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President Lee Jae-myung is continuing deliberations over the appointment of a new prime minister, which will serve as the first personnel card of his “second phase of governance” following the June 3 local elections.

According to the Blue House on the 4th, President Lee is reviewing candidates to succeed Prime Minister Kim Min-seok. Prime Minister Kim is expected to soon formally resign and then proceed to run in the Democratic Party’s national convention.

There is speculation that the appointment of a successor could be made as early as this week. With Prime Minister Kim’s resignation imminent, Justice Minister Jeong Seong-ho, Minister of SMEs and Startups Han Sung-sook, and Presidential Chief of Staff Kang Hoon-sik are being mentioned as candidates for the next prime minister.

Minister Jeong is regarded as a leading figure in the pro-Lee faction. He has a long-standing relationship with President Lee as a Judicial Research and Training Institute classmate, and played key roles in Lee’s presidential campaigns in 2017 and 2022. His extensive parliamentary experience as a five-term lawmaker is also considered a strength.

Minister Han, formerly CEO of Naver, is evaluated as someone who understands both the everyday economy and industrial sites. She has been leading policies for small businesses and self-employed workers, which are a priority for President Lee.

Chief of Staff Kang has been one of Lee’s closest aides since the launch of the new administration. He has overseen Blue House operations and served as the president’s special envoy for strategic economic cooperation, engaging in diplomatic and economic issues.

Above all, the appointment of the next prime minister is closely tied to the government’s policy direction after the local elections. Depending on whether the successor emphasizes party-government stability, livelihood economy, or national coordination, the operational direction of the Blue House in its second year can be gauged.

At the senior aides’ meeting held at the Blue House that day, President Lee emphasized unity and cooperation. Wearing the “unity tie” he donned on his first day in office, he said, “The government will also heed the will of the people and actively cooperate with the newly elected local governments.”

                                                                                                        Park Young-hoon