Choi In-ho Named Senior Presidential Secretary for Political Affairs; Ahn Deok-su Nominated as NTS Commissioner
The presidential office designated former lawmaker Choi In-ho as the new senior presidential secretary for political affairs and named Ahn Deok-su as its nominee for commissioner of the National Tax Service, releasing the personnel announcement materials through Yonhap News at 3:33 p.m. on November 6, 2026. The announcement photo featured Choi In-ho, the new senior presidential secretary for political affairs (left), alongside National Tax Service Commissioner nominee Ahn Deok-su. The appointments fill key posts that had both been vacant — the senior secretariat for political affairs and the NTS commissioner.
The senior secretary for political affairs is a core position overseeing the president's key political and economic issues, and it was announced immediately with the designation "new."
The NTS commissioner oversees the nation's tax affairs, leading tax administration as a whole, and the nominee must undergo formal procedures, including a National Assembly confirmation hearing, before appointment. Ahn Deok-su was publicly identified as a "nominee" until his official appointment.
The procedural difference between the two positions has been confirmed, and this announcement constitutes an appointment made while both key posts remained vacant.
