President Moon replaces heads of key ministries
President Moon Jae-in named seven new ministers Friday amid a critical point in his administration.
The major cabinet reshuffle came as some ministers, including Interior and Safety Minister Kim Boo-kyum, are expected to prepare to run in the general election next year.
Among the nominations, the most exciting is that of Rep. Park Young-sun of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) to lead the Ministry of SMEs and Startups. The sole female nominee in this reshuffle is capturing a lot of media attention as she is expected to bring her vast experience in the media, politics and the National Assembly to her new post.
The Moon administration has put a policy priority on helping SMEs. For this, President Moon expanded the former Small and Medium Business Administration into a ministry soon after he took office in May 2017. However, the ministry has not lived up to public expectations to significantly promote the growth of SMEs, which are a critical part of the nation's economy.
After the announcement, Park said that she felt a huge sense of responsibility and will do her best to stand up for young jobseekers, startups, SMEs and the self-employed. Under Park, who formerly served as a business editor for the broadcaster MBC before entering politics, the ministry will hopefully be able assuage the many concerns held by those who run small businesses.
There are some problems with the reshuffle which give the impression that the President is not really serious about improving his administration's competence and regaining the public trust.
The reshuffle is not entirely promising because some of the nominees lack the qualifications required for their new posts. In particular, it is disappointing that another politician, Rep. Chin Young of the DPK, was named to lead the Ministry of Interior and Safety.
The interior ministry is one of the largest government bodies and is in charge of issues that are closely related to the people's livelihoods such as public safety. Given this, it is particularly important that someone with sufficient background in relevant areas lead the ministry. The post should not be treated as a career-building opportunity for politicians.
The most problematic nomination is that of Kim Yeon-chul, the head of the Korea Institute for National Unification, as a replacement for Unification Minister Cho Myoung-gyon.
Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Kim Eui-kyeom explained that Kim has the necessary academic and professional background. His nomination triggered concerns from the opposition parties that the ministry will continue to rush economic cooperation with North Korea as Cho did during his tenure as minister. After the failed Hanoi summit, the U.S. has signaled at stepping up sanctions against North Korea, while Pyongyang is reportedly rebuilding a missile site. Under these circumstances, the new minister should keep in mind that he should not make untimely moves such as pushing too much for the reopening of the Gaeseong Industrial Complex or restarting tourism to Mount Geumgang.
During the upcoming confirmation hearing, the National Assembly should thoroughly check the nominees' personal and professional backgrounds to ensure their competency and integrity as public servants.
President Moon Jae-in named seven new ministers Friday amid a critical point in his administration.
The major cabinet reshuffle came as some ministers, including Interior and Safety Minister Kim Boo-kyum, are expected to prepare to run in the general election next year.
Among the nominations, the most exciting is that of Rep. Park Young-sun of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) to lead the Ministry of SMEs and Startups. The sole female nominee in this reshuffle is capturing a lot of media attention as she is expected to bring her vast experience in the media, politics and the National Assembly to her new post.
The Moon administration has put a policy priority on helping SMEs. For this, President Moon expanded the former Small and Medium Business Administration into a ministry soon after he took office in May 2017. However, the ministry has not lived up to public expectations to significantly promote the growth of SMEs, which are a critical part of the nation's economy.
After the announcement, Park said that she felt a huge sense of responsibility and will do her best to stand up for young jobseekers, startups, SMEs and the self-employed. Under Park, who formerly served as a business editor for the broadcaster MBC before entering politics, the ministry will hopefully be able assuage the many concerns held by those who run small businesses.
There are some problems with the reshuffle which give the impression that the President is not really serious about improving his administration's competence and regaining the public trust.
The reshuffle is not entirely promising because some of the nominees lack the qualifications required for their new posts. In particular, it is disappointing that another politician, Rep. Chin Young of the DPK, was named to lead the Ministry of Interior and Safety.
The interior ministry is one of the largest government bodies and is in charge of issues that are closely related to the people's livelihoods such as public safety. Given this, it is particularly important that someone with sufficient background in relevant areas lead the ministry. The post should not be treated as a career-building opportunity for politicians.
The most problematic nomination is that of Kim Yeon-chul, the head of the Korea Institute for National Unification, as a replacement for Unification Minister Cho Myoung-gyon.
Cheong Wa Dae spokesman Kim Eui-kyeom explained that Kim has the necessary academic and professional background. His nomination triggered concerns from the opposition parties that the ministry will continue to rush economic cooperation with North Korea as Cho did during his tenure as minister. After the failed Hanoi summit, the U.S. has signaled at stepping up sanctions against North Korea, while Pyongyang is reportedly rebuilding a missile site. Under these circumstances, the new minister should keep in mind that he should not make untimely moves such as pushing too much for the reopening of the Gaeseong Industrial Complex or restarting tourism to Mount Geumgang.
During the upcoming confirmation hearing, the National Assembly should thoroughly check the nominees' personal and professional backgrounds to ensure their competency and integrity as public servants.
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