The Cabinet of Lee Myung-bak () was the fifth government of the Sixth Republic of South Korea. It took office on 25 February 2008 after Lee Myung-bak's victory in the 2007 presidential elections. Most of the new cabinet was approved by the National Assembly on 29 February. Led by President Lee Myung-bak, it was supported principally by the conservative Saenuri Party, previously known as the Grand National Party. It was also known as Silyong Jeongbu (), the "pragmatic government", a name deriving from Lee's campaign slogan.

A provisional committee established shortly before the government's inauguration presented proposals with the intention of creating a more compact government. The main objective of the administration was cited in 2011 as "the foundation of micro-government and macro-market ideas to revive the economy". Politically, the administration was marked by an ongoing internal dispute between the factions of Lee and Park Geun-hye within the ruling party after an intense contest between the two in the primaries preceding the 2007 elections.International Crisis Group (21 December 2007). "South Korea: What to Expect from President Lee". Crisis Group Asia Briefing N°73, p. 3. The government presided over issues such as the South Korea foot-and-mouth outbreak, the ratification of the United States–Korea Free Trade Agreement, the 2011 South Korean university tuition crisis and the Jeju-do Naval Base.

The Lee Myung-bak government ended on 25 February 2013 with the inauguration of Park Geun-hye as president.

Cabinet

Office Incumbent In office PartyPresidentLee Myung-bak25 February 2008 – Grand National / SaenuriPrime MinisterHan Seung-soo29 February 2008 – 28 September 2008Grand NationalChung Un-chan29 September 2009 – 11 August 2010IndependentYoon Jeung-hyun (acting)11 August 2010 – 1 October 2010Kim Hwang-sik1 October 2010 – Minister for Strategy and FinanceKang Man-soo29 February 2008 – 9 February 2009Grand NationalYun Jeung-hyeon10 February 2009 – 31 May 2011IndependentPark Se-wan1 June 2011 – Grand National / SaenuriMinister for Education, Science and TechnologyKim Do-yeon29 February 2008 – 5 August 2008IndependentByong Man Ahn6 August 2008 – 2010Lee Ju-ho2010 – Grand National / SaenuriMinister for Foreign Affairs and TradeYu Myung-hwan29 February 2008 – 4 September 2010IndependentSin Gak-su (acting)5 September 2010 – 7 October 2010Kim Sung-hwan8 October 2010 –Minister for UnificationKim Ha-jung11 March 2008 – 11 February 2009IndependentHyun In-taek12 February 2009 – 30 August 2011Yu Woo-ik30 August 2011 –Minister for JusticeKim Kyung-han29 February 2008 – 29 September 2009IndependentLee Kwi-nam30 September 2009 – 10 August 2011Kwon Jae-jin11 August 2011 –Minister for National DefenseLee Sang-hee29 February 2008 – 22 September 2009IndependentKim Tae-young23 September 2009 – 3 December 2011Kim Kwan-jin4 December 2011 –Minister for Public Administration and SecurityWon Sei-hoon29 February 2008 – 11 February 2009IndependentLee Dal-gon20 February 2009 – 4 March 2010Grand NationalMaeng Hyung-kyu15 April 2010 –Grand National / SaenuriMinister for Culture, Sports and TourismYu In-chon29 February 2008 – 26 January 2011IndependentJeong Byeong-guk27 January 2011 – 19 September 2011Grand NationalChoe Kwang-shik20 September 2011 –IndependentMinister for Food, Agriculture, Forestry and FisheriesChung Woon-chun29 February 2008 – 6 August 2008Grand NationalChang Tae-pyung6 August 2008 – 30 August 2010IndependentYoo Jeong-bok30 August 2010 – 1 June 2011Grand NationalSuh Kyu-yong2 June 2011 –Grand National / SaenuriMinister for Knowledge EconomyLee Youn-ho29 February 2008 – 18 September 2009IndependentChoi Kyung-hwan19 September 2009 – 26 January 2011Choi Joong-kyung27 January 2011 – November 2011Hong Seok-wooNovember 2011 – Minister for Health, Welfare and Family AffairsKim Soung-yee13 March 2008 – 6 August 2008IndependentJun Jae-hee6 August 2008 – 19 March 2010Grand NationalMinister for Health and Welfare19 March 2010 – 25 August 2010Chin Soo-hee30 August 2010 – 15 September 2011Im Chae-min16 September 2011 –IndependentMinister for EnvironmentLee Maan-ee12 March 2008 –IndependentMinister for LaborLee Young-hee29 February 2008 – 30 September 2009IndependentYim Tae-hee1 October 2009 – 5 July 2010Grand NationalMinister for Employment and Labor5 July 2010 – 29 August 2010Bahk Jae-wan30 August 2010 –Grand National / SaenuriMinister for Gender EqualityByun Do-yoon13 March 2008 – 29 September 2009IndependentPaik Hee-young30 September 2009 – 18 March 2010IndependentMinister for Gender Equality and Family19 March 2010 – 15 September 2011Kim Geum-rae16 September 2011 –Grand National / SaenuriMinister for Land, Transport and Maritime AffairsChung Jong-hwan29 February 2008 – 1 June 2011IndependentKwon Do-yeop2 June 2011 –Minister for Special AffairsJoo Ho-young13 October 2009 – 29 August 2010Grand NationalYi Jae-oh30 August 2010 –Grand National / Saenuri

Economics

The government's macroeconomic policy was known as Mbnomics, named after Lee Myung-bak.

Housing

The government plan to resolve the mortgage crisis was through projects to construct more residential areas. Between 2009 and 2010, the government built 311,000 new apartments, which resulted in limiting annual housing price increases to just 1.2-1.7%. Criticis charged that the plan could lead to huge deficits. As of late 2011, half of the new units were designated to be sold, rather than rented.

Critics alleged that GNP catered to big business, did not fix the unemployment crisis, and allowed income inequality to increase.

Incomes

As of 2011 the average income of South Koreans had decreased.

Unemployment

Critics alleged that the government manipulated statistics to make unemployment appear lower to the public. The Korea Development Institute released a statement on October 27, 2011 that the potential unemployment rate of this time by using the survey method of the International Labour Organization was 21.2% rather than the government's 4.8%.

Inflation and price controls

According to the MB Consumers' Price Rate (Korean:MB물가지수) prices increased by 23% on average from 2008 to 2011.

In 2012, a policy to limit inflation was set in motion. It was enacted by after previous attempts by the Korean food agency only led to wild price changes. Baek-il, professor of Commercial Distribution Studies at Ulsan College, criticized President Lee's proposal of price controls as "interfering the supply and demandchains" and "unless the government gives subsidiary funds, it is impossible to control the prices".

Trade

Free Trade Agreement

The government-affiliated GNP ratified the South Korea–United States Free Trade Agreement bill in the National Assembly on 22 November 2011. GNP floor leader Hwang Woo-yeo had decided to ratify it 2 days earlier due to a noticeable deadlock from the disagreements of opponents. During the vote, the National Assembly was intentionally sealed off from the public and the media by Park Hee-tae, a GNP-affiliated Speaker of the National Assembly. Deputy Speaker Chung Ui-hwa said that the reasons for securing the National Assembly were to prevent uproar from the opponents and to prevent international media portraying the Assembly as a laughing stock.

Nam Kyung-pil, Foreign Affairs, Trade and Unification Committee chairman and a GNP member, resigned as his party failed to reach consensus by breaking parliamentary protocols.

The Korean Peasants League labeled the GNP as "a group of traitors" for its support of the Free Trade Agreement.

Some GNP officials suggested reducing police actions against demonstrations and abstaining from drinking in public due to the unexpected protests.

U.A.E. Nuclear deal

In 2009, a South Korean consortium won one of the largest ever construction deals for nuclear reactors in the U.A.E. worth US$40 billion. President Lee personally phoned and visited high ranking U.A.E. officials. South Korea beat out French and American competitors.

Iraqi oil deal A leaked diplomatic cable showed that a South Korean Foreign Minister official felt that Lee intervened "prematurely" during the 2009 Iraq-South Korea Summit in Seoul, the Iraqi oil deal for South Korea. Fellow GNP member, Lee Hak-jae () criticized Lee's role in the failure of Korea National Oil Corporation's plan to inspect oil reserves in Iraqi Kurdistan.

Arms exports

The Lee government emphasized the growth of the South Korean arms industry. The industry revealed plans to increase arms exports to US$4 billion yearly by 2020, making it the world's 7th largest exporter. In 2010 and 2011, South Korea exported trainer jets and submarines to Indonesia.

Media issues

Telecommunications/Internet

46 packet-tapping devices were acquired as tools for domestic Internet surveillance by the administration. Many of these devices are operated under the National Intelligence Service.

The GNP once tried to reform telecommunication services, but abandoned the effort due to its potential for Internet censorship.

Media rep bill

On January, 5th, 2012, the parliamentary-level Committee on Culture, Sports, Tourism, Broadcasting & Communications passed the Media Rep Bill (), intended to regulate direct dealings between networks and advertisers. The official goal was to prevent advertisers from pressuring networks to bias their content and also reduce the practice of selective advertisement, thus increasing fairness and preventing major newspapers from monopolization. However, critics claimed that an advertising broker bill could potentially over-monopolize the domestic advertising.

Journalist strike

Journalists on notable South Korean media outlets such as KBS, MBC and YTN engaged in strikes in early 2012, protesting government interference in news content.

The International Federation of Journalists condemned changes in the management of major broadcast media in South Korea that it claimed were political interference. The Lee government was accused of appointing his supporters to executive positions at state-run broadcasting and some key public enterprises.

The government was accused of appointing Lee's close associates to presidencies of SKY LIFE satellite broadcasting and YTN, both of which supported his campaign as well as Korea Broadcasting Advertising Corporation and the English broadcasting company, Arirang TV.

2008 beef protests

In 2008 the Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation underwent court investigation over a program dealing with a beef deal with the United States which the IFJ local affiliate, the Journalists' Association of Korea (JAK) says violated press freedom and breached the promise protecting journalists. The program, known as 'PD Diary', was accused of deliberately distorting 19 parts of the program, including several deliberate mistranslations, which the Lee administration claimed were partially responsible for sparking protests. The translator, Ji-Min Jung, disclosed that the producers had intentionally distorted the original translation and the prosecutor's investigation result confirmed the actions on 31 July.

Norma Kang Muico, Amnesty International's Korea researcher, said (in 2009), "We are extremely concerned that the human rights situation in South Korea has deteriorated since last year." As an example, she mentioned the prosecution's indictment of the PD Diary affair. She concluded, "The freedom of the press in Korea is now facing a challenge."

According to WikiLeaks documents, top officials of Lee's administration had agreed with then American ambassador, Alexander Vershbow, on 17 January 2008 to open up Korea's beef market, months before Lee's trip to the US in April 2008.

Controversies

Management of dissent/protests