Volunteers to push reform

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Volunteers to push reform

Small-sized study groups at all government agencies will work with President Roh Moo-hyun to implement government reform. These study groups, each comprised of 5 to 10 volunteer officials, will also receive financial assistance from the government.
In a telephone interview with the JoongAng Ilbo, Moon Hee-sang, the Blue House chief of staff, said that installing the study groups is a follow-up measure to Mr. Roh’s Friday statement that he will install reformist forces throughout the government. “The president means to employ the bureaucrats as the vanguard of reform, by directly issuing commands and receiving opinions,” Mr. Moon said.
Another Blue House official explained that, through the exchange, Mr. Roh wants to hear more voices, separately from his debriefings by ministers.
Mr. Roh announced the reformist group despite of criticism heaped on him by the opposition that his reforms amounted to a Chinese “Red Guard.”
The Blue House said that it will at first accept volunteers, but if too many people offer to help, the presidential office would select the best-qualified applicants and limit applicants to department chiefs or lower grades.
The study groups are in addition to the “innovation teams” who are already in exchange with Mr. Roh via the Blue House web site.
“The study groups will work as the unofficial reformist group, while the innovation teams function as the official group,” Mr. Moon said.
This reform style mirrors President Roh’s experience was he was the Maritime and Fisheries Minister. As minister, Mr. Roh operated 24 “knowledge boats,” said Mr. Moon. Through the knowledge boats, Mr. Roh exchanged opinion on how to improve the ministry’s affairs.
Following his meeting with central government agency officials over the Internet, and with tax agency chiefs at the Blue House, Mr. Roh will meet with 280 of the nation’s police commissioners today. He has invited the nation’s bank presidents to the Blue House on Wednesday. He is expected to elaborate on the study groups through these meetings.


by Choi Hoon
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