President Lee Jae-myung Names NTS Commissioner Lim Kwang-hyun as Chief of Staff
President Lee Jae-myung on the 14th appointed National Tax Service Commissioner Lim Kwang-hyun as his new chief of staff, 23 days after former Chief of Staff Kang Hoon-sik's resignation. Contrary to widespread expectations, he placed an economic bureaucrat, not a politician, at the helm of the presidential office. While the post had been widely tipped for a Lee loyalist or an opposition-leaning figure symbolizing unity among progressive forces, Lim's political experience is limited to about a year as a proportional-representation lawmaker in the 22nd National Assembly; since entering public service through the 1995 administrative civil service exam, he has spent most of his career as a tax official.
In the appointment announcement, former Chief of Staff Kang described Lim as "an economic bureaucrat-turned-politician with rich administrative experience and policy acumen," and "the right person to accelerate achievements in state affairs through cooperation among the ruling party, government, and presidential office." He added that Lim was credited with helping establish tax fairness as the first commissioner of the NTS.
President Lee has publicly praised Lim's record in collecting delinquent taxes. At a Cabinet meeting the day before, he applauded the commissioner, saying, "I was going to give him a commendation today," and "Maybe I should just give him a round of applause right here." On the 9th, he cited a report on the NTS stepping up efforts to track hidden overseas assets on social media, encouraging Lim by saying, "Public officials like these contribute greatly to the nation's development." He had also expressed gratitude in April and May for Lim's work.
Former Chief of Staff Kang took responsibility for personnel disputes and declining approval ratings, and will leave office at midnight on the 15th. Kim Yong, senior deputy head of the Democratic Party Research Institute, wrote on Facebook on the afternoon of the 14th, "Chief of Staff Kang Hoon-sik, thank you for your hard work, and we have high hopes for Chief of Staff Lim Kwang-hyun," reflecting the party's expectations for the new chief of staff.
