Cheong Wa Dae's second-term staff begin work amid calls for faster reform push

As President Lee Jae Myung reshuffles roughly half of Cheong Wa Dae's senior secretariat in a second-term staff overhaul, analysts expect him to accelerate prosecution and labor reform as he enters his second year in office.

Civil Affairs Secretary Han Chan-sik, Social Affairs Secretary Kim Gyeong-ja, Public Communications Secretary Seong Gi-hong, and National Security Council First and Third Deputy Directors Kang Geon-jak and Song Gi-ho all began their duties Monday, Cheong Wa Dae said.

A close look at the new lineup suggests Lee has placed a premium on speed. Han marks the third consecutive civil affairs secretary drawn from the prosecution service, following former secretaries Oh Gwang-su and Bong Uk. He is expected to coordinate sensitive matters including the consolidation of the new Public Prosecution Service and the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency, as well as the still-unresolved question of abolishing supplementary investigative powers.

Some within the broader ruling camp have raised concerns about Han's past investigative record. Han, a son-in-law of the late Choe Byeong-ryeol, former leader of the Hannara Party — the predecessor of the People Power Party — served as chief of the Seoul Eastern District Prosecutors Office before tendering his resignation when Yoon Suk Yeol was appointed prosecutor general under the Moon Jae-in administration. He subsequently practiced law at Kim & Chang and other firms. His 2019 investigation into the so-called Ministry of Environment blacklist case drew complaints, particularly from pro-Moon supporters, who questioned whether he was genuinely committed to reform.

Others argue that Lee made the appointment precisely to ensure a smooth landing for prosecution reform. At a press briefing on his overseas trip results Friday, Lee reaffirmed his intent to broaden his personnel choices, saying, "In the end, it is people who produce results, and the public is watching — asking whether we are hiring capable talent or just taking care of our own side." He added that positions requiring real work should go to capable individuals, not simply to those close to him.

Kim is expected to take charge of labor flexibility, one of the most contentious issues in the labor sphere. She served as senior vice chairwoman of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions in 2019 and co-led the establishment of Seongnam Medical Center alongside Lee. She is set to work in tandem with Employment and Labor Minister Kim Young-hoon, a former Korean Confederation of Trade Unions chairman. With both major union federations strongly opposed to employment flexibility measures, her central challenge will be minimizing disruption on the ground and building broad social consensus.

Seong is expected to pursue what the presidential office calls "tangible communication" with the public and to gather opinion on broadcasting reform, including improvements to the governance structure of public broadcasters. Kang, who was involved in efforts to transfer wartime operational control, is expected to participate in discussions on returning that authority within the year. Song is also expected to contribute to follow-up talks on implementing the economic components of the Korea-US Joint Fact Sheet, including investment in the United States.