Kim Dae-gi "Served as Chief of Staff for One-Third of President's Term... Seems to Have Fulfilled Duty" (Comprehensive)

Need for New Chief Secretary to Assist Midterm of Yoon's Tenure
All Three Chiefs in Presidential Office Replaced
Seong Tae-yoon Appointed as Policy Chief, Jang Ho-jin as Security Chief

Kim Dae-gi, Chief Secretary to the President, will resign effective this month on the 31st. Having been appointed as Chief Secretary during President Yoon Seok-yeol's transition period and serving for about 20 months in the early part of the term, Kim believes that a new Chief Secretary is needed to assist during the mid-term of the presidency.

At a briefing held at the Yongsan Presidential Office on the afternoon of the same day, Kim announced that Lee Gwan-seop, Director of the Presidential Policy Office, will assume the position of Chief Secretary starting January 1 next year. With Cho Tae-yong, Director of the National Security Office, being nominated as the head of the National Intelligence Service and Kim Dae-gi stepping down, all three heads of the Presidential Office (Chief Secretary, Policy Director, and Security Director) will be replaced.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Kim Dae-gi explained his reason for resignation, saying, "I have been Chief Secretary since the transition team for about 20 months, which is one-third of the president's term. Looking at past examples, there have been more than three Chief Secretaries, so I felt that I had fulfilled my duty."

Kim added, "I recently spoke with President Yoon and suggested we think it over, and the day before yesterday, he approved it. This is my fifth time working in the Presidential Office, but I don't think there has ever been a time when domestic and international conditions were this difficult. I believe I did my best, but it is true that I was lacking in many ways," reflecting on his tenure.

Regarding the newly appointed Chief Secretary Lee Gwan-seop, Kim said, "I have observed him closely; he has abundant experience, policy knowledge, and political insight. I believe he will assist the president's governance better than anyone else." Lee Gwan-seop stated, "Under Chief Secretary Kim Dae-gi's leadership, we overcame multiple complex crises such as COVID-19, high interest rates, high inflation, and war without major shocks. I will serve the president with a renewed spirit, focusing solely on the people and realizing what the people want."

New Chief Presidential Secretary Lee Gwan-seop (from left), Sung Tae-yoon, Director of the Presidential Policy Office, and Jang Ho-jin, Director of the National Security Office, are attending the personnel briefing held on the 28th at the Yongsan Presidential Office building in Seoul.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

With Lee Gwan-seop's appointment as the new Chief Secretary, the vacant position of Policy Director will be filled by Professor Sung Tae-yoon of Yonsei University's Department of Economics. Professor Sung was born in Seoul in 1970, graduated from Guro High School in Seoul and Yonsei University’s Department of Economics, earned a master's degree from the same university’s graduate school, and obtained a Ph.D. in Economics from Harvard University in the United States. While serving as a university professor, Sung has actively participated in policy advisory roles for ministries such as the Ministry of Economy and Finance and the Financial Services Commission. Sung Tae-yoon said, "While reflecting President Yoon's governance philosophy as much as possible, I will develop and coordinate policies that the public can feel, and think about long-term growth policies for the Korean economy, doing my best in various tasks."

For the position of Security Director, Jang Ho-jin, First Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, known as an expert on North America, Russia, and North Korean nuclear issues, has been appointed. Born in Seoul in 1961, Jang graduated from Seongdong High School and Seoul National University’s Department of Political Science and International Relations, and entered the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1982 after passing the 16th Foreign Service Examination. He has served as Director of the Eastern Europe Division at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Political Counselor at the Embassy in Russia, Director of the North American Affairs Bureau, Deputy Head of the North Korean Nuclear Diplomacy Planning Group, and Ambassador to Russia.

Jang Ho-jin said, "I feel a greater sense of responsibility as I take on this role during a transitional period when the international order, which has continued for 30 years since the end of the Cold War, is entering a new phase. I will continue to promote policies such as strengthening the Korea-U.S. alliance, Korea-U.S.-Japan cooperation, reestablishing relations with neighboring countries, and the Indo-Pacific strategy, and actively work toward realizing the vision of Korea as a global pivotal state for national development."

Meanwhile, Kim Hong-gyun, Ambassador to Germany, has been appointed as the new First Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs. Born in 1961 in Busan Metropolitan City, Kim graduated from Yongsan High School and Seoul National University’s Department of English Language and Literature. He has served as Director of the North American Affairs Division 2, Korea-U.S. Security Cooperation Officer, Minister-Counselor at the Embassy in Belgium, and Head of the Peace Diplomacy Planning Group.

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