[New Release] Government Usage Manual: Creating a Government Beneficial to the People

[Asia Economy Reporter Cho Young-joo] Just by looking at the title of this book, one can anticipate what it will discuss. It is a government operation manual written by scholars of public administration, economics, business administration, and accounting. Among these authors, some have actual experience in national governance, while others have closely observed government operations through evaluations, consultations, and committee activities. Reading about the limitations, causes, and solutions of government revealed by these authors naturally creates a sense of consensus.

‘Soulless Public Servants’ Cannot Continue Like This

The book finds the root cause of public distrust in government in politics, particularly the five-year single-term presidency. To achieve results within a short period, public officials are strictly controlled. The criticism that public servants lack a soul actually means they are ordered to leave their soul in the wilderness and mechanically carry out what the ruling power wants. As this repeats every five years, the bureaucratic spirit, once armed with pride, has become a relic in a museum. Would the government function properly if the political external influence were removed from government operations? The authors do not agree with this either. So how should the chronic administrative problems be cured?

The book finds the foundation of a competent government in the harmony of evaluation, cooperation, and innovation. A major shift is also needed in the executive branch’s approach to regulatory issues. Despite unreasonable regulations being everywhere, they remain uncorrected. The authors assert that regulatory reform should not be fixed by a single presidential remark but must become “an agenda that the executive branch always keeps in mind.” Regulatory reform is the top priority in government operations.

The book also addresses policy failure issues. Alternatives not based on reality lead to wasted administrative power and taxes. It cites low birthrate measures and science and technology policies as examples. The authors emphasize, “When introducing safety regulations, it must be proven that they are effective means to ensure safety,” and “Policies are not justified simply because they are necessary. They must be effective.”

10 Ways to Build a Competent Government

Korea must solve the challenges of population decline and falling potential growth rates. So, what should the government do immediately? Wisdom must be gathered to raise the potential growth rate. In the past, Korean bureaucrats set and executed “ambitious goals that are not easy to achieve” for the development of the Republic of Korea. The book states that now is the time for the Korean government and public servants to arm themselves with new missions like “recovering a 5% potential growth rate,” ambitious national future goals that are not easy to achieve. It presents 10 specific ways to achieve this. If the new government properly implements even some of these, wouldn’t it take a step closer to becoming a ‘government beneficial to the people’?

1. Listen to the voice of administration

2. Establish independent agencies free from politics

3. Do not link national agendas with government performance evaluations

4. Clarify the missions of each government ministry

5. Guarantee autonomy in organizational design and personnel from politics

6. Recognize that there are more policy experts in the private sector

7. Public servants need learning capabilities, networking skills, and a sense of balance

8. No control tower; have thorough debates in the Cabinet meeting

9. Implement bold digital transformation

10. Proper regional balance; local governments must also compete

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