An Deok-su nominated as South Korea's next National Tax Service chief

An Deok-su, head of the Seoul Regional Tax Office, has been nominated as the second National Tax Service commissioner under the Lee Jae Myung administration. An is widely regarded as a seasoned tax investigator, having served as head of the Seoul office's Investigation Bureau 4 — a unit known in business circles as the "grim reaper of the corporate world" — and later as head of the NTS's central Investigation Bureau.

According to the NTS, An was nominated Friday as the 28th NTS commissioner and has since begun preparing for his National Assembly confirmation hearing. The NTS commissioner is a vice-ministerial-level political appointee but is still required to undergo a parliamentary confirmation process.

The vacancy arose after former NTS Commissioner Lim Gwang-hyeon was tapped as presidential chief of staff on Oct. 14.

Born in 1971, An graduated from Yongin High School in Busan and studied economics at Korea University. He entered public service in 1998 through the 40th class of the national administrative examination. His career has spanned the Busan Regional Tax Office, where he served as head of the taxation and litigation bureau and the first investigation bureau; the Jungbu Regional Tax Office, where he led the first investigation bureau; and the Seoul Regional Tax Office, where he headed Investigation Bureau 4 and the litigation bureau. At NTS headquarters, he served as head of the asset taxation bureau, the taxation and litigation bureau and the investigation bureau before being appointed head of the Seoul Regional Tax Office in July.

An earned particular recognition during his tenure as NTS investigation bureau chief last year for efforts to ease the compliance burden on businesses. He worked to create a business-friendly tax environment by minimizing on-site, resident-style tax audits so companies could focus on their core operations.

At the same time, he took a firm stance against market-distorting misconduct — including share-price manipulation and the tunneling of corporate assets by controlling shareholders — in pursuit of tax justice.

After taking over as Seoul Regional Tax Office chief in July, An expanded taxpayer-friendly filing support services and pushed for practical relief measures for small business owners and small and medium-sized enterprises in financial distress, including extended payment deadlines and early refund disbursements. He also directed enforcement resources toward combating egregious tax evasion and willful high-value delinquency to strengthen tax equity.

His broad experience across major areas of tax administration is seen as another asset. An has handled work spanning tax base management, collection and taxpayer protection, and has gained cross-agency experience through secondments to the Office for Government Policy Coordination and the tax policy division of the Ministry of Economy and Finance. He is also widely praised within the organization for his warm personality and lead-by-example work ethic.

Upon his nomination, An said he felt "a profound sense of responsibility" at being named NTS commissioner nominee "at a time when public expectations and demands for tax administration are running high." He pledged to "do his utmost to actively support the stabilization of people's livelihoods and economic recovery, and to realize fair tax administration that meets the public's expectations through accurate and equitable taxation." He added that he would "reflect deeply on the role and responsibilities of tax administration and prepare sincerely for the confirmation hearing."