[Yoon Seok-yeol Elected] Transition Committee to Outline Plans Possibly This Weekend... Scale Expected to Be Significantly Reduced

Outlook to Advance Timeline Due to COVID-19
Formed for the First Time in 10 Years

President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol is paying respects at the National Seoul Memorial Cemetery in Dongjak-gu, Seoul, on the 10th. Photo by Yoon Dong-ju doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunju Lee] The Presidential Transition Committee, which will outline the next government's national administration, is expected to launch as early as this weekend, or by late next week at the latest. Typically, the transition committee is formed within 2 to 3 weeks after the election, but this year, due to the COVID-19 situation and other factors, the launch is likely to be moved up. The transition committee, being established for the first time in 10 years, is expected to be significantly downsized according to President-elect Yoon Seok-yeol's intentions.

The appointment of the transition committee chairperson is currently a matter of intense interest, as it will serve as a barometer showing part of Yoon's vision for a coalition government. The leading candidate at present is Ahn Cheol-soo, leader of the People’s Party, who mentioned a "coalition government" during the opposition candidate unification process. Since a key issue for the transition committee is the reorganization of government ministries, if Ahn becomes chairperson, it would signify fulfilling the promise stated in the unification agreement to "jointly form and operate the transition committee."

However, it is also highly possible that Ahn will not take the chairperson role directly but rather recommend someone for the position in consultation with Yoon. Traditionally, the chairperson has been a senior figure with significant weight inside and outside the party. For example, former President Roh Moo-hyun appointed former National Assembly Speaker Lim Chae-jung as the first transition committee chairperson; former President Lee Myung-bak appointed former Sookmyung Women’s University President Lee Kyung-sook; and former President Park Geun-hye appointed former Constitutional Court Chief Justice Kim Yong-joon, who resigned five days after his appointment.

Since President-elect Yoon has also maintained close communication with former New Era Preparation Committee Chair Kim Han-gil and former campaign committee co-chair Kim Byung-joon, both are also mentioned as potential candidates for the transition committee chairperson. It is reported that Kim Han-gil and Yoon have shared many discussions from the early days of their political careers through the opposition unification process. Former campaign committee co-chair Kim Byung-joon served as the Blue House Policy Chief during former President Roh’s administration. Additionally, former Sogang University Honorary Professor Choi Jin-seok, who served as the People’s Party’s standing campaign committee member, hails from Hampyeong, Jeollanam-do, which could send a message of regional consideration for Honam.

The transition committee is expected to include a large number of experts who worked in the presidential campaign. However, the basic principle is to operate as slimly as possible. The campaign estimates that the working staff supporting the transition committee will number about 100, which is roughly half the size of previous transition committees.

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