Kim Tae-yu Appointed Vice Chairman of Regulatory Reform Council to Replace Lee Byong-tae over 5.18 Remarks

President Lee Jae-myung on Wednesday appointed Kim Tae-yu, a professor at Seoul National University’s College of Engineering, as vice chairman of the Regulatory Reform Committee, and appointed Kim Heung-kyu, a professor at Ajou University, as president of the National Diplomatic Academy.

Vice Chairman Kim succeeds former Vice Chairman Lee Byong-tae, who resigned on the 6th of last month amid controversy over his remarks calling for the 5.18 Gwangju Uprising to become a "sacred sanctuary." The former vice chairman argued on social media on the 2nd of last month, regarding the heavy disciplinary action taken against the Paje High School baseball team, that the situation had become like a "sacred sanctuary" and resembled "North Korea."

Newly appointed National Diplomatic Academy President Kim Heung-kyu is an expert in East Asian diplomacy and security. Having previously served as a professor at the Institute of Foreign Affairs and National Security, the predecessor to the National Diplomatic Academy, he takes on the task of strengthening personnel training.

Senior Spokesperson Kang Yu-jung officially explained the background of the two appointments through a written briefing on the same day. The two new appointees will respectively drive policy agendas focused on overhauling advanced industry regulations and strengthening practical diplomatic capabilities. These personnel changes are expected to have a substantive impact on the government's regulatory and diplomatic policy directions.