Many state-run think tanks paralyzed

A number of state-run research institutes are causing internal troubles because of irrational operation by heads of the institutes. In this connection, research institutes are running in a wrong way, resulting in a waste of budget.

The state-run research institutes are controlled by the Prime Minister's Office or relevant government ministries. The heads of nearly 30 research organizations are appointed by relevant ministers, and 43 research bodies are named through official recruiting process.

Among the research institutes, heads of institutes affiliated with Korea Council of Humanities & Social Research Institute (KCHS), which is controlled by the Prime Minister's Office, have been criticized for their behavior. A good example is Kwak Tae-Hwan, president of Korea Institute for National Unification. Last month, he blamed people from Cholla Province, saying, "Cholla people tend to criticize people in their absence.¡± Also, researchers at the institute protested against his irrational personnel management and frequent overseas travel. Recently, 35 doctorate degree-holding researchers have begun campaigning for his removal, so its operation is in trouble now. Kwak was asked by the KCHS to resign, but he remains his position as president of the institute.

Recently, the Korea Institute of Curriculum and Evaluation designated Kim Sung-Dong, the current chairman of the Appeal Commission for Teachers, as next president of the institute. But the nation's leading teachers' unions called for withdrawal of the plan, saying that he has introduced unreasonable policies when he was working for the Education Ministry.

Lee Sun, president of the Korea Institute for Industrial Economics and Technology, resigned last July because of sexual harassment of a female employee. Choi Choong-Ok, president of Korea Institute for Youth Development triggered controversy because of his senseless behavior by using violent language in his dialogue with researchers early this year.

Han Sang-Jin, president of the Academy of Korean Studies, which is controlled by the Education Ministry, has been criticized for his behavior for not properly reflecting the position of the Korean academic circle, which is against offering Korean cultural assets in exchange of the ancient literature. In addition, extension of his term as the institute's president is a question in the issue, so he is faced with mounting pressure for resignation.

The committee of senior professors at the Academy of Korean Studies reported that a recent survey of 49 faculty members, including Prof. Chung Moon-Yon, showed that 32 professors who replied to the question said that they are skeptical about the qualification of Han.

Kim Dal-Jung, former president of the Sejong Institute -- which requires an approval of the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade for appointment of its president -- has been criticized for embezzlement of public money. As its researchers raised a question about his absurdity, he resigned before his term expires after an audit by the ministry.

In the midst of the internal struggle, chief director Kang Young-Hoon, a former prime minister, resigned by taking responsibility for the trouble. Afterward, Oh Ki-Pyung, who served as Sogang University professor and secretary general of the Asia-Pacific Peace Foundation, was inaugurated as new chief director of the institute. But outsiders say that he has been nominated not by his qualifications but because of his connections.

Likewise, controversies over heads of state-run institutes have continued because of their irrational screening process. It was pointed out that their qualifications are not properly screened in the process of selecting them. In fact, they tend to show more interest in executing projects for those who nominated them, rather than focusing on their own areas of research.

"If heads of the research institutes run the organizations as they wish, the credibility of the relevant institute would be spoiled,¡± Park Yong-Suk, head of the confederation of trade unions organized by state-run research institutes, said. ¡°To prevent this, it is urgent to introduce a system for reevaluation of the head in the middle of their tenures."