The presidential office on Aug. 30 tapped Cho Kuk Innovation Party lawmaker Lee Hae-min (이해민) as its new senior secretary for AI future planning. She will fill a post that had been vacant since former senior secretary Ha Jung-woo stepped down. The role will now be held by a field-oriented expert with experience across an IT company and the National Assembly.

Lee was born in 1973 and graduated from Sogang University with a degree in computer science. She also earned a master's degree from the university's graduate school. She later worked as a researcher at the Korea Education and Research Information Service (KERIS) before joining Google Korea in 2007.

She worked for more than 15 years as a product manager at Google Korea and at Google's U.S. headquarters. At Google's headquarters, she served as a senior product manager. From 2022 to 2024, she was chief product officer at data company OpenSurvey.

In 2024, she entered politics as a recruited talent for the Cho Kuk Innovation Party and won a proportional representation seat in the 22nd general election. On the National Assembly's Science, ICT, Broadcasting and Communications Committee, she handled AI, science and technology, and ICT-related policy and legislation. She has also served as chair of the party's AI Special Committee, chair of its Special Committee on Science and Technology Innovation, and secretary general, among other roles.

Given her career so far, there is an expectation she will also contribute to expanding the overall IT ecosystem. With both legislative and field experience, and a high level of policy understanding gained through committee work, there is hope she will be able to communicate smoothly. Her extensive knowledge of AI technology and industry is also cited as a strength.

With the successor appointment completed, the government's strategy to become one of the three leading AI powers is expected to regain momentum. Industry consensus is that work will also accelerate on projects led by the Ministry of Science and ICT, including an indigenous foundation model project and a graphics processing unit support programme. The vacancy had left much of the burden of driving AI policy concentrated on the ministry, and that pressure is expected to ease somewhat.

Ha was named senior vice chair of the National AI Strategy Committee. Ha stepped down from the senior secretary post in June to run in a by-election for a National Assembly seat in Busan's Buk-gap constituency. In that by-election, he lost to independent candidate Han Dong-hoon. Some have criticised Ha's return as a "revolving door" appointment.