South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has selected a four-term lawmaker from the ruling Democratic Party as the budget minister and a former senior fisheries official as the oceans minister. Representative Park Hong-keun is chosen to lead the Ministry of Planning and Budget, while Hwang Jong-woo will head the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries. These nominations follow the withdrawal of Lee Hye-hoon’s nomination as budget minister in January due to controversy surrounding alleged misconduct.
If confirmed, Park will be the first budget minister under the Lee administration this year. Park, known for his close ties to Lee, has experience as the chief of the parliamentary special committee on budget and accounts. Meanwhile, Hwang’s nomination comes after the resignation of former Oceans Minister Chun Jae-soo late last year over bribery allegations from the Unification Church.
President Lee also appointed Jung Il-yeon as the chief of the Anti-Corruption & Civil Rights Commission and Song Sang-kyo to lead the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Additionally, a recent survey showed a slight decline in Lee Jae Myung’s approval rating, the first drop in six weeks, attributed partly to social debates on government initiatives like merging major cities and provinces.
