President Lee Jae Myung has nominated former lawmaker Lee Hye‑hoon, a figure from the conservative camp, as the first minister of the inaugural Planning and Budget Ministry in a rare cross‑party appointment.

Presidential spokesperson Lee Kyu‑yeon said in a briefing Sunday that the president had selected the former three‑term lawmaker to lead the newly created ministry.

Lee Hye‑hoon previously served three terms in the National Assembly under parties that later became the People Power Party(PPP) and ran as a PPP candidate in last year’s general election.

The nomination is widely seen as signaling President Lee’s intention to take a broader, less ideological approach in filling key economic and livelihood‑related posts.

In a separate appointment, former lawmaker Kim Song‑sik was named vice chair of the National Economic Advisory Council.

Kim, regarded as a centrist despite his background in conservative parties, has long advocated what he calls a “third way.”