President Yoon Suk-yeol appointed Chung Jin-suk, a former five-term conservative lawmaker, as his new chief of staff after all top secretaries resigned following the ruling party’s landslide election loss.

Chung, who lost his seat on April 10, now assumes one of the highest-ranking roles in South Korea, which involves supporting the president on national policy directions and ensuring smooth communication within the government and with external entities, including major parties.

The chief of staff traditionally providesfrank advice to the president when needed. Yoon introduced Chung to journalists in the press room, marking his first appearance there in over 500