Seoul: President Lee Jae Myung has appointed Cho Hyun, a seasoned diplomat, as the new foreign minister as part of a larger cabinet reshuffle involving 11 key positions, including those of defense and unification ministers.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Lee selected Cho, who previously held the positions of first and second vice foreign minister under the Moon Jae-in administration, and also served as South Korea’s ambassador to the United Nations from 2019 to 2022. Joining Cho in the new cabinet is Ahn Gyu-back, a five-term Democratic Party lawmaker, appointed as the defense minister. Ahn’s appointment is significant as he will be the first civilian to hold this position since 1961, following the military coup by former President Park Chung-hee.
In addition to Cho and Ahn, President Lee nominated Chung Dong-young, a journalist turned seasoned Democratic Party lawmaker, as the unification minister. Chung is tasked with handling inter-Korean affairs, a role he previously fulfilled under the Roh Moo-hyun government from 2004 to 2005. The cabinet reshuffle also includes Bae Kyung-hoon, head of LG AI Research, named as the minister for science and ICT, and former conservative lawmaker Kwon Oh-eul as the minister for veterans affairs.
The reshuffle features several incumbent Democratic Party lawmakers in key ministerial roles. Rep. Kim Sung-whan has been appointed as the minister for environment, Rep. Kang Sun-woo as the minister for gender equality, and Rep. Jun Jae-soo as the minister for oceans. In a nod to corporate leadership, Han Seong-sook, the former CEO of South Korea’s internet portal giant Naver Corp., will lead the Ministry of SMEs and Startups.
The labor minister position will be filled by Kim Young-hoon, the former head of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions. Meanwhile, Song Mi-ryeong will continue in her current role as the agriculture minister. Additionally, Yoon Chang-yul has been appointed as the director of the Office for Government Policy Coordination, having previously served as the first deputy director.