Lee Hye-hoon Budget Minister Nomination: President Lee’s Strategic Cross-Party Move
President Lee Jae-myung nominated Lee Hye-hoon as the first Minister of Planning and Budget on Dec 28, 2025. Discover the implications of this cross-party appointment.
It's a bold play that caught the political establishment off guard. On December 28, 2025, President Lee Jae-myung nominated Lee Hye-hoon, a veteran economist and former three-term lawmaker from the conservative camp, as the inaugural chief of the Ministry of Planning and Budget. This move signals a significant shift toward pragmatism in the administration's economic governance.
Why the Lee Hye-hoon Budget Minister Nomination Matters
The new ministry, set to launch in January, will be the engine room for the nation's financial allocation and long-term economic strategy. While the Ministry of Finance and Economy remains the policy control tower, the Ministry of Planning and Budget will focus on optimizing the national purse. Lee's background as a researcher at the Korea Development Institute (KDI) and her legislative work on the Interest Limitation Act make her a heavyweight choice for this technical role.
A Broader Cabinet Reshuffle
President Lee didn't stop at the budget ministry. He also tapped Kim Song-sik as vice chair of the National Economic Advisory Council and Lee Kyung-soo of Enable Fusion to lead science advisory efforts. Notably, six-term lawmaker Cho Jung-sik was named special adviser for political affairs, indicating a push for stronger parliamentary coordination.
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