President Lee names National Tax Service head as new chief of staff

President Lee Jae Myung appointed National Tax Service chief Lim Kwang-hyun as his new chief of staff. The change matters because the chief of staff helps coordinate the presidential office’s work and supports the president’s governing agenda. Lim replaced Kang Hoon-sik, who had offered to resign during political difficulties for the administration.

Lim brings experience from both government and politics. He held several National Tax Service posts, became a Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker through proportional representation in 2024, and returned to government as NTS chief in 2025. Kang praised his administrative experience and political judgment.

Lim said he would take responsibility for Cheong Wa Dae’s overall work. He also promised to build on the administration’s achievements and create tangible changes in people’s lives. His appointment follows falling approval ratings and controversy involving two Cabinet nominees who later withdrew.

A presidential chief of staff helps the president organize priorities, coordinate advisers, and connect the presidential office with the wider government. The role matters because many decisions require several offices to work together. The source describes Lim as the top official responsible for assisting the president and overseeing Cheong Wa Dae’s overall work.

A Cabinet minister normally leads a specific government ministry, such as finance or health, and manages that ministry’s responsibilities. A chief of staff instead works across the presidential office and helps align different parts of the administration. The source also highlights cooperation among the ruling party, government, and Cheong Wa Dae.

This distinction helps explain Lim’s appointment. He has experience in the National Tax Service, the National Assembly, and government. However, the article does not list every formal power of the chief of staff, so the comparison uses the standard meaning of the role.

The chief of staff’s coordinating reach is broad rather than limited to one policy field. The article says Lim will take responsibility for the overall work of Cheong Wa Dae. It also says the position can help speed state achievements through cooperation among the ruling party, government, and presidential office.

In practical terms, this places the chief of staff at the center of communication and coordination. Lim’s background across the National Tax Service, National Assembly, and government supports that connecting role. Still, the article does not provide a percentage, staffing figure, budget, or formal boundary showing exactly how much of the president’s operation he controls.

The appointment therefore signals an effort to strengthen coordination across the administration. Lim said he would focus on tangible improvements in people’s lives. Whether decisions become faster will depend on how effectively these institutions cooperate, but the source does not report results after his appointment.

Kang Hoon-sik offered to resign during a period of political pressure on President Lee Jae Myung’s administration. The article connects his decision to falling approval ratings and controversy over the qualifications of two Cabinet nominees. Those nominees ultimately withdrew, making the personnel controversy a prominent background to the leadership change.

Kang’s departure opened the way for Lim Kwang-hyun to become chief of staff. At the announcement, Kang still endorsed Lim, calling him a former economic official turned politician with administrative experience and political acumen. He said Lim could bring people’s voices into state affairs more broadly.

The article does not say that Kang personally caused the falling ratings or the nomination controversy. Instead, it presents those developments as the circumstances surrounding his resignation offer. Lim now inherits a demanding coordination role as the administration seeks to build on its accomplishments and improve people’s livelihoods.

Lim’s appointment could improve decision-making by placing an official with experience in government and politics at the center of coordination. Kang said Lim was suited to incorporate people’s voices and speed state achievements through cooperation among the ruling party, government, and Cheong Wa Dae.

The mechanism is coordination. Lim worked in various National Tax Service posts, served in the National Assembly, and later became NTS chief. That mix may help him understand how policies move between agencies, lawmakers, and the presidential office. The article presents this experience as a reason he can assist the president broadly.

The immediate goal is clearer action on everyday concerns. Lim said he would oversee Cheong Wa Dae’s overall work and give his all to improving people’s livelihoods. The article does not report any post-appointment outcomes, so faster decisions and stronger public responsiveness remain intended effects, not confirmed results.

Lim’s career combines technical administration and party politics. He served in various posts at the National Tax Service before entering the National Assembly. In 2024, he won a proportional-representation seat as a lawmaker of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea.

Lim later left Parliament when he became National Tax Service chief in 2025. That move returned him to the government agency where he had already built substantial experience. His career therefore spans the NTS, the legislature, the ruling party, and senior government service.

Kang Hoon-sik identified this combination as a major strength. He described Lim as a former economic official turned politician with abundant administrative experience and political acumen. Lim now brings those backgrounds to the chief of staff position, where he is expected to coordinate Cheong Wa Dae’s overall work and connect the administration with broader public concerns.

Proportional representation is an electoral system in which legislative seats are assigned according to the share of votes won by parties, rather than only by individual district contests. The source identifies Lim as winning a proportional-representation seat as a Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker in 2024. It does not explain the system’s detailed rules.

Lim’s parliamentary career ended when he became National Tax Service chief in 2025. The article says he gave up his parliamentary seat upon taking office as NTS chief. This means the seat and the government post were not held together in his case.

The change also shows Lim’s movement between politics and administration. He entered the National Assembly as a ruling-party lawmaker, then returned to government leadership at the tax service, and later became chief of staff. The source does not state whether another person filled his parliamentary seat or describe the legal procedure.