Heads of Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Affiliates Also Facing Major 'Replacement' Imminently

LH, Incheon Airport Corporation, HUG, and Others Proceed with Appointments
Park Seon-ho and Kim Se-yong Considered for LH President Position

President Moon Jae-in is seen conversing after inspecting a single-story rental housing unit at the Dongtan public rental housing complex, commemorating 1 million LH rental homes, located in Hwaseong-si, Gyeonggi Province last month, together with former Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Kim Hyun-mi and then LH President, Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Byun Chang-heum.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Chun-hee] Following the inauguration of Byeon Chang-heum as Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, a large-scale replacement of heads of affiliated organizations is expected, drawing attention.

According to a compilation of Asia Economy's coverage on the 6th, public institutions under the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport currently undergoing or nearing the appointment of new heads include Korea Land and Housing Corporation (LH), Incheon International Airport Corporation, Korea Transportation Safety Authority, Korea Real Estate Board, Korea National Railway, and Housing and Urban Guarantee Corporation (HUG).

The most attention is focused on the LH president position, which has been vacant since Minister Byeon's inauguration. Since the former president, who was Minister Byeon himself, designated 'expanding supply' as the top priority in real estate policy, LH's role has become more important than ever.

Last July, former Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Kim Hyun-mi attended the plenary session of the National Assembly Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee and was talking with former Vice Minister Park Sun-ho./Photo by Yoon Dong-ju doso7@

Currently, the next president candidates include former 1st Vice Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Park Seon-ho and Kim Se-yong, acting president of Seoul Housing and Communities Corporation (SH Corporation). Previously, former Vice Minister Park was considered a ministerial candidate as he led government real estate policies for nearly two years alongside former Minister Kim Hyun-mi.

Acting President Kim is also regarded as a strong candidate as he has led Seoul's housing supply. Although his presidential term ended late last year, he continues as acting president due to the special circumstance of the vacancy.

The LH Executive Recommendation Committee plans to complete the appointment of the new president by early February at the latest. After the committee's verification and review, the final candidate will be deliberated and approved through the Ministry of Strategy and Finance's Public Institution Management Committee, followed by the Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's nomination and the President's approval, leading to the appointment of the new president.

The Korea Real Estate Board, responsible for national approved statistics, is also undergoing a leadership change. Current President Kim Hak-gyu's term ends on the 25th of next month. The recruitment closed on the 21st of last month, and procedures are underway. Son Tae-rak, president of Seoul-Munsan Expressway and former director of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's Housing Policy Office, is considered the top candidate. Additionally, HUG, whose President Lee Jae-kwang's term ends in March, recently completed candidate applications for the successor.

In 2019, at the groundbreaking ceremony for the 4th phase construction project held at Incheon International Airport Terminal 2 in Jung-gu, Incheon, Kim Kyung-wook, then Vice Minister of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, is delivering a congratulatory speech. / Yeongjongdo Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

In the transportation sector, the appointment process for the successor of Incheon International Airport Corporation, whose former president Koo Bon-hwan was dismissed amid controversy, is in its final stages. Kim Kyung-wook, former 2nd Vice Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, is known to be a strong candidate.

For the Korea Transportation Safety Authority, whose Chairman Kwon Byung-yoon's term ended last month, former director of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's Aviation Policy Office Kwon Yong-bok is mentioned as the successor. For the successor of Kim Sang-gyun, chairman of Korea National Railway whose term ends next month, Kim Han-young, president of Airport Railroad, and Seo Hoon-taek, chairman of the National Freight Mutual Aid Association, have reportedly applied.

However, criticism is growing as most of the leading candidates for these institutions are former Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport officials. A public enterprise official said, "If the heads of affiliated public enterprises are filled with former bureaucrats, criticism of 'Gukpia' (bureaucrats-turned-public officials) is inevitable," adding, "Although it is argued that it is convenient for coordination with the ministry, it is certainly a practice that needs to be broken."

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