Kang Hoon-sik, the presidential chief of staff, submitted his resignation to President Lee Jae-myung on September 21. His departure comes just 20 days after Kim Yong-beom stepped down, marking the effective collapse of the 'three chief system' that supported the early governance of the Lee administration.
Seong Gi-hong, the chief of public relations at the Blue House, confirmed Kang's resignation during a briefing at the Chunchugwan. A senior Blue House official explained that Kang's decision was influenced by President Lee's acknowledgment of recent governance challenges during a press conference on September 18, where he attributed the issues to his own shortcomings, leading Kang to take 'comprehensive responsibility' as chief of staff.
As of now, Kang's resignation is pending acceptance by President Lee. However, the announcement on the same day that the chief of staff oversees political and personnel affairs adds to the burden of managing domestic issues while the president is on a trip to New York and Mexico.
Following the briefing, President Lee addressed Kang's resignation during a meeting with senior advisors, stating, "I have not yet decided how to proceed." He added, "It seems our chief of staff has finally decided to graduate today," acknowledging the hard work of his staff who have been working tirelessly. He urged them to remain mindful of the difficulties faced by the public in their daily lives, suggesting that the challenges of his staff may not compare to those of the citizens.
Kang has been responsible for overseeing the discovery and verification of candidates for key public positions, including ministerial roles. The recent withdrawals of former candidates Yong Hye-in for the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family and Kim Seung-won for the Ministry of Justice have raised questions about failures in personnel verification.
Criticism has emerged regarding the allegations surrounding Kim, with many arguing that much of the information could have been verified beforehand, which likely influenced Kang's decision to resign.
Since the administration's inception, the number of ministerial nominees who have not been appointed has risen to five, including Lee Jin-sook for the Ministry of Education, Kang Sun-woo for the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, Lee Hye-hoon for the Ministry of Planning and Budget, Yong Hye-in for the Ministry of Gender Equality, and Kim Seung-won for the Ministry of Justice.
During the press conference on September 18, President Lee stated, "We will re-examine the personnel system," but before any follow-up actions could be taken, the chief of staff responsible for personnel matters has already announced his resignation.
The Blue House has been operating under a three-chief system, with Kang Hoon-sik overseeing political affairs, Kim Yong-beom managing policy, and Wi Seong-rak handling national security.
However, following Kim's resignation amid controversies surrounding leveraged exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and real estate policies, the appointment of a new policy chief has been delayed for three weeks. If Kang's resignation is accepted, only Wi Seong-rak will remain among the three chiefs.
Further personnel appointments are also stalled. With Kim Seung-won's withdrawal, the selection process for the Minister of Justice has reverted to square one, and the confirmation request for Kim Ji-yong, the first candidate for the new Serious Crimes Investigation Agency, has been postponed for additional verification. With the agency's launch scheduled for October 2, there is an urgent need to expedite organizational structure and confirmation procedures, but the personnel line itself is in disarray.
In the meantime, the Blue House has appointed Kim Sung-wan, a former political commentator, as the new spokesperson to strengthen media relations. Kim, who previously worked for the media outlet Media Today and hosted a radio current affairs program, is currently active as a political commentator.
The spokesperson position had been vacant since the resignation of Jeon Eun-soo, who left in late April to run for a parliamentary seat in Asan, Chungcheongnam-do. With Kim's appointment, the Blue House spokesperson team is now restructured to include Chief Spokesperson Kang Yu-jeong, Spokesperson Kim Sung-wan, and Deputy Spokesperson Ahn Gwi-ryeong.
Seong Gi-hong, the chief of public relations at the Blue House, confirmed Kang's resignation during a briefing at the Chunchugwan. A senior Blue House official explained that Kang's decision was influenced by President Lee's acknowledgment of recent governance challenges during a press conference on September 18, where he attributed the issues to his own shortcomings, leading Kang to take 'comprehensive responsibility' as chief of staff.
As of now, Kang's resignation is pending acceptance by President Lee. However, the announcement on the same day that the chief of staff oversees political and personnel affairs adds to the burden of managing domestic issues while the president is on a trip to New York and Mexico.
Following the briefing, President Lee addressed Kang's resignation during a meeting with senior advisors, stating, "I have not yet decided how to proceed." He added, "It seems our chief of staff has finally decided to graduate today," acknowledging the hard work of his staff who have been working tirelessly. He urged them to remain mindful of the difficulties faced by the public in their daily lives, suggesting that the challenges of his staff may not compare to those of the citizens.
Kang has been responsible for overseeing the discovery and verification of candidates for key public positions, including ministerial roles. The recent withdrawals of former candidates Yong Hye-in for the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family and Kim Seung-won for the Ministry of Justice have raised questions about failures in personnel verification.
Criticism has emerged regarding the allegations surrounding Kim, with many arguing that much of the information could have been verified beforehand, which likely influenced Kang's decision to resign.
Since the administration's inception, the number of ministerial nominees who have not been appointed has risen to five, including Lee Jin-sook for the Ministry of Education, Kang Sun-woo for the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, Lee Hye-hoon for the Ministry of Planning and Budget, Yong Hye-in for the Ministry of Gender Equality, and Kim Seung-won for the Ministry of Justice.
During the press conference on September 18, President Lee stated, "We will re-examine the personnel system," but before any follow-up actions could be taken, the chief of staff responsible for personnel matters has already announced his resignation.
The Blue House has been operating under a three-chief system, with Kang Hoon-sik overseeing political affairs, Kim Yong-beom managing policy, and Wi Seong-rak handling national security.
However, following Kim's resignation amid controversies surrounding leveraged exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and real estate policies, the appointment of a new policy chief has been delayed for three weeks. If Kang's resignation is accepted, only Wi Seong-rak will remain among the three chiefs.
Further personnel appointments are also stalled. With Kim Seung-won's withdrawal, the selection process for the Minister of Justice has reverted to square one, and the confirmation request for Kim Ji-yong, the first candidate for the new Serious Crimes Investigation Agency, has been postponed for additional verification. With the agency's launch scheduled for October 2, there is an urgent need to expedite organizational structure and confirmation procedures, but the personnel line itself is in disarray.
In the meantime, the Blue House has appointed Kim Sung-wan, a former political commentator, as the new spokesperson to strengthen media relations. Kim, who previously worked for the media outlet Media Today and hosted a radio current affairs program, is currently active as a political commentator.
The spokesperson position had been vacant since the resignation of Jeon Eun-soo, who left in late April to run for a parliamentary seat in Asan, Chungcheongnam-do. With Kim's appointment, the Blue House spokesperson team is now restructured to include Chief Spokesperson Kang Yu-jeong, Spokesperson Kim Sung-wan, and Deputy Spokesperson Ahn Gwi-ryeong.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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