Reshuffle of Presidential Secretariat Considered

“With the new year coming, there will be some changes. To my knowledge, there are many plans on the table,” said Chief Presidential Secretary Kim Woo-sik at a lunch meeting with local media accredited to Cheong Wa Dae on December 15.

He added, “Though some functional reforms are being considered regarding the presidential secretariat, there will be no structural changes, including the appointment of a chief secretary for political affairs.”

With regard to the characteristics of the reforms, Presidential Secretary for Personnel Affairs Chung Chan-yong, who also participated, explained, “The reform will never be about refreshing or changing the air of the political circle. However, those who have substantial defects or want to retire after staying in the post long enough will be considered for replacement.”

Chung added that next year’s personnel policy will be focused on senior government officials, and that a personnel pool of 2,000 people—1,500 civil servants of the third level or higher and 500 citizens or public enterprises’ executives—will be established so that ministries can utilize it.

Jung-Hun Kim jnghn@donga.com