Ministry of Education Forms "Presidential Acting Authority Task Support Team" with Widespread Participation from Related Ministries

Vice Minister Heads the Team: "Stable Operation with a United Stance"
Composed of Six Teams: "Each Minister Responsible for Their Respective Issues"

On May 2, the Ministry of Education announced the formation and operation of the “Presidential Acting Authority Task Support Team,” headed by Vice Minister Kim Younggon. This follows the resignations of former Prime Minister Han Ducksoo and former Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance Choi Sangmok the previous day, after which Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education Lee Juho assumed the role of Acting President starting today.

The Ministry of Education made this announcement to the press corps on the same day, stating, “A joint task force (TF) will be operated within the minimum necessary scope to support Acting President Lee’s duties.”

Acting President and Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs and Minister of Education Lee Juho is holding an extraordinary Cabinet meeting at the Government Seoul Office Building on the 2nd. Photo by Yonhap News

The support team consists of six teams: ▲ Planning and Coordination Team (Ministry of Education Policy Planning Officer), ▲ Schedule Management Team (Chief Secretary to the Deputy Prime Minister of Education), ▲ Messaging and Public Relations Team (Ministry of Education Spokesperson), ▲ Foreign Affairs and Security Team (Director-General from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs), ▲ Disaster and Public Safety Team (Director-General from the Office for Government Policy Coordination), and ▲ Public Welfare and Economy Team (Director-General from the Ministry of Economy and Finance).

The Ministry of Education will take the lead, but a large number of officials from related ministries will also participate. The Ministry explained, “Each minister will be responsible for issues under their jurisdiction, and if necessary, meetings among Cabinet members or related ministers will be convened. The government will do its utmost to ensure the stable operation of the state without any administrative vacuum or confusion, working together as one.”

After arriving at work, Acting President Lee stated, “I feel a great sense of responsibility as I take on this heavy duty,” and added, “With the presidential election only a month away, I will focus on ensuring fair election management and communicate with the National Assembly to maintain stable governance.” As his first official activity, he presided over an emergency National Security Council (NSC) meeting, emphasizing, “The NSC must work doubly hard to safeguard the nation’s security and territory, and ensure that the public has no concerns about national security. There must not be a single gap in any area, whether it is diplomacy, security, national defense, or the economy.”

Presiding over his first Cabinet meeting, he said, “Everyone must act with the mindset of being the acting authority, and do their utmost to manage state affairs over the remaining 30 days.” He urged the ministers, “As you have done so far, I ask that each ministry, led by its minister, take full responsibility and see all matters under their jurisdiction through to the end with a strong sense of duty. For key national issues such as trade, public safety, and revitalizing the economy and people’s livelihoods, please break down barriers between ministries and work together solely from the perspective of the people and their well-being.”

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