[Edaily Kim Sang-yoon Reporter Hwang Byeong-seo] President Lee Jae-myung’s appointment of National Tax Service Commissioner Im Gwang-hyun as the new Chief of Staff on the 14th is interpreted as a sign that he intends to focus the role of his second-term advisory team on producing tangible results that the public can feel. While the role of the first Chief of Staff, Kang Hoon-sik, was to lay the groundwork for a government that took office without a transition committee, the newly appointed Chief of Staff, Im, has been tasked with translating the national policy agenda presented thus far into concrete results.

Whether Chief of Staff Im can extend the administrative capabilities he has demonstrated in the field of tax administration to the broader realm of state affairs remains to be seen. Given his relatively short political career, his political acumen in resolving disagreements between the ruling party and the administration and managing relations between the ruling and opposition parties, as well as his ability to provide the President with necessary candid advice, will be put to the test.

◇Kang Hoon-sik Laid the Groundwork for Governance… Calls on Im Kwang-hyun to Build a “Results-Oriented Presidential Secretariat”

This appointment places greater emphasis on enhancing policy implementation rather than changing the overall direction of state affairs. It is based on the assessment that, with the government’s 500th day in office approaching, it is time to demonstrate not just the advancement of policies but also how the daily lives of citizens have actually changed. The plan is to build a Chief of Staff’s Office that delivers results through Chief Im, who has experience in both the political arena and the executive branch and has demonstrated his professional competence as Commissioner of the National Tax Service.

During the appointment announcement that day, Chief of Staff Kang introduced Chief of Staff Lim as “a bureaucrat who possesses both keen political acumen and administrative competence,” stating that he is “the right person to accelerate achievements in state affairs through cooperation among the ruling party, the government, and the Blue House.”

Chief of Staff Lim’s strengths are cited as his extensive experience across the Blue House, the National Assembly, and the government. Having entered public service as a member of the 38th class of the Senior Civil Service Examination, he served as an administrative officer in the Office of the Senior Secretary for Economic Affairs at the Blue House during the Roh Moo-hyun administration. He later held positions as Director General of the Investigation Bureau at the National Tax Service, Commissioner of the Seoul Regional Tax Office, and Deputy Commissioner of the National Tax Service. After being elected as a proportional representation lawmaker in the 22nd general election in 2024, he served on the National Assembly’s Planning and Finance Committee and as Deputy Floor Leader of the Democratic Party before being appointed as the first Commissioner of the National Tax Service under the Lee Jae-myung administration.

Given his experience across all three branches—the Blue House, which advises the President; the National Assembly, which handles legislation and the budget; and the government, which implements policies—he is expected to play a role in bridging the gap between government ministries and the ruling party. This aligns with the directive that the Presidential Secretariat should not merely receive reports on policy progress but must also resolve obstacles in the implementation process.

The efforts he demonstrated in tax administration during his tenure as Commissioner of the National Tax Service also contributed to earning the President’s trust. President Lee has recently been highlighting the work and achievements of the National Tax Service, led by Chief of Staff Lim, via X. This move is interpreted as an effort to boost the overall execution capabilities of the presidential staff by appointing someone whose work performance the President has personally reviewed as Chief of Staff.

Understanding the administration’s governing philosophy is also a key evaluation factor. Chief of Staff Kang explained that Chief of Staff Lim “has contributed to establishing tax justice and has put the administration’s philosophy—to lower the barriers of inequality so that citizens can enjoy a better life—into practice on the ground.” This highlights not only his expertise in tax administration but also his experience in translating the President’s policy objectives into actual administrative actions.

The fact that it took about three weeks to select a successor after Chief Kang announced his resignation is interpreted as a result of both careful deliberation on whether to accept his resignation and the process of finding a candidate suited to the role of the second-term Presidential Secretariat. Chief of Staff Kang offered his resignation after President Lee attributed shortcomings in the administration’s performance to himself on the 21st of last month, stating that he would take comprehensive responsibility for advising the President. Following this, he spent time wrapping up his existing duties and outlining the operational direction for the new staff.

◇Personal ties to the President also draw attention… Ability to coordinate overall state affairs put to the test

The personal ties linking Chief of Staff Im to the President are once again drawing attention. Chief of Staff Im is the brother-in-law of attorney Lee Seung-yeop, who served as President Lee’s defense counsel in cases such as the Daejang-dong scandal, the Public Official Election Act case, and the Ssangbangwool North Korea fund transfer allegations. It is reported that he declined the President’s nomination for a Constitutional Court justice position last year. During last year’s confirmation hearing for the Commissioner of the National Tax Service, questions were raised as to whether this relationship had influenced personnel decisions, such as the recruitment of talent; Chief of Staff Lim responded by asking that his professional qualifications be the primary consideration.

Chief of Staff Lim’s wife is currently serving as Consul General (Special Appointment) in Houston. Song Seok-jun, Chair of the Foreign Affairs and Unification Committee (a member of the People Power Party), asked Consul General Lee Kyung-eun of Houston—who attended a parliamentary audit on the 12th (local time)—whether she had received any contact from Kim Hyun-ji, First Deputy Chief of Staff at the Office of the President, regarding her appointment as Consul General. Consul General Lee replied, “I do not know [Chief of Staff Kim] personally.”