SEOUL, October 01 (AJP) - President Lee Jae Myung appointed economist Ha Joon-kyung as his new policy chief on Thursday, filling a key presidential post that had been vacant for a month.
Ha, who had served as senior presidential secretary for economic growth, succeeds Kim Yong-bum, whose resignation was accepted by Lee on Sept. 1. The policy chief is one of the president’s most senior aides, coordinating major economic and social policy.
Cheong Wa Dae said Ha has combined policies aimed at economic growth with efforts to reduce inequality and is expected to oversee areas including welfare, employment, education and housing.
Before joining the Lee administration, Ha was an economics professor at Hanyang University and previously worked at the Bank of Korea and the Korea Institute of Finance. He received a doctorate in economics from Brown University.
Lee also appointed Moon Shin-hak, the first vice minister of trade, industry and resources, as senior presidential secretary for economic growth, replacing Ha. Moon is a veteran bureaucrat specializing in industrial and energy policy and has worked on policies involving advanced industries, including semiconductors and artificial intelligence.
Cheong Wa Dae said the appointments were intended to strengthen the administration’s ability to translate economic growth into improvements in people’s livelihoods while reinforcing its broader policy implementation capacity.
Lee also named lawmakers Song Young-gil and Kim Byung-joo as special presidential advisers for peace diplomacy and defense policy, respectively, as part of the personnel reshuffle.
AJP Takeaways
- President Lee Jae Myung appointed Ha Joon-kyung as presidential policy chief on Oct. 1, filling a post left vacant since Kim Yong-bum’s departure a month earlier.
- Ha, previously Lee’s senior secretary for economic growth, will coordinate major economic and social policies, including welfare, employment, education and housing.
- Lee also named Vice Industry Minister Moon Shin-hak as the new senior secretary for economic growth as part of the reshuffle.
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