Whose advancement?
Published: 07 Aug. 2008, 21:27
Looking at the latest appointments for major state-run enterprises, one must wonder; even small mom-and-pop businesses don’t make a managerial decision like this. Even small enterprises make thorough reviews whenever they seek new talent by hiring a headhunter and reviewing each applicant’s knowledge and background. Otherwise, the companies will never survive in this day and age of unlimited competition.
The Blue House, the Grand National Party and the government have long chanted the same old slogan, “advancement of state-run companies.” But what they are doing at the moment is anything but. The government has designated Jeon Yong-hak, a former GNP lawmaker who lost in the recent general elections, as head of Korea Minting and Security Printing Corporation. Ahn Taik-soo, another former GNP lawmaker who failed to win a nomination for the election, was named as the new head of the Korea Credit Guarantee Fund.
The situation in state-run enterprises supervised by the Knowledge Economy Ministry can’t get any worse.
No administration in the past has ever dared to do such brazen parachute appointments, filling top positions with the unqualified who happen to be close to high-ranking officials or executives.
What’s even more jarring is that the administration is showing absolutely no remorse about its action and has no plan to correct it.
The latest debacle makes one wonder why the Blue House came up with the idea to ban former lawmakers who failed to get a nomination or win the election from assuming public service positions. And now we understand why the administration worked so hard to oust top executives of major state-run companies who still had years to go until the end of their tenure. Why doesn’t the government just transform the state-run companies into GNP-run companies? Why doesn’t the GNP ask people to fill out a form saying which state-run companies they hope to go to when they apply for a nomination?
Past administrations at least made efforts to find some former lawmakers with relevant background to make them look suitable for the positions. But this administration doesn’t even bother to do that. A flurry of GNP seniors who have absolutely no knowledge of the field or the state-run enterprises are named to lead the organizations. Now how many people will trust the government when it chants the slogan of “advancement of state-run enterprises?” No one.
The Blue House, the Grand National Party and the government have long chanted the same old slogan, “advancement of state-run companies.” But what they are doing at the moment is anything but. The government has designated Jeon Yong-hak, a former GNP lawmaker who lost in the recent general elections, as head of Korea Minting and Security Printing Corporation. Ahn Taik-soo, another former GNP lawmaker who failed to win a nomination for the election, was named as the new head of the Korea Credit Guarantee Fund.
The situation in state-run enterprises supervised by the Knowledge Economy Ministry can’t get any worse.
No administration in the past has ever dared to do such brazen parachute appointments, filling top positions with the unqualified who happen to be close to high-ranking officials or executives.
What’s even more jarring is that the administration is showing absolutely no remorse about its action and has no plan to correct it.
The latest debacle makes one wonder why the Blue House came up with the idea to ban former lawmakers who failed to get a nomination or win the election from assuming public service positions. And now we understand why the administration worked so hard to oust top executives of major state-run companies who still had years to go until the end of their tenure. Why doesn’t the government just transform the state-run companies into GNP-run companies? Why doesn’t the GNP ask people to fill out a form saying which state-run companies they hope to go to when they apply for a nomination?
Past administrations at least made efforts to find some former lawmakers with relevant background to make them look suitable for the positions. But this administration doesn’t even bother to do that. A flurry of GNP seniors who have absolutely no knowledge of the field or the state-run enterprises are named to lead the organizations. Now how many people will trust the government when it chants the slogan of “advancement of state-run enterprises?” No one.
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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