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Lee Ju-ho is the Deputy Prime Minister for Social Affairs and Minister of Education.

Except for Park Soon-ae, the former Minister of Education who voluntarily resigned just 35 days after taking office, he is effectively the first education minister under the Yoon Suk-yeol administration.

He is leading the Ministry of Education during a government without a president, following the Constitutional Court's decision to remove former President Yoon Suk-yeol from office.

He must accelerate efforts to resolve legislative conflicts while also addressing the numerous pending education reform issues.

He was born on February 17, 1961, in Chilgok, Gyeongsangbuk-do.

He graduated from Daegu Chunggoo High School and Seoul National University with a degree in international economics. He earned a master’s degree in economics from Seoul National University Graduate School and a Ph.D. in economics from Cornell University in the United States.

As a professor at the Korea Development Institute (KDI), he specialized in vocational education and employment policy at both KDI and the KDI School of Public Policy and Management, establishing himself as an expert in education.

Under the Lee Myung-bak administration, he served as the first Senior Secretary for Education, Science and Culture, the First Vice Minister of the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology, and later as the Minister of Education, Science and Technology, taking the lead in shaping education policy.

In the Yoon Suk-yeol administration, he was appointed Deputy Prime Minister for Social Affairs and Minister of Education in November 2022.

He emphasizes performance and holds the belief that education should be based on autonomy and competition. He is known for being meticulous and highly driven, though some say he lacks interpersonal charm.

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