I am an editorial writer at The Korea Times, focusing on foreign policy, North Korea and domestic politics. My key areas of interest include North Korea, foreign interference in elections, election integrity, cyberattacks and human rights. Prior to joining the Editorial Board, I served as both Politics Desk editor and Culture Desk editor. During my career, I have reported on the Presidential Office under the Lee Myung-bak administration, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the National Assembly.
Transition team to be launched soon
By Kang Hyun-kyung
President-elect Park Geun-hye spent Friday working on forming her presidential transition team, amid speculation that it will be a small group mostly consisting of experts.
She is likely to unveil the lineup next week. In a radio interview Friday, Rep. Chung Woo-taik of the ruling Saenuri Party said sometime after Christmas and before the year’s end would be the deadline for the launch of the team. He explained his prediction was based on conversations that he had with other Saenuri Party lawmakers a day earlier.
If this happens, the timing is almost similar to that of the presidential transition team for then President-elect Lee Myung-bak. Lee’s appointment of Lee Kyung-sook, then president of Sookmyung Women’s University, as chairwoman of the team came on Dec. 26, 2007.
According to media reports, the team will be composed of experts from around the country, with the possible exception of Gyeongsang Province, to show Park’s determination to achieve unity. Transitional team members will draw up plans for selecting Cabinet ministers.
“I would recommend the president-elect not to be too ambitious. I would tell her to try to be specific when sorting out her agenda and how she will achieve her goals during her tenure in great detail,” Hahm Sung-deuk, a professor of Korea University, advised.
“Regarding the timing of the launch of the presidential transition team, I would say that the sooner, the better because there are many policy tasks facing the new president. Most of all, Park will need to appoint the right person, who has a clear understanding of her vision for the nation, as presidential chief of staff as quickly as possible because the transition task will be conducted under his or her supervision.”
The presidential leadership expert advised Park to focus on “small wins,” rather than being overly ambitious.
Hahm noted many former presidents ended up in failure because their lists of what to do once they take power lacked specificity.
Park has yet to decide on the transition team leader. Some speculate that a senior figure from Jeolla Province, the home turf of the main opposition Democratic United Party, may be nominated for the key position as part of Park’s unity efforts.