Questions over the President-Elect’s Personnel Management

As a rumor that President-elect Lee Myung-bak will choose people with capabilities rather than focusing on their past experience started to spread, high-ranking officials who had been subjected to replacement along with political realignment scrambled for a survival game. The rumor swept the political arena as many first- and second-level officials who are responsible for the mistakes of the current administration started to join the presidential transition committee.

The President has a right to name government officials but the decision should not be made at his own will. The majority of people should concur with the decision, making it possible for the government organizations to function well and the affairs of state to run smoothly. Many experts point out that wrong personnel management failed the Roh administration. The administration chose those with shared views or opportunism instead of those with capabilities, disrupting the government management and losing people’s credibility.

If the president-elect abides by his idea of practicality and selects people without considering their past experience, he may end up making a blunder due to indiscriminate political realignment. People chose Lee because they wanted him to hold government officials responsible for failing state affairs and making people’s livelihood tougher while enjoying the favors of the leftist-government over the past decade. If Lee ignores this, the new administration would not be able to implement "responsible administration and responsible politics." Also, it can be the self-denial of his remark, “I will serve people.”

To advance Korea, the president-elect should put all-out effort to find new figures who are flexible to the market and the people. Although some people are said to be capable to execute political affairs, they are often judged by the standard set by the past bureaucracy. It is skeptical whether the capable people meet the new standard for the new era. History has witnessed that the majority of them survived because they were good at protecting themselves or adapting to the changes of times. Many people are likely to take advantages of the same tactics today.

It will not be easy to find talented people since the Grand National Party has poor human resources due to its position as the opposition party over the past decade and stricter hearing process confirmation. However, placing the people from the failed administration should be reconsidered. Lee has to find new talents and make efforts to expand the human resources for the future.