[2020 National Audit] "Is the Overseas Cultural Promotion Agency's Overseas Secondment Position a Resting Place for Public Officials?"

Assemblyman Sangheon Lee Raises Issues with Selection Method
Nearly 40% of Applicants from Unrelated Ministries Despite Relevant Department Recruitment Regulations

Lee Sang-heon, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea (right), is questioning during the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism's audit at the Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee held at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, on the morning of the 7th. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Heung-soon] Criticism has been raised that the overseas dispatch positions at the Overseas Cultural Promotion Service under the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, which sends professionals abroad, have been operated differently from the regulations and are being used as a "resting place for public officials."

According to data titled "Status of Overseas Korean Cultural Center Directors and Cultural Promotion Officers in the Last 5 Years," received by Lee Sang-heon, a member of the National Assembly's Culture, Sports and Tourism Committee from the Democratic Party of Korea, on the 7th, in certain regions such as Japan, Turkey, and India, one person served consecutive terms for about 10 years. It was also revealed that personnel from ministries unrelated to the Overseas Cultural Promotion Service, including the Ministry of Strategy and Finance, Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, Ministry of the Interior and Safety, Office for Government Policy Coordination, and the Administrative City Construction Agency (Happiness Agency), were dispatched.

Currently, the Overseas Cultural Promotion Service has dispatched 32 overseas Korean Cultural Center directors to 32 locations in 27 countries, and 10 cultural promotion officers to 10 locations in 9 countries. Overseas dispatch positions are recruited through open positions (private sector) and inter-ministerial competitions (public officials) according to the relevant regulations of the Ministry of Personnel Management and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. However, according to the appointment status in the last five years, nearly 40% of the personnel belonged to agencies other than the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and only about 6% were private sector experts. Although classified as "cultural promotion" positions, nearly half of the personnel were public officials from unrelated ministries rather than private experts or officials from related ministries.

Source: Office of Assemblyman Sangheon Lee

Rep. Lee said, "It does not seem appropriate personnel management that many officials from various ministries such as the Ministry of Strategy and Finance, Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, Ministry of the Interior and Safety, Office for Government Policy Coordination, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, and Ministry of Justice have passed through the Overseas Cultural Promotion Service, in addition to dispatching an official from the Happiness Agency as the director of the Philippine Cultural Center." He added, "I suspect that it is being used as a resting place for public officials from ministries other than the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism."

Rep. Lee also added, "To strengthen the capabilities of the Overseas Cultural Promotion Service, dispatch positions should not be assigned mainly to administrative public officials but should maximize the use of experienced private experts to show results."

Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Park Yang-woo said, "When selecting overseas dispatch positions, Grade 4 or below public officials are managed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the remaining senior executive service members are managed by the Ministry of Personnel Management, so the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism cannot intervene." He added, "I think it is appropriate for the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism to take the lead in selecting the most suitable personnel, so we will consult with related ministries to ensure that better experts can be dispatched."

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