President Moon's Close Aide Yoon Gun-young Runs for General Election... Reasons for Blue House Organizational Restructuring (Comprehensive)

Blue House Personnel, Additional Changes Possible Before the 16th... Establishment of Digital Innovation Secretary and Three New Officer Positions

[Asia Economy Reporter Ryu Jeong-min] Yoon Geon-young, head of the National Planning and Situation Room and known as President Moon Jae-in's close aide, is leaving the Blue House to run in the general election.

On the 6th, the Blue House carried out an organizational restructuring centered on reorganizing the National Planning and Situation Room head position into Planning Secretary and National Situation Room head. This personnel reshuffle reflects both the replacement of officials, including Director Yoon Geon-young, who are running in the general election, and the organizational adjustment to respond to the second half of President Moon Jae-in's term.

The Blue House reorganization on this day included personnel changes concerning Director Yoon, who is rumored to run for the Seoul Guro-eul district. There remains a possibility of further reshuffles involving other secretary-level or higher officials preparing to run in the general election. Speculation continues that Chief Presidential Secretary for Economic Affairs Joo Hyung-chul will step down to run in Daejeon Dong-gu, and Blue House spokesperson Go Min-jung will leave her post to run in Goyang City, Gyeonggi Province (Ilsan Seo-gu).

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The key feature of this Blue House reorganization is maintaining the current structure of three chiefs (Secretariat, Policy Office, Security Office), 12 senior secretaries, and 49 secretaries, while creating some new departments and reorganizing nine secretaries and officers to improve work efficiency.

Blue House spokesperson Go Min-jung explained, "This reorganization is the second organizational restructuring based on the diagnosis of the Blue House structure during our administration. It maintains the current system of three chiefs, 12 senior secretaries, and 49 secretaries, but adjusts the duties and affiliations of some secretaries to streamline work assignments." She added, "New secretary and officer positions are also established to focus intensively on key national tasks."

First, a Digital Innovation Secretary will be newly established under the Office of the Science and Technology Advisor. The Digital Innovation Secretary will be responsible for leading policies related to the Fourth Industrial Revolution by laying the foundation for a DNA economy that fosters data, networks, and artificial intelligence, and will spearhead the transformation from e-government to a 'digital government.'

From the left in the photo: Oh Jong-sik, Secretary for Planning at the Blue House; Lee Jin-seok, Director of the National Situation Room at the Blue House; Park Jin-gyu, Secretary for New Southern and New Northern Policies at the Blue House; Lee Jun-hyeop, Secretary for Job Planning and Coordination at the Blue House; Kang Seong-cheon, Secretary for Industry and Trade at the Blue House. [Photo by the Blue House]

Three new officer positions will also be created. Under the Secretary for Local Autonomy Development, a National Life Safety Officer will be established to handle public safety issues such as traffic, industrial accidents, suicide, and child safety. Under the Secretary for Industry and Trade, a Materials, Parts, and Equipment Industry Officer will be created to focus on supporting and fostering the materials, parts, and equipment industry. Under the Secretary for Defense Reform, a Defense Industry Officer will be established to promote the development of the defense industry and export-oriented industrialization. The existing Trade Secretary under the Senior Secretary for Economic Affairs will be changed to the New Southern and New Northern Policy Secretary under the Economic Advisor.

The National Planning and Situation Room head position, previously held by Director Yoon Geon-young, will be split, with Oh Jong-sik as Planning Secretary and Lee Jin-seok as National Situation Room head taking responsibility. Spokesperson Go explained, "The existing Speech Planning Secretary position has been changed to Planning Secretary, responsible for establishing and planning the national governance framework, national agenda, schedule, and message planning." She added, "The National Planning and Situation Room has been adjusted to the National Situation Room, which will handle overall national situation and trend monitoring."

Lee Jun-hyup has been appointed as Job Planning and Coordination Secretary, and Kang Sung-chun as Industry Policy Secretary under the Industry and Trade Secretary. Additionally, Park Jin-gyu will serve as the New Southern and New Northern Policy Secretary. The Industry Policy Secretary position has been changed to Industry and Trade Secretary, inheriting the trade duties of the previous Trade Secretary. The Policy Coordination Secretary and Job Planning Secretary positions have been merged into the Job Planning and Coordination Secretary role.

Spokesperson Go stated, "Regarding the Planning Secretary, although the title changed from Speech Planning Secretary to Planning Secretary, the speech planning duties have not been transferred elsewhere. Scheduling and message planning are all included within the Planning Secretary's office duties."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.