Lee Jae-myung's government additional appointments: Establishment of a new senior position for national security, diplomacy, and AI future planning reflects the direction of state governance.

Appointment of President Lee Jae-myung on June 15, 2025

On June 15, 2025, President Lee Jae-myung appointed the first 'Chief of AI Future Planning' at the Presidential Office along with the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Deputy Directors of the National Security Office. With individuals possessing practical experience and expertise in various fields being placed in key positions, this appointment is being evaluated as an important milestone that can gauge the direction of future governance. Centered around the three pillars of national strategy: security, diplomacy, and AI technology policy, the message of 'expertise-centered appointments' is clearly conveyed.

The appointment of Kim Hyun-jong as the First Deputy Director of the National Security Office

First of all, the personnel of the National Security Office consists of individuals with a combination of practical experience and external capabilities. Kim Hyun-jong, who has been appointed as the 1st Deputy Director, is a military strategy expert from the 44th class of the Korea Military Academy, having served as the Director of Policy at the Army Headquarters and as the Commander of the 3rd Infantry Division. He directly led defense reforms at the Blue House during the Moon Jae-in administration and is assessed as a suitable candidate to demonstrate strategic judgment and planning abilities amidst the rising military tensions on the Korean Peninsula, equipped with practical experience in restructuring military personnel and modernizing military capabilities.

Deployment of Im Woong-soon, the Second Deputy Director of the National Security Office

Im Woong-soon has been appointed as the new Ambassador to Canada. A seasoned diplomat from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he has gained various field experiences, having served as the Consul General in New York, Director of Personnel Planning at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Minister at the Embassy in Spain. Notably, he achieved tangible results while serving as the Ambassador to Canada, particularly in expanding cooperation in youth and agriculture, demonstrating a high level of practical sense in the field of economic diplomacy. This appointment aligns perfectly with the policy direction of the Lee Jae-myung administration, which aims to strategize economic aspects of foreign security.

The role of Deputy Director Oh Hyun-joo in the National Security Office

Bishop Oh Hyun-joo has been appointed as the third ambassador to the Holy See. He is recognized for his capabilities in multilateral diplomacy and human rights, having served as the Director of the Development Cooperation Bureau at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and as Deputy Permanent Representative at the United Nations. In 2023, he was appointed as Korea's first female ambassador to the Holy See, and in 2025, he received the Pio IX Grand Cross of Honor from the Pope, establishing deep trust with the international community. Based on his deep understanding and experience with global agendas such as climate change, human rights, and multilateral cooperation, he is expected to present new solutions for peace diplomacy on the Korean Peninsula.

The Importance of Chief of AI Future Planning, Ha Jung-woo

Above all, the most notable change in this personnel appointment is the establishment of the 'Chief of AI Future Planning' position within the presidential office. The appointed individual, Ha Jung-woo, former head of Naver Cloud's AI Innovation Center, is a graduate of the Computer Science Department at Seoul National University and a leading domestic AI expert who spearheaded the development of Naver's large language model 'Hyperclova X.' He has continuously conducted research on AI ethics and governance, traversing both academia and industry, and has played a role in connecting technology and policy.

The importance and direction of the Sovereign AI concept

Particularly, the concept of 'Sovereign AI' he proposed is deeply linked to the national tasks of securing technological sovereignty and establishing a safe digital order. His appointment, which aligns with the direction of strengthening the government's technological leadership, reveals the strong will of the Lee Jae-myung administration to make AI a strategic centerpiece of national policy, going beyond a simple advisory role. The decision to appoint a figure who can encompass the agility of the private sector and the coordination capabilities of the government to a senior position can be interpreted as a proactive measure to safeguard national interests in the context of increasing international competition in the AI field.

The Meaning and Approach of Appointing Professionals

This personnel change is noteworthy not only as a simple organizational restructuring or political consideration, but also because it involves the appointment of professionals based on practical experience in the fields of security, diplomacy, and technology. It moves beyond existing personnel practices centered around bureaucratic norms or political balance, selecting individuals who have demonstrated problem-solving abilities in each area. In particular, the establishment of a chief AI position symbolically reflects the presidential office's acute awareness of the changing times and its future-oriented thinking.

The direction of the Yoon Seok-yeol government's national administration.

As a result, the Lee Jae-myung administration has made its vision of 'performance-based, future-oriented governance' clearer through this personnel reshuffle. If a personnel structure that organically combines experience and innovation is established, it will be possible to achieve stable yet dynamic state management even in this period of increasing domestic and international uncertainties, and public trust may also be further strengthened.