South Korean President Lee Jae Myung on Sunday, 21 June 2025 appointed new senior presidential secretaries for communications and civil affairs, along with three other aides, according to presidential chief of staff Kang Hoon-sik. The reshuffle marks the first significant personnel changes as Lee enters the second year of his five-year term.

Key Appointments

Seong Ghi-hong, former CEO and president of Yonhap News Agency, was named presidential secretary for public relations and communication — the second person to hold the post under the Lee administration. Han Chan-sik, a former senior prosecutor, was appointed presidential secretary for civil affairs.

Kim Kyoung-ja, former vice chairperson of the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) — the country's largest umbrella union — was appointed presidential secretary for social affairs. Former Army commander Kang Gun-jark and Song Ki-ho, a senior official at the National Security Office, were named the first and third deputy national security advisers, respectively.

What the Presidential Office Said

Chief of staff Kang Hoon-sik described Seong as 'a veteran journalist with 30 years of experience who is equipped with a sense of balance and sound judgment.' Kang added: 'He will closely listen to people's voices and faithfully carry out communication with the public so that people can easily understand the results of government policies.'

Separately, presidential spokesperson Kang Yu-jung announced the appointment of Nam Jae-heon, a senior oceans ministry official overseeing Seoul's envisioned expansion of Arctic shipping routes, as vice minister of the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries. The spokesperson described Nam as 'the right person to usher in an era of Arctic shipping routes and advance South Korea's aim to become a strong maritime nation.'

Context: Lee's European Tour and Diplomatic Reset

The reshuffle follows President Lee's return to Seoul on Thursday after a 10-day, three-nation European tour — his first trip to Europe since taking office. The presidential plane landed at Seoul Air Base, just south of the capital.

The trip took Lee first to Belgium, where he held summit talks with Prime Minister Bart De Wever and met with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Luis Santos da Costa in Brussels. He then travelled to Italy, where talks with President Sergio Mattarella resulted in an agreement to elevate bilateral ties to a special strategic partnership. Lee also met with Pope Leo XIV, who reportedly confirmed the Vatican's continued support for Seoul's peace efforts on the Korean Peninsula.

The tour concluded in Evian-les-Bains, France, where Lee attended the G7 summit as the head of an invited country for the second consecutive year — a signal of South Korea's growing multilateral standing.

What This Means

The personnel changes suggest Lee is recalibrating his administration's domestic communication strategy as he heads into a politically consequential second year. Appointing a veteran media professional to the communications brief, alongside a former prosecutor to civil affairs, points to a dual focus on public messaging and legal-administrative tightening. The Arctic shipping appointment, meanwhile, reflects a longer-term strategic bet on South Korea's maritime ambitions.