Pres. Lee names culture, land minister nominees; nomination of Cabinet completed

Good evening.

President Lee Jae Myung has now completed nominations for all 19 members of his first Cabinet, by filling the two remaining ministerial seats: culture and land.

Presidential Office Correspondent Yoon Jung-min starts us off.

President Lee Jae Myung has tapped Chae Hwi-young, current CEO of travel platform Nol Universe, to lead the nation's Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism.

The journalist-turned-CEO has broad enough experience to materialize President Lee's vision of a K-culture market worth 300-trillion won, which is worth some 218-billion U.S. dollars that's according to Lee's Chief of Staff Kang Hoon-sik on Friday.

The same day, the ruling Democratic Party of Korea's lawmaker Kim Yun Duk, was named to lead the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.

The three-term lawmaker has served on the National Assembly's Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee, in which Kang says he has proven competency in legislation and policy.

"When it comes to real estate, he is expected to approach the issues from ordinary people's perspectives, not as a scholar or bureaucrat."

President Lee Jae Myung has warned of zero-tolerance on speculation in real estate, often leading to housing market instability.

The new land minister's focus will also be on balanced regional growth, while putting forth new visions for transportation and mobility, among others.

With Friday's announcement, the appointment of the nominees for the Lee administration's first Cabinet has been completed.

"President Lee said he expects all government ministries to yield results in a speedy manner with competence and loyalty. He asked them to break away from customs in a bold manner, and lead changes with fresh and flexible ideas for innovation in the society."

Kang went on to say the new administration will proactively take on pending issues, such as the U.S. pressure on tariffs, extreme heat at home, and the economy in the doldrums.

The nominees will undergo confirmation hearings at the National Assembly, but they are not required to be approved for appointment.

Yoon Jung-min, Arirang News.