The next Prime Minister candidate pool narrows to Kang Hoon-sik, Jeong Seong-ho, and Han Sung-sook

It has been reported that President Lee Jaemyung is reviewing Presidential Chief of Staff Kang Hoonsik, Minister of Justice Jeong Seongho, and Minister of SMEs and Startups Han Seongsook as successors to Prime Minister Kim Minseok. According to the ruling party, Prime Minister Kim may express his intention to resign in order to run in the party leadership election at the Democratic Party of Korea's convention scheduled for early September. The presidential office is said to be conducting a vetting process after narrowing the pool of candidates for the next prime minister, who will lead state affairs in the second year of the administration, to three people, and there is also speculation that the appointment of a successor could be announced as early as this week. Chief Kang, a threeterm lawmaker who has closely assisted the president, is regarded as strong in the fields of diplomacy and the economy. Minister Jeong is President Lee's longtime political ally and a key figure in the proLee Jaemyung camp, and has led judicial reform. Minister Han is an IT expert and former CEO of Naver, and is known to have earned trust by leading policies for small and mediumsized businesses and selfemployed business owners. However, the government and the ruling party are considering public sentiment after the local elections together with the timing and nature of the cabinet reshuffle, so the timing of the prime minister's replacement may also be adjusted.