A more drastic Cabinet revamp is needed
Published: 04 Dec. 2023, 19:45
President Yoon Suk Yeol has announced the nominees for six ministerial-level officials in his government, including the nomination of Choi Sang-mok, his senior secretary for economic affairs, as new deputy prime minister for economy, who also serves as finance minister. Around four or more ministers will also be replaced soon. This is the first time the president has reshuffled his Cabinet to such a degree since he took office last year. The nominations following his earlier replacement of senior aides are aimed to reenergize the government.
President Yoon revamped his Cabinet to fill the vacancies left by ministers who plan to run in the next parliamentary elections in April. Those ministers include Deputy Prime Minister for Economy Choo Kyung-ho, Land Minister Won Hee-ryong, Patriots and Veterans Affairs Minister Park Min-sik and SMEs and Startups Minister Lee Young.
After the crushing defeat of the governing People Power Party (PPP) in the last by-election in Seoul, the president may be wanting his Cabinet members to compete with rivals from the majority Democratic Party (DP) in the upcoming legislative election. However, such a drastic vacancy left by them does not look good. Even the head of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy was replaced only two months after his appointment. But the job of ministers is certainly not designed to build up careers before running in parliamentary elections.
If the president wants to demonstrate his determination to reshape his government, he needs to replace his Cabinet members more drastically. The president faces hostile environments next year, as exemplified by high inflation and mounting household debt. Despite economic hardship, the government-proposed bills intended to improve people’s livelihood are stuck in the legislature due to blind opposition from the majority DP. The officialdom also showed a lethargic response to the Saemangeum World Jamboree debacle and a critical lack of information and communication in the lead up to Busan’s failed bid for the 2030 World Expo. Without a revolutionary change in the way he governs the country, the president cannot lift his pitiful approval rating hovering in the 30 percent range.
The president has selected the new faces from a group of career bureaucrats or experts to stably manage the government until the April election. But the new nominations were still based on his signature revolving-door appointments. If the president really wants to prove his determination to change his governance, he must recruit new and competent people beyond the boundaries of ideology, schools and generations before it is too late, rather than adhering to a narrow talent pool.
President Yoon revamped his Cabinet to fill the vacancies left by ministers who plan to run in the next parliamentary elections in April. Those ministers include Deputy Prime Minister for Economy Choo Kyung-ho, Land Minister Won Hee-ryong, Patriots and Veterans Affairs Minister Park Min-sik and SMEs and Startups Minister Lee Young.
After the crushing defeat of the governing People Power Party (PPP) in the last by-election in Seoul, the president may be wanting his Cabinet members to compete with rivals from the majority Democratic Party (DP) in the upcoming legislative election. However, such a drastic vacancy left by them does not look good. Even the head of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy was replaced only two months after his appointment. But the job of ministers is certainly not designed to build up careers before running in parliamentary elections.
If the president wants to demonstrate his determination to reshape his government, he needs to replace his Cabinet members more drastically. The president faces hostile environments next year, as exemplified by high inflation and mounting household debt. Despite economic hardship, the government-proposed bills intended to improve people’s livelihood are stuck in the legislature due to blind opposition from the majority DP. The officialdom also showed a lethargic response to the Saemangeum World Jamboree debacle and a critical lack of information and communication in the lead up to Busan’s failed bid for the 2030 World Expo. Without a revolutionary change in the way he governs the country, the president cannot lift his pitiful approval rating hovering in the 30 percent range.
The president has selected the new faces from a group of career bureaucrats or experts to stably manage the government until the April election. But the new nominations were still based on his signature revolving-door appointments. If the president really wants to prove his determination to change his governance, he must recruit new and competent people beyond the boundaries of ideology, schools and generations before it is too late, rather than adhering to a narrow talent pool.
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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