KoreaToday Korea to Overhaul System to Pick Diplomats

By Jung Sung-ki

Staff Reporter

"The job at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade is like a 'plastic bowl,' not an 'iron bowl,'" Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Yu Myung-hwan said.

Yu used the similes to respond to a reporter's question, alluding that being a diplomat is very difficult but living as one is very easy and job security isn't an issue.

The reporter was apparently referring to a controversy regarding overhauling the system for selecting diplomats.

Currently, more than 1,600 individuals vie for 40 seats in the diplomatic service via an annual state examination, called "woemu gosi."

The Lee Myung-bak administration, however, wants to reduce the quota of those selected from passing the exam by 50 percent and recruit the remaining half from a diplomatic academy instead.

Such a change in the diplomat selection system is aimed at employing personnel with certain specialties or from diverse backgrounds to better prepare for the international stage. It aims to raise the level of the diplomatic workforce to a higher caliber, said officials at Cheong Wa Dae.

Minister Yu, however, was blunt about the idea.

"I don't know why, but I'm sorry that there is clearly a wrong perception of the foreign ministry," said the minister, rebutting claims that diplomats are too "pure blooded." He said 52 percent of the ministry officials did not become so from the state exam.

"The issue is not new. The discussion (for overhauling the selection scheme) has been underway for years and each option has advantages and disadvantages," he said. "The foreign ministry should go along with the current trends, so as long as a consensus is built on the issue, we'll follow the results no matter what they may be. That's our position."

Yu stressed that the job of diplomats has different characteristics from other bureaucrats because diplomats need a more specialized education and training.

Critics say Yu's explanation doesn't reflect reality.

As of April 2010, 20 directors of bureaus at the foreign ministry hold their positions from passing the state exam, except for Kim Jong-yong, director of the energy and resources affairs bureau. Kim entered the ministry in 1984 through a special employment program.

This means those diplomats monopolize almost all key posts at the ministry, regardless of the ratio of diplomats selected through the state exam and the special employment program.

According to a 2007 report by Seoul National University, the so-called pure-blooded system at the foreign ministry is a stumbling block in selecting competitive diplomats and leads to disharmony with other ministries and government agencies. "Non-gosi" diplomats eventually move to the fringe of the ministry and fail to get opportunities to develop their abilities, the report said.

"Frankly speaking, some diplomats, who passed the state exam, at embassies or consular offices overseas don't work very hard and just want to enjoy their service period in the host nations concerned," a former diplomat said, asking not to be identified. "That's because they're well aware that they will be promoted along with their classmates of the state exam."

Diplomatic Academy

As an alternative to overhauling the diplomat selection system, the government is considering establishing a diplomatic academy similar to the Diplomatic Academy of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The Russian government selects 40 percent of diplomats through a state-administered exam and the remaining from among graduates of the diplomatic school and the Moscow State Institute of International Relations. For the state exam, aspirants are required to speak two foreign languages fluently.

The Korean government wants to select 20 from the academy and 20 from the state-administered exam beginning in 2013. It is considering opening the diplomatic school next year.

The school will admit about 100 students every year, and 20 of them will be hired by the foreign ministry through strict screening, according to the plan.

"Elitism and the pure-blooded mechanism at the foreign ministry can't be eliminated unless the state exam for diplomats is no longer valid," Park Sun-young, a spokeswoman for the minor opposition Liberty Forward Party, said. "The most important thing is that selecting diplomats via a written test is just anachronistic and doesn't meet standards of the 21st-century."

She called for gradually phasing out the exam after introducing the diplomatic academy.

Minister Yu said at issue is if the academy would serve as an organization for selecting personnel or one for education and training.

"A final and reasonable decision will be made in the near future, following public hearings on the issue," he said.

There are few training programs for diplomats, except for a 79-day training course after entering the ministry. The young diplomats are literally on their own to face the world as representatives of Korea, critics say.

Global Diplomacy

As part of its efforts to become a "Global Korea," the country is undertaking efforts to contribute responsibly to the international community.

Noticeably, South Korea, a one-time post-war, aid-recipient country, has become a significant international provider of development assistance.

Last November, the country became the 24th member of the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development's (OECD) Development Assistance Committee (DAC).

DAC mobilizes the majority of the world's official development assistance, especially for poverty reduction.

In 2011, South Korea will host the Fourth High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness, an international summit during which government and civic leaders from both developed and developing countries will assess ongoing global efforts to make aid more effective in reducing poverty and promoting economic growth.

The Korean government is also actively participating in international peacekeeping and humanitarian assistance operations.

Earlier this year, the government dispatched a 240-strong contingent to earthquake-hit Haiti to help reconstruct the Caribbean nation.

The government plans to provide $10 million in aid to Haiti over the next few years, in addition to $2.5 million in emergency aid.