Cabinet approves ordinances to establish personnel vetting team under justice ministry

Prime Minister Han Duck-soo bangs the gavel during a Cabinet meeting at the Government Complex in Sejong, May 31. Yonhap

The Cabinet approved two revised ordinances Tuesday to set up a personnel vetting unit under the justice ministry, allowing the ministry to take over the role of checking the qualifications of candidates for senior positions from the presidential office.

The approval, made in a meeting presided over by Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, paved the way for the ministry to launch its "personnel information management team" as early as June 7.

The team will be responsible for vetting potential candidates for senior government jobs in the Cabinet and elsewhere. In the past, the role was carried out by the now-defunct office of the senior presidential secretary for civil affairs.

Abolishing the office of the senior civil affairs secretary was one of President Yoon Suk-yeol's campaign promises amid criticism that the office had been involved in secret investigations into people for political and other purposes.

On Monday, the government unveiled a set of measures to curb inflation and stabilize people's living conditions.

Han urged Cabinet ministers to swiftly implement the measures to ease the economic pain of low-income people hit by high inflation.

He also called for people to cast their ballots in Wednesday's local elections and National Assembly by-elections. (Yonhap)