Yoon should not miss another opportunity to revamp the government

It has been reported that South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol is considering replacing six ministers or so in a partial Cabinet reshuffle. With a candidate validation procedure underway, a group of likely candidates is expected to be sorted by the middle of this month. A final list of nominees can be confirmed by the end of this month at the earliest. President Yoon is expected to replace some of his administration’s early members who have served for the past two years, such as Science and ICT Minister Lee Jong-ho, Environment Minister Han Wha-jin, Minister of the Interior and Safety Lee Sang-min, and Employment and Labor Minister Lee Jung-sik. Additionally, those likely to be replaced are Education Minister Lee Ju-ho and Health Minister Cho Kyu-hong, both of whom belatedly took office after their predecessors were rejected in the administration's early days.

This upcoming government reshuffle should not be a mere breath of fresh air. It should not only discover candidates equipped with experiences and specialties but also ensure equal, unbiased opportunities for various talents across the board. Indeed, no other path shows his strong determination to the public. He needs to make sure that he no longer stubbornly prefers to choose someone that he finds comfortable or close to him.

Following the painful election loss in April, he pledged to become the first to reinvent oneself. However, he has only made an insignificant effort to keep his words. After all, he has held a press conference just once, and there has been little change in governance. The way that the administration handles personal affairs is only one of many examples. Although the prime minister offered to resign officially right after the general elections, President Yoon did not share any particular comments on a replacement plan, even considering how hard it would be to obtain the National Assembly’s confirmation. Moreover, many of the new members in a reshuffled presidential office were those who failed to be nominated or elected in the general elections, causing the government to receive criticism over the core members who were thoughtlessly selected.

The presidential office should not ignore this opportunity to show President Yoon’s firm determination to reform the government. Even if a bold revamp is carried out immediately, it may come across as a belated gesture, given that it has been as many as two months since the ruling party’s failure in the general elections occurred. With this in mind, the government needs to expedite the procedures of recommendation and selection and thoroughly carry out the verification process. The key to a government reshuffle is identifying candidates who can contribute to better governance if they give insightful advice to the President as part of the Cabinet. Nevertheless, the administration has already been criticized for considering nominating pro-Yoon candidates, such as a likely candidate for second vice minister of culture, sports, and tourism, in the expected reshuffle.

President Yoon seems to stand at the crossroads, given that his approval rating has fallen even to 21 percent. To gain support from the opposition-dominated National Assembly, he should secure his authority and win over the public’s heart. To this end, he needs to stitch together a long list of achievements from many constant efforts over a long time. One of the bricks he can join together is to change how he deals with personal affairs in a way that can get the nod from everyone.