More Scientists and Engineers Among High-level Civil Servants

An Increasing number of civil servants in science, engineering, and technical fields are being promoted to higher positions in accordance with the government principle of preferred promotion for technicians.

On February 20, the Civil Service Commission (CSC) explained, after the Participatory Government set out, 10 first class civil servants in technical field had passed the performance appraisal, an increase from the six people who passed during the same period in the former administration.

In particular, public administrators or those who passed the national exam were usually appointed for jobs such as vice-chief of the Korea Forest Service, the assistant secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, the commissioner of Korean Maritime Safety Tribunal, and deputy administrator of the Public Procurement Service. However, in recent personnel shifts, expert technicians in fields of forestry, agriculture, marine science, and engineering had filled those positions.

Civil servants in the field of science and engineering have also been appointed or nominated to be section directors or chiefs, such as the deputy minister of Planning and Management Office in the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Energy, the head of Civil Defense and Disaster Management in the Ministry of Government Administration and Home Affairs, and the director general of the Budget Management Bureau in the Ministry of Planning and Budget.

More and more people in science and engineering fields are being appointed to be the ministers or vice-ministers in state affairs as well, including Minister Oh Myung of Science and Technology, Minister Lee Hee-beom of Commerce, Industry, and Energy, Minister Chin Dae-je and Vice Minister Kim Chang-kon of Information and Communication, Minister Huh Sang-man of Agriculture and Forestry, Minister Kim Hwa-joong of Health and Welfare, Minister Kwak Kyul-ho of Environment, Vice Minister Kim Young-nam of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, and Commissioner Shim Chang-koo of the Korea Food and Drug Administration.

“Until recently, those who passed the national administrative exam recorded their administration-related graduate degrees instead of their undergraduate majors,” said a CSC spokesperson. “Nowadays, the first thing they note is their undergraduate degrees.”

Hyun-Doo Lee ruchi@donga.com