Considering Getting Rid of Senior Presidential Secretary Post In the New Government

President-elect Roh Moo-hyun`s camp decided to overhaul functions and operations of the presidential secretary office by maintaining a dual system in which presidential secretary office will mainly focus on political affairs and government`s polices.

Appointed presidential chief of staff Moon Hee-sang, lawmaker of the Millennium Democratic Party, held a conference with reports on Jan.8. He said, “The genuine function of the presidential chief of staff`s office is to deal with general affairs, public affairs, political affairs and government polices all together. Except for areas dealing with national security directly related to the presidential authority as the Commander of the national army and audit and inspection, I think other areas can be covered by other governmental offices.”

The presidential chief of staff nominee hinted that the incoming government would not maintain the current senior presidential secretary system in which senior presidential secretary`s offices are in charge of government ministries, by saying, “Maintaining the current independent senior secretary office is unnecessary because it has caused each minister at each government`s ministry to always study what the President has in mind, and which leads to the excessive power in Chung Wa Dae.”

In addition, chief of staff nominee Rep. Moon said, “It is necessary to establish a senior audit and inspection office and name a director under the direct control of the President to make good on the President-elect`s election pledges to establish an investigative body to launch a probe into corruption and irregularities, in which high-ranking government officials and President`s relatives are involved, and to strengthen disciplines in the officialdom.” He also suggested that the incoming government would promote a proposal for regular meetings between leaders of the ruling and opposition parties. “It is necessary for the President to meet with leaders of the ruling and opposition parties on a regular basis,” he was quoted as saying.

Meanwhile, President-elect`s spokesman Lee Nak-yeoun said at a press briefing, “The President-elect is considering dividing the roles of the presidential secretary office into two, one is mainly focusing on political affairs and the other is focusing on government`s polices. However, he does not consider creating a new deputy chief of staff post to that end. The incoming government will pursue a new way of operating governmental offices on the premise of maintaining the current governmental offices as much as possible.”

Meanwhile, President-elect Roh appointed Jan.8 Rep. Moon as the nominee for the first chief of staff in the new government and former MDP`s lawmaker Yoo In-tae as the nominee for senior secretary for political affairs. It has been known that Rep. Kim Won-ki will serve as a political advisor to the President in an official capacity.

In addition, the President-elect Roh will name a new prime minister right after the National Assembly passes the act on the presidential transition committee around Jan.20. The strongest candidate for the position is former Prime Minister Goh Kun and another former Prime Minister Lee Hong-Koo and honorary professor of Seoul National University Byun Hyung-yoon are also considered as the potential candidates.

Jeong-Hun Kim jnghn@donga.com