[Exclusive] There Is No 'Science' in the Yoon Government Presidential Office

- Provisional Plan Revealed Ahead of Final Announcement on Presidential Office Reorganization on the 24th
- Senior Positions Dedicated to Science and Technology, Including Chiefs and Secretaries, Removed from Official Organizational Chart
- Science and Technology Field Voices Discontent: "Where Is the Promise to Prioritize Experts?"

President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol is delivering opening remarks at a current issues meeting held at the National Pension Service in Deokjin-gu, Jeonju-si, Jeonbuk on the 20th. Photo by the Transition Team Press Corps

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bong-su] It has been reported that the official organizational structure of the presidential office under the new Yoon Suk-yeol administration does not include high-ranking positions such as a senior secretary or secretary dedicated to science and technology, raising criticism from the field.

According to the science and technology community on the 22nd, the presidential transition committee of President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol is scheduled to announce a reorganization plan for the presidential office on the 24th, and it is reported that a tentative plan has been finalized with 2 offices (secretarial and security) and 5 senior secretaries (economic, social, political, public relations, and civil society).

The problem is that high-ranking positions such as senior secretaries or secretaries responsible for policy formulation and inter-ministerial coordination in the science and technology sector are excluded from the official organizational structure. The transition committee reportedly considered establishing a senior secretary for education and science but effectively abandoned the idea. Instead, a plan to create a Science and ICT Secretary by combining the science and technology sector with the ICT sector has been tentatively decided. However, there are plans to create an unofficial position of science and technology special advisor. This organizational structure is essentially similar to that of the Blue House during the Lee Myung-bak administration, which was criticized for neglecting the science and technology sector.

As this fact became known, voices of dissatisfaction have emerged inside and outside the science and technology community, saying, "The words have changed after being elected." President-elect Yoon had previously stated the principle of "appointing science and technology experts" at a policy forum hosted by the Korea Federation of Science and Technology Societies in February. He promised to "strengthen the government's science and technology leadership" by appointing science and technology experts to senior government positions as much as possible so that science would be central to major national decision-making. Additionally, Ahn Cheol-soo, the chairman of the transition committee and a former doctor and IT company founder, had pledged during his presidential campaign to actively appoint science and technology talent by establishing a senior secretary for science and technology in the Blue House and reviving the position of deputy prime minister for science and technology.

A science and technology insider criticized, "Since the special advisor position is an unofficial role, it tends to be second priority in the work process of public officials and has weak influence," adding, "The promise to build a strong science and technology nation and appoint expert talent to key positions seems to have been completely forgotten at some point." Another insider expressed concern, saying, "Given that Minister-designate Lee Jong-ho of the Ministry of Science and ICT is an expert in the ICT field, it is disheartening that there is no dedicated high-ranking position for science and technology in the presidential office," and added, "While claiming to build a science and technology leading country in words, in reality, it seems the science sector, including government-funded research institutes, will be neglected as during the Lee Myung-bak administration."

Meanwhile, under the current Moon Jae-in administration, the Blue House has a science and technology advisor directly under the chief of policy office.

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