Lee Unable to Make Decision on Resignation...Vacancies in Key State Posts
As President Lee Jae-myung has repeatedly acknowledged shortcomings in state affairs and expressed regret, vacancies in key government positions are coming to light following Chief Presidential Secretary Kang Hoon-sik's announcement of his resignation.
According to reports on the 21st, Secretary Kang expressed his resignation to President Lee on that day. As he served as chairman of the presidential personnel committee that reviews ministerial-level appointments, he has faced calls for accountability regarding the recent withdrawals of Justice Minister nominee Kim Seung-won and Gender Equality and Family Affairs Minister nominee Yong Hye-in.
President Lee stated regarding whether to accept Secretary Kang's resignation, "I have not yet made a decision on how to proceed."
If Secretary Kang's resignation is accepted, the vacancy in core presidential staff will expand further. Since former Policy Coordinator Kim Yong-beom stepped down on the 1st, no successor has been appointed, leaving the policy coordinator position vacant for 20 days. Should Secretary Kang resign, two of the three key Cheong Wa Dae positions—Chief Presidential Secretary, Policy Coordinator, and National Security Advisor—would become vacant.
Acting leadership structures continue in the cabinet as well.
Following former Justice Minister Chung Sung-ho's retirement, the Justice Ministry has had no minister, and after nominee Kim Seung-won was designated as his successor on the 30th of last month, he withdrew on the 19th, sending the appointment process back to square one. The Ministry of SMEs and Startups is also operating under acting leadership, with First Vice Minister Roh Yong-seok handling the minister's duties. The adoption of the personnel hearing report for his successor nominee Lee So-young was also canceled when the National Assembly standing committee plenary was scrapped on the 21st.
The leadership vacuum in police and prosecution is even more prolonged.
The police commissioner position has been vacant for 1 year and 9 months since December 2024, with a third acting leadership structure currently in place. The prosecutor general position has also been vacant for 1 year and 2 months since July of last year. The prosecution is operating under what amounts to a "substitute for the substitute" system, with the acting prosecutor general effectively stepping back from operations while the Supreme Prosecutors' Office Planning and Coordination Division leads the organization.
Particularly with the prosecutor general's office set to close and the Public Prosecution Service and Serious Crimes Investigation Agency set to launch on the 2nd of next month, key appointments in the criminal justice system including the Justice Minister, Police Chief, and Public Prosecutor General remain unresolved.
These personnel vacancies coincide with President Lee taking a more modest stance.
At a press conference on the 18th, President Lee stated regarding the recent state of affairs, "Ultimately, it all comes down to my shortcomings," and noted that "I lacked respect for the people." On the 19th, he also said regarding the controversy over quotes in his SNS posts, "If there are those who have been hurt, I express regret."
With repeated expressions of regret combined with the withdrawals of ministerial nominees and the resignation of key aides, President Lee now faces the situation of having to make simultaneous appointments for the policy coordinator at Cheong Wa Dae, the Justice Minister, and long-vacant heads of major government agencies.