[Friday Story] Public Institution Heads Blind to Candidacy, Neglecting Management

Subheading: Public Institution Heads Repeating General Elections Every 4 Years
"A Bad Practice Carried Out by Previous Administrations"

[Asia Economy Reporters Kwangho Lee and Sehee Jang] The pattern of public institution heads resigning every four years to run for general elections is repeating itself. Since the Moon Jae-in administration, the formula of parachute appointments → gaining experience → running for elections has been consistently repeated. These officials have been criticized for focusing more on popularity management rather than public institution reform, showing more interest in political gains than in management during their terms. The burden ultimately falls on the public. Some even argue that public institution heads should be restricted from running for elections during their terms. Of course, there is also considerable opposition, stating that political participation is a personal freedom and should not be regulated.

According to political circles and public institutions on the 3rd, Kim Sung-joo, Chairman of the National Pension Service, Lee Kang-rae, President of Korea Expressway Corporation, and Kim Hyung-geun, President of Korea Gas Safety Corporation, have resigned to run for the general election. Lee Jung-hwan, President of the Korea Housing Finance Corporation, Lee Sang-jik, Chairman of the Small and Medium Business Promotion Corporation, and Yoon Jong-gi, Chairman of the Road Traffic Authority, are also reportedly weighing their options. There are also rumors of former Korail President Oh Young-sik running. Some public institution heads are watching closely until the candidate withdrawal deadline on the 16th, so the number of public institution heads joining the election race is expected to increase.

In the April 13, 2016 general election, a total of 15 people, including 13 public institution heads and 2 executives, resigned to run, with 6 winning seats. At that time, Choi Yeon-hye of the Liberty Korea Party resigned as Korail President and was elected as a proportional representative at 5th place, currently serving as a member of the National Assembly. Shin Yong-hyun of the Bareunmirae Party also entered the National Assembly as the first proportional representative. Liberty Korea Party members Park Wan-soo, Kim Seok-ki, Kwak Sang-do, and Kim Seon-dong also succeeded in winning seats. However, Park Wan-soo sparked controversy by resigning before completing half of his term. Kim Seok-ki was criticized after a heavy snow incident at Jeju Airport occurred shortly after his retirement.

The situation is similar in this election. Kim Sung-joo, Chairman of the National Pension Service and a member of President Moon Jae-in’s election camp, resigned with about one year left in his term. Recently, controversy arose over whether it was 'pre-election campaigning' when it was revealed that some Onnuri gift certificates awarded to National Pension Service employees as rewards were donated to a senior center in Deokjin-gu, Jeonju, a likely constituency for Kim’s candidacy.

Lee Kang-rae, President of Korea Expressway Corporation and a three-term former lawmaker who once served as the Democratic Party floor leader, also resigned with one year remaining in his term. During his tenure, the corporation faced conflicts over converting tollgate fee collectors to regular employees. On the 10th of last month, the corporation announced it would directly employ about 280 fee collectors involved in a first trial of a labor status confirmation lawsuit, drawing criticism that Lee was trying to appease the labor union ahead of his election run. Moreover, it is reported that Lee had been preparing in advance for the party’s regional nomination contests by recruiting party members during his presidency.

Such political returns of public institution heads raise concerns about setbacks in public institution reform. Last year, due to increased government and public institution spending, deficits rose by 33 trillion won in one year to 1,078 trillion won, marking another record high. Chronic issues such as inefficient management and low productivity in public institutions are exacerbated by personnel policies based on political codes.

Professor Shin Yul of Myongji University’s Department of Political Science and Diplomacy pointed out, "The problem lies in the government appointing public institution heads as a means to manage election experience. To fulfill their roles, internal promotions should be increased. The government’s appointment system itself must change." Political commentator Hwang Tae-soon advised, "Public institution heads running in the next general election is a bad practice carried out by past administrations. Efforts should be made to privatize public institutions."

Park Sang-byeong, invited professor at Inha University Graduate School of Policy, emphasized, "Although the right to run for office cannot be blocked, efforts are needed to complete terms amid growing distrust in appointments and declining trust in public institutions."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.