A Tightly Closed `Open Appointment for Public Corporations`

The government`s `plan for open appointments in public corporations`, which was a part of its ambitious plan to improve public businesses, is not only faltering but at risk of being dissolved.

A member of the Planning and Budget Committee said on the 4th, "Of the twenty corporations targeted for management reform, only five have implemented the open appointment system. If there is any mishap with the system, many things could go wrong. So we are looking into stopping the plan altogether."

At the end of last year, the current Korea Minting and Security Printing Corporation and Incheon International Airport Corporation made two openings while the Korea Agricultural and Rural Infrastructure Corporation, Agricultural and Fishery Marketing Corporation, and the Korea Gas Corporation opened up one post each (refer to table).

Korea Electric Power Corporation KT, Korea Tobacco and Ginseng Corporation, Korea National Tourism Organization, Korea National Oil Corporation, Korea Coal Corporation, Korea Resources Corporation, KOTRA, Korea District Heating Corporation, Korea National Housing Corporation, Korea Water Resources Corporation, Korea Highway Corporation, Korea Land Corporation, Korea Appraisal Board, Korea Housing Guarantee Co., Ltd and other did not implement open appointments.

Seven open posts make up merely 3.5 percent of the government`s projected goal.

The administration announced the `index for public corporation management reform` and stated, "We will make available 20 percent of 1000 director level positions in 21 public corporations, looking for professionalism and importance, for the purposes of promoting public corporation reform."

Open post appointments in governmental offices has drawn criticism as well for being dominated by insider officials and is seen as a representative failure of reform. The Budget Committee surveyed the level of public satisfaction with 11 reform programs by interviewing 1900 respondents. Open post appointments received the lowest score of 38 points (out of 100 points).

Planning and Budget Committee source explained the reason for considering dissolving the program saying, "Unions in public corporations are opposing the program strongly and parachute appointments or appointments via connections may become a hotbed of scandals."

Kwang-Am Cheon iam@donga.com