South Korean President Lee names conservative lawmaker as budget minister

SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korea's President Lee Jae Myung has appointed Lee Hye-hoon, a conservative politician and former lawmaker of the opposition United Future Party, as budget minister, a spokesman at the presidential office said at a briefing on Sunday.

Lee, the newly appointed minister, said she aligns with the president's goal of both pursing economic growth and improving social welfare, in a statement following the announcement.

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President Lee has pushed for a major overhaul of ministries, which he views as having too much power, including stripping the finance ministry of its budget planning authority.

Some experts have said that changes to budget planning policies may lead to higher national debt under the liberal president.