South Korea's President Lee Names Koo Yun-cheol Finance Minister

South Korean President Lee Jae-myung has nominated Koo Yun-cheol as the new finance minister, selecting a veteran bureaucrat with deep expertise in fiscal policy and economic strategy. Koo, 60, has held key roles within the Ministry of Economy and Finance, including second vice finance minister, and is known for driving expansionary fiscal policies and managing large national budgets, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. He is also recognized as an advocate for South Korea's transition to artificial intelligence, authoring policy proposals emphasizing government support for AI development and workforce training. Alongside Koo, Lee nominated Kim Jung-kwan as industry minister to advance the administration's balanced energy policy, and Jeong Eun-kyeong as health minister, noted for her leadership during the pandemic. These appointments reflect President Lee's priorities to stimulate economic growth, innovation, and balance energy sources amid global trade pressures, including those from the Trump administration. While parliamentary approval is customary, Lee's Democratic Party majority allows him to appoint ministers without it if needed.