Democratic Party Names Han Jeong-ae Secretary-General, Kwon Chil-seung Policy Chief

Kim Min-seok makes first senior party appointments

Kim Nam-jun, a close aide to President Lee Jae-myung, named publicity chief

Designated Supreme Council posts to go to labor and younger figures

Kim Min-seok, the new leader of South Korea’s Democratic Party, appointed lawmaker Han Jeong-ae as secretary-general and lawmaker Kwon Chil-seung as chairman of the party’s policy committee.

At an Aug. 18 briefing, chief spokesperson Park Sung-joon said Kim selected four-term lawmaker Han for the secretary-general post, a key role overseeing the party’s finances, organization and nomination affairs. Han served as environment minister under the Moon Jae-in administration and headed the policy committee under former party leader Jung Chung-rae.

Park said competence was the top priority in the appointment. Han had already proven her capabilities as policy committee chief and was the right person to oversee the party’s operations, he added.

Three-term lawmaker Kwon was named the new policy committee chairman. He served as minister of SMEs and Startups under the Moon administration and as chief spokesperson when President Lee Jae-myung was party leader. During Jung’s tenure, Kwon also led a task force on rationalizing civil liability for economic crimes and pushed measures including easing breach-of-trust rules.

Park said Kwon’s experience as both a minister and chief spokesperson, along with his policy depth, made him well suited to advance the party’s three mega projects.

The party also announced other personnel appointments. First-term lawmaker Kim Nam-jun, regarded as a close confidant of President Lee, was named head of the publicity committee. Three-term lawmaker Shin Jung-hoon was appointed chairman of the Chamjoeun Local Government Committee. Former publicity committee chief Han Woong-hyun was named head of the Democratic Party TV Preparatory Task Force. The party also added first-term lawmakers Jo Gye-won and Lee Yong-woo, along with former lawmaker Shin Hyun-young, to its spokesperson group.

Appointments to the vacant designated Supreme Council seats will be announced in stages. Kim plans to nominate one labor figure and one young person from the 20s and 30s age group this week for the two posts. The move is intended to reflect the voices of workers and younger people’s policy demands more directly in the party leadership. Names being mentioned for the youth-designated seat include lawyer Shin In-gyu, former Military Human Rights Center Secretary-General Kim Hyung-nam, former Democratic Party deputy policy committee chair Jung Min-cheol and lawyer Kim Gyu-hyun.

Choi Hyeong-chang, Hankyung.com reporter calling@hankyung.com

Ha Ji-eun, Hankyung.com reporter hazzys@hankyung.com