The Last Chief Secretary of the Blue House... President Moon Faces Choice of 'Moon Jae-in from 13 Years Ago'

Kim Jin-wook, Former Judge, Nominated as Head of the Corruption Investigation Office; Ministry of Justice Successor Appointment Imminent... Blue House Reshuffle and 'Second Cabinet Reshuffle' Planned for January

[Asia Economy Reporter Ryu Jeong-min] On the 30th, President Moon Jae-in's final candidate selection for the 'High-ranking Officials' Crime Investigation Unit (Gong-su-cheo)' is a strategic move to maintain the 'prosecutorial reform' stance while emphasizing the smooth launch of the Gong-su-cheo.

The nomination of Kim Jin-wook, a former judge and senior researcher at the Constitutional Court, as the head of Gong-su-cheo is for this reason. It is also noteworthy that by appointing a candidate recommended by the Korean Bar Association, the administration avoided controversy over political bias.

President Moon aimed to uphold the purpose of Gong-su-cheo's launch by favoring former judges over former prosecutors. The successor to Minister of Justice Choo Mi-ae is also expected to be appointed on the same day. Now, the focus of attention is on the expected Blue House reshuffle next month. A practical 'second cabinet reshuffle,' excluding the Ministry of Justice, is also likely to take place next month.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The focus of attention in the Blue House reshuffle is the successor to Chief of Staff Noh Young-min. Some opinions suggest that attention should be paid to the 'durability period' rather than the individual public official's qualities and capabilities.

Yoon Gun-young, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea who was called President Moon's 'trusted aide,' said in an interview with MBC Radio's 'Kim Jong-bae's Focus' on the 30th, "No matter how passionate and capable an individual is, there is a certain limit due to a kind of durability period, so a new figure is needed to maintain tension and vitality in the Blue House."

This means it is time to prepare for the third term of the Blue House Chief of Staff system under the Moon Jae-in administration. Notably, the person selected this time is expected to hold the title of 'last Chief of Staff.' President Moon's term has less than one year and five months remaining. Unless a special situation arises, the Chief of Staff joining now is likely to accompany the president until his retirement.

During the Democratic Party's administration, the last Chief of Staff of the Blue House was a 'special figure.' In April 2002, then-President Kim Dae-jung appointed politician Park Ji-won, his 'lifelong comrade,' as the last Chief of Staff. The last Chief of Staff must have the president's deep trust and excellent political sensibility.

This is because they must oversee the presidential election and the 'transfer of power' to the next government’s Blue House. The last Chief of Staff is in a position to share the president's 'historical evaluation.' If the person has great political ambition, it could be a burden in planning their 'political future.'

[Image source=Yonhap News]

An interesting point is that the person who held the title of last Chief of Staff and stood beside then-President Roh Moo-hyun 13 years ago is none other than President Moon himself. In March 2007, President Roh entrusted the important role to Moon, his 'lifelong friend.' Now, President Moon must choose someone to fulfill the role he played 13 years ago.

Considering the political weight of the last Chief of Staff, 'personal refusal' may not be a significant variable. If the president directly requests the role of Chief of Staff, it is said that the person cannot refuse. This is why Yang Jeong-cheol, former head of the Democratic Research Institute, Woo Yoon-geun, former ambassador to Russia, and Lee Ho-cheol, former senior secretary for civil affairs, are mentioned as leading candidates for Chief of Staff regardless of their own will.

Choi Jae-sung, senior secretary for political affairs at the Blue House, Yoo Eun-hye, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education, and Kim Boo-kyum, former Minister of the Interior and Safety, are also being considered for the Chief of Staff position. Wang Jeong-hong, head of the Defense Acquisition Program Administration and a former auditor, is emerging as a dark horse.

Considering the symbolism of launching the third Blue House system, the scope of the reshuffle of aides, including Policy Chief Kim Sang-jo, may be extensive. The fact that key aides such as Kim Jong-ho, senior secretary for civil affairs, have reportedly expressed their intention to resign also amplifies this speculation. However, expressing intention to resign and the acceptance of resignation are separate matters.

Due to the nature of personnel affairs, the blueprint can change significantly until the final announcement. President Moon is expected to make the 'final move' regarding personnel in conjunction with his New Year political plans.

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