[The Editors' Verdict] Senior Official Confides: "Don't Take Senior Positions"

The status of senior public officials at the director-general level and above, often called the "flower of bureaucracy," is no longer what it used to be. They have not only been excluded from the admiration of their juniors but even senior officials who have quietly carried out their duties have begun to openly express sentiments like "I would advise against getting promoted."

A high-ranking government official at the vice minister level, whom I recently met in private, confided, "I never forget to tell junior colleagues entering public service to avoid high-ranking positions." He self-assessed that he had worked diligently with a sense of duty without wavering. However, after becoming a senior official, his perspective changed as he experienced or witnessed harrowing situations where, rather than feeling fulfillment, he felt he could fall into an abyss due to the workload.

Considering changes in the public service and recent issues, such complaints from senior bureaucrats are not unreasonable. As seen in the case where a related director-general has been on trial since last year for deleting internal documents related to nuclear power plants, senior public officials frequently face ‘political’ pressure alongside their official duties. The weight of responsibility they must bear is by no means light. A few years ago, the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries drew attention by making a bold policy decision to secure a budget for ordering ultra-large ships worth 3 trillion won. Fortunately, the shipping market recovered; otherwise, if the shipping industry had remained sluggish after the ships were built, they would have faced criticism for wasting the budget. Criticism during the National Assembly’s audit is a predictable scenario. While CEOs of companies walk a fine line between legality and illegality, the situation for senior public officials is not much different.

The decline in popularity of senior positions is clearly influenced by the social atmosphere that values work-life balance. However, the characteristic that political risks increase as responsibilities grow cannot be ignored. A former bureaucrat recounted that during a prosecution investigation, they were pressured with remarks like, "You must have been recognized for your ability to reach this position, so you cannot be unaware of these duties."

Among younger public officials at the section chief level and below, senior bureaucrats are already unpopular. Under the Public Officials Ethics Act, section chiefs and below face few obstacles when changing jobs, but director-general level and above must wait three years after retirement to move to related fields. Even university professorships are restricted for senior officials. The pride of making policy has been diminished by the added burden of political power. Under the current administration, to be promoted to a first-grade official, one must either not own a house or own only one. Housing status takes precedence over ability. This is why nearly 400 assistant section chiefs voluntarily choose to leave their positions each year to avoid promotion. A section chief in a government ministry, who was usually regarded as competent, became well-known for saying upon moving to the private sector, "I am not envious of the director-general position at all."

Senior bureaucrats are responsible for coordinating policies at the practical level. Given that policies have a profound impact on citizens' lives, the competence of senior officials is inevitably important. Their role is especially crucial during regime changes.

Even though work-life balance is important, it is true that many public officials still aspire to be promoted. Many senior bureaucrats also feel pride when they see well-crafted policies. However, the anxiety senior officials feel about political responsibility cannot be overlooked. Is it just one or two officials who reveal their true feelings by telling junior officials "don’t take senior positions"? There are many reasons why previously silent senior bureaucrats are now speaking out.

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