By Kang Seung-woo
President Park Geun-hye stressed Saturday that all public servants as well as ministers and vice-ministers need to share the new administration’s vision for state affairs in order to better serve the people.
Park attended a Cabinet workshop held at the government complex in central Seoul and addressed a meeting of about 100 senior presidential and government officials, including Prime Minister Chung Hong-won and Presidential chief of staff Huh Tae-yeol, to discuss ways to pursue her major projects.
However, the nominees for defense minister and deputy prime minister for economic affairs did not attend due to the National Assembly’s failure to adopt a confirmation report. Appointees of newly-created organizations ― the Ministry of Future Planning and Science and the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries ― were also absent due to the then-pending government reorganization bill.
However, on Sunday afternoon, the National Assembly reached an agreement on the restructuring plan.
“It is important that not only ministers and vice ministers but also all public servants share the same policy philosophy,” Park said.
“Twenty days have passed since the new government inauguration, but as the government reorganization proposal is still pending in parliament, there may be a lot of troubles in terms of undertaking tasks.”
Due to the impasse over the restructuring bill, Park had to hold her first Cabinet meeting last Monday with her new ― and still only partially-organized ― administration.
“You should grasp new tasks as soon as possible and make preparations for disasters and accidents,” she said.
With emphasis on the new administration’s philosophy in state affairs being people-centered, Park came up with four principles of national administration.
“First, I ask you to do administrative jobs centered on the public, thinking about it from their point of view,” she said.
Park also said that there should be no “ministerial selfishness,” asking ministers and vice-ministers to lead the way.
“Under no circumstances should ministerial selfishness disrupt major government projects,” she said.
In addition, the President stressed that a feedback system based on onsite visits would be part of her policy implementation process. She also asked for a tight discipline among government officials to boost the people’s trust in government.