[E-Daily Reporter Hwang Byeong Seo ] President Lee Jae-myung has nominated Lee Yong-chul, the current head of the Defense Acquisition Program Administration, as the next Minister of Justice to succeed former Minister Jeong Seong-ho. He nominated Ahn Deok-soo, the current head of the Seoul Regional Tax Office, as the nominee for Commissioner of the National Tax Service, and Choi In-ho, the current president of the Korea Housing and Urban Guarantee Corporation (HUG)—who is classified as “pro-Roh and pro-Moon”—as the successor to Senior Secretary for Political Affairs Hong Ik-pyo.

Lim Gwang-hyun, Chief of Staff to the President, held a briefing at the Chunju Hall on the 6th and explained regarding these appointments, “This reflects our commitment to listening more closely to the voices of the people and communicating with them, and we have focused on ensuring that citizens can tangibly feel the positive impact of policy changes in their daily lives.”

Regarding Lee Yong-chul, the nominee for Minister of Justice, Chief of Staff Lim explained, “As a member of the Lawyers for a Democratic Society (Minbyun), he is a lawyer who has worked tirelessly to protect human rights and promote democratic values,” adding, “He previously served as Second Secretary for Civil Affairs and Legal Affairs Secretary in the Office of the Senior Secretary for Civil Affairs during the Participatory Government, where he spearheaded reforms to anti-corruption systems.” He continued, “As a legal professional with diverse administrative experience, including structural reforms, we expect him to swiftly establish a new criminal justice system and implement fair legal administration where no one is marginalized or suffers injustice.”

Regarding allegations that nominee Lee Yong-cheol is implicated in the Daejang-dong scandal, Chief of Staff Lim stated, “He is someone who was recognized for his reform achievements and administrative capabilities while working at the Korean Bar Association for the Promotion of Human Rights and as Commissioner of the Korea Atomic Energy Agency,” adding, “Therefore, we view him as the right person to establish the new criminal justice system.” He continued, “The points mentioned were taken into account during the vetting process, and we expect him to provide a detailed explanation himself during the confirmation hearing.”

Born in 1960, nominee Lee is a native of Sunchang, North Jeolla Province, and graduated from Jeonju Sinheung High School and Yonsei University’s School of Law. He is a member of the 21st class of the Judicial Research and Training Institute. After working at the Korean Bar Association for Democratic Rights, he served as Legal Affairs Secretary and Second Civil Affairs Secretary during the Roh Moo-hyun administration. He also practiced as an attorney at the law firm Saegil before serving as head of the Defense Acquisition Program Administration under the current administration.

Regarding Ahn Deok-su, the nominee for Commissioner of the National Tax Service, Chief of Staff Im—a former Commissioner of the National Tax Service himself—stated, “He is a tax administration expert who has held a wide range of key positions, including Director of the Investigation Bureau, Director of the Tax Collection and Legal Affairs Bureau, and Commissioner for Taxpayer Protection.” He added, “I expect him to realize tax justice by relentlessly tracking down malicious tax evasion and hidden assets to ensure that citizens who pay their taxes honestly are not disadvantaged.”

Nominee Ahn, born in 1971 in Busan, graduated from Yongin High School and majored in economics at Korea University. He entered the civil service through the 40th Senior Civil Service Examination and has held various positions at the National Tax Service, including Commissioner for Taxpayer Protection, Director General of the Tax Collection and Legal Affairs Bureau, and Director General of the Investigation Bureau.

Choi In-ho, president of the Housing and Urban Guarantee Corporation (HUG) and classified as “pro-Roh/pro-Moon,” was nominated to succeed Hong Ik-pyo as Senior Secretary for Political Affairs. Chief of Staff Lim said, “As a two-term National Assembly member from the Busan region who has served as a Supreme Council member and chief spokesperson for the Democratic Party of Korea, he is a politician who has put the values of communication and unity into practice,” adding, “We expect him to support politics that unites the nation by communicating with citizens from both the ruling and opposition parties with a humble attitude for the sake of our society’s unity and growth.” Regarding the background of Senior Secretary Hong’s resignation, Chief of Staff Lim explained, “He devoted himself to his duties day and night for a year and achieved many accomplishments.”

Choi, the nominee for Senior Secretary for Political Affairs, was born in 1966 in Changnyeong, South Gyeongsang Province, and graduated from Dongin High School and the Department of Political Science and International Relations at Pusan National University. During the Roh Moo-hyun administration, he served as Domestic Media Secretary in the Office of the Senior Secretary for Public Relations and served as a member of the National Assembly during the 20th and 21st sessions. Within the Democratic Party of Korea, he served as a member of the Supreme Council and as secretary of the National Assembly’s Land, Infrastructure, and Transport Committee.

Meanwhile, regarding the nomination of a candidate for Minister of Gender Equality and Family, Chief of Staff Lim stated, “It does not seem appropriate to comment on that here.” As for the possibility of personnel changes among Blue House secretaries, he said, “Regarding internal Blue House appointments, we will proceed at an appropriate time—as soon as they are reviewed—to ensure continuity of operations, the success of reforms, and tangible benefits for the public.”