Health ministry officials welcome Jeong as new leadership takes shape

After President Lee Jae Myung nominated Jeong Eun-kyeong, former commissioner of the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA), as his pick for minister of health and welfare, ministry officials said she was the most qualified among the candidates.

On Sunday, President Lee formally nominated Jeong for the post. The medical community, including the Korean Medical Association (KMA), welcomed the nomination unanimously. The internal reaction within the ministry was similarly positive.

“Once the nomination of the ministerial candidate and the appointment of the vice minister were finalized, the organizational atmosphere became more stable,” a ministry official told Korea Biomedical Review by phone, requesting anonymity. “Previously, we were continuing our work, but it was burdensome because the final reporting line had not been established.”

“Both the ministerial and vice-ministerial appointments were made from among people who have long worked within the ministry, which is the best-case scenario for working-level officials,” the official added. “Since the appointees already understand the ministry, there’s no need for a learning period, so it feels less burdensome.”

Although Jeong had been widely viewed as the leading candidate for the role after the presidential election, ministry insiders were unsure she would accept, due to reports she had declined the position. One official admitted he was slightly surprised by her nomination.

Another insider, also speaking on condition of anonymity, said, “There were many external candidates being considered for minister and vice minister roles, so there was a mix of anxiety and anticipation about who would be chosen. I think those appointed are the ones best suited to understand and take control of the organization quickly.”

A similarly warm reception greeted the appointment of Vice Minister of Health and Welfare Lee Hyung-hoon, who was named the same day as Jeong. The president can appoint vice ministers without a confirmation hearing.

“The appointment of Vice Minister Lee was an unexpected surprise,” said another official. “There had been speculation that the second vice minister post was delayed because one of the two would be an external pick, so I didn’t expect it at all. We have high expectations for the new vice minister, who has experience leading government–doctor negotiations during tense situations that require urgent conflict resolution.”

With the top appointments now in place, the ministry’s operations are expected to gain momentum.

“There are many major healthcare reform projects already underway that were budgeted by the previous administration, so each department is trying to execute its budget,” an official said. “If we don’t use the allocated budget, it could become an issue later.”

“In the past, when there was a change of government, the first step was often to halt everything and start over—saying, ‘Don’t do what you’re doing.’ But this time, there’s no such atmosphere. Most ongoing projects are continuing,” she added.

Another official noted, “Even before the appointments, we had several projects in progress and were working steadily. Now that the ministers and vice ministers are in place, we can report on major initiatives and move forward in a more stable environment.”