with Chief of Staff Kang Hoon-sik (center) at the presidential office in Seoul on June 19, in this photo released on his official social media account the following day. /News1

Chung Dong-young, nominated for Unification, is a five-term lawmaker from the Democratic Party and a former journalist. He previously served as Unification Minister during the Roh Moo-hyun administration and was a presidential candidate in 2007.

Bae Kyung-hoon, nominated for Science and ICT, leads LG AI Research and is recognized as one of Korea’s leading artificial intelligence experts. He played a central role in developing ExaOne, a Korean large language model.

Song Mi-ryung was first appointed during the Yoon Suk-yeol administration. While there has been a case of a minister staying on during a conservative-to-conservative handover, this is the first time a minister has retained their position after a change in the ruling party.

Kwon Oh-eul, nominated for Patriots and Veterans Affairs, is a three-term lawmaker from Andong, North Gyeongsang Province. The presidential office said his nomination reflects a commitment to honoring sacrifice and promoting national unity beyond regional and ideological lines.

Kim Sung-whan, nominated for Environment, is a three-term lawmaker from Yeosu. He has held key leadership roles in the Democratic Party and previously served as mayor of Seoul’s Nowon District and as policy secretary in the Roh Moo-hyun administration.

Kim Young-hoon, nominated for Employment and Labor, is a train operator at Korea Railroad Corporation and a public interest commissioner at the Busan Regional Labor Relations Commission. He previously served as head of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions and the Korean Railway Workers’ Union.

Kang Sun-woo, nominated for Gender Equality and Family, is a two-term lawmaker from Daegu. She currently serves as a member of the National Assembly’s Health and Welfare Committee.

Chun Jae-soo, nominated for Oceans and Fisheries, is a three-term lawmaker from Uiryeong in South Gyeongsang Province. He held several posts at the presidential office, including secretary to the Second Lady, an administrator in the economic office, and a role in the state affairs planning team.

Han Seong-sook, nominated for SMEs and Startups, is the former CEO of Naver and served as the 13th president of the Korea Internet Corporations Association.

Yoon Chang-yul, the new Minister of the Office for Government Policy Coordination (OPC), is from Wonju and has previously served as first and second deputy minister in the OPC and as senior secretary for social affairs in the presidential office.