[Editorial] What Good Is the Reshuffle?

President Kim Dae-Jung’s cabinet reshuffle and secretaries shake-up on the 29th was an act of neglect of the people’s expectations and the urgency of the current situation. It shows no genuine attempt to restore the administration stained by various `scandals`, but only pride and stubbornness.

It was expected that new personnel would fill the offices and take initiatives in reform as the nation faces its most difficult time with corruption and suspicions. However, the actual reshuffle is disappointing, because the ones that had to be changed were not changed, and the new personnel lack expertise and creativity.

The Prime Minister still remains in office and the appointed personnel from outside the political world are far from being suitable for their jobs. Especially questionable is the replacement of Unification minister Hong Soon-Young, who was analyzed to have acted firmly during the Inter-Korean negotiations, and Justice minister Choi Kyung-Won, who comparatively kept firm convictions in dealing with scandals. This simply means that public opinion is overrun by stubborn selfish measures.

This is more clearly evident in the reshuffling of 9 out of 11 Chong Wa Dae chief secretaries. President Kim appointed his former chief policy secretary Park Ji-Won as the special political advisor, and former Planning and Budget minister Jun Yoon-Chul as the chief secretary. This reveals that the office is filled with individuals close to the President, which may indicate that the Chong Wa Dae is trying to gain control over the government. At every opportunity President Kim kept promising to distance himself from politics, but he seems to have changed his mind.

The President also constantly emphasized balanced personnel, but again he did not keep his promise. Of the core figures in the reshuffle, including the Unification and Justice ministers and 11 chief secretaries, 6, including chief secretary Jun and special advisor Park, are affiliated to specific regions.

This is a reform without any principle or philosophy, only with the idea of "doing it my way to the end."