President Lee appoints Kim Min-seok as new prime minister

Jul 04, 2025, 08:23 am

		0
Prime Minister nominee Kim Min-seok receives congratulations from fellow lawmakers at the National Assembly in Seoul on July 3, after the confirmation vote. / Source: Yonhap News

President Lee Jae-myung formally appointed Kim Min-seok as the country’s new prime minister on July 3, following the National Assembly’s approval earlier in the day.

Presidential spokesperson Kang Yoo-jung announced that Lee signed the appointment at 5:36 p.m. With this, Kim becomes the first prime minister of the Lee administration and the 49th in South Korean history.

The National Assembly passed the confirmation motion at 2:50 p.m., with 173 out of 179 lawmakers in attendance voting in favor, 3 against, and 3 ballots deemed invalid. Lawmakers from the opposition People Power Party abstained from the vote.

Shortly after the confirmation, Kim wrote on social media, “I will serve the will of the people as sacred, carry out the president’s vision from the ground up, and incorporate the wisdom of lawmakers across party lines into state affairs.”

He added, “Overcoming the economic crisis caused by tyrannical forces is my top priority. As the president’s chief aide, I pledge to be a dawn prime minister—thinking ahead and acting first.”

#Lee Jae-myung #Kim Min-seok #prime minister #appointment