Turf War Corners Mr. Competitiveness
By Kang Hyun-kyung
Staff Reporter
A turf war between the presidential office and a key presidential advisory committee is likely to hold back President Lee Myung-bak's ambitious drive to transform the country into a global investment hub.
The signs of the war over governmental jurisdiction were seen last Thursday when chief secretary Ryu Woo-ik of the presidential office warned his staffers to faithfully follow the chain of command.
``Senior secretaries and other presidential staffers are meant to work for only one boss: President Lee Myung-bak. Therefore, they should not attempt to curry favor with a person who is outside the bureaucratic chain of command,'' he said at a meeting with his staff members.
The chief secretary made clear he would not tolerate anyone who does not follow the guidelines.
Ryu's comment of ``a person out of the chain of command'' was construed to imply Chairman SaKong Il of the National Competitiveness Reinforcement Special Committee. SaKong is respected in the foreign business community as ``Mr. Competitive,'' who is ready to listen to their suggestions and complaints.
The presidential advisory committee was created this March to offer policy advice to President Lee in major policy areas including foreign investment and the cross-country waterway project.
These policy areas require multiple government ministries to work closely together under the nation-wide projects and the committee chairman is given the authority to coordinate possible conflicts of interest among ministries for the best possible outcome.
The chairmanship has ministerial status presiding over 20 members representing the public and private sectors.
Minister of Strategy and Finance Kang Man-soo also serves as a member of the committee, while senior presidential secretary Kwak Seung-joon serves as a coordinator of the presidential committee.
Corporate leaders suggested that the President create the public/private committee under his control to facilitate dialogue between the President and business leaders last year, which Lee accepted.
Ryu's warning came a day after the committee members had a meeting on deregulations.
Sources said there was a considerable schism over the ways of handling deregulation at the meeting between the government panels and the committee chairman, arousing a minister's anger.
Chief secretary Ryu's warning drawing a line between the presidential committee and the presidential office came a day after the turbulent meeting.
Political observers said the chief secretary sent a message to SaKong that the presidential committee is an advisory body whose decisions have no teeth and the chairman should not attempt to direct government ministers.
SaKong disagreed with the job description made by Ryu.
``I am not familiar with what Ryu said at the meeting with his staffers. But I just do what I am ordered,'' he said.
The chairman also denied Ryu's description of the roles of the two institutions, claiming that the presidential office and the committee should work together in major policy areas.