Ministries Considering Prosecution-like Reshuffle

A senior official at the Ministry of Government Administration and Home Affairs showed his concern that government workers believe that reforming the prosecution was just a precursor with more to follow. There has been considerable discussion about the scenario even before the inauguration of the incumbent administration. “Isn`t this why the president appointed young ministers to lead the Justice Ministry and ours?" he said.

"I want to have the blood freely circulate within our ministry. To do that, people in high positions should step down," Minister Kim himself told reporters yesterday, indicating the following reshuffle of the ministry may be cause for reform.

Seniority has been previously the leading factor for promotion in the Foreign Ministry officials and among diplomats. "I will appoint those who can cope with the ever changing diplomatic environment," New Minister Yoon Young-kwon stressed on March 19. Thus, another tradition-breaking set of promotions is likely to take place, believe many diplomats.

The Roh Administration has announced that it would introduce a questionnaire-based evaluation system and make promotional decisions based on it. Once implemented, it will surely contribute to changes among government workers.

In fact, after finishing up a training session for senior officials of the ministry held for two days in Kyunggi Province. Welfare Minister Kim Hwa-Jung asked the participant government workers to fill out a questionnaire containing three questions: "Who should be the highest-level official?," "Who should fill the managerial positions?," and "Write down four seniors you wish to work with?"

"The Minister seems to be using this new evaluation system to break the tradition of seniority and usher in young guys,” said a senior official with the ministry. “Now, promotion to a higher position depends totally on the opinion of my men.” He added, “The system is nothing more than a euphemism for breaking the rule of seniority."

In addition, the Central Personnel Commission announced that the new system be applied to promotions for first-level positions as well. Other ministries have conducted or plan to conduct inquiries based on this directive.

Some ministries and agencies argue that an unprecedented reshuffle should be made to get rid of excessive managerial officials. Adding to this glut, with the launch of the Roh administration, many officials who had worked at the Blue House were dispatched back to their original ministries and agencies.

For example, the Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development now has six high-level officials who are sitting idle, and expects more due to the return of officials who had worked at the Blue House.

Contrary to the confusion on the part of senior officials, government workers at lower positions favor the reform-oriented promotion system as what occurred in the prosecution.

Hyun-Doo Lee ruchi@donga.com