Announcement of Deputy Minister-Level Personnel in the Ministry of Science and ICT... Why Is Only the Second Deputy Minister Missing?

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bong-su] On the 13th, as the first vice minister-level appointments of the Ministry of Science and ICT under the Yoon Suk-yeol administration were announced, among the three vice ministers, the second vice minister in charge of ICT was notably absent, drawing attention.

That morning, the Presidential Office announced vice minister-level appointments including First Vice Minister Oh Tae-seok and Director Joo Young-chang of the Science and Technology Innovation Headquarters. First Vice Minister Oh, born in 1968, graduated from Jeonju High School and Seoul National University with a degree in Economics, and earned a master's degree in Technology Management from the University of Sussex in the UK. He is a career bureaucrat who entered public service through the 35th Administrative Examination. He has served as the head of the National Science and Technology Advisory Council support team and as the Science and Technology Innovation Coordinator at the Ministry of Science and ICT. Going forward, he will handle the First Vice Minister’s office duties including research and development systems (R&D), basic source technology, bio and medical fields, and space.

Director Joo is a former professor currently serving in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at Seoul National University, the same department as Minister Lee Jong-ho of the Ministry of Science and ICT. Born in 1965, he earned a Ph.D. in Metallurgical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). He previously served as the director of the Next-Generation Convergence Technology Research Institute. He is recognized as a top expert in semiconductor and materials engineering, focusing on semiconductor and electronic device reliability, hybrid materials, and electronic materials. He has held positions such as head of the University Technology Industry Support Group, chair of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at Seoul National University, director of the Korean Institute of Metals and Materials, director and vice president of the Korean Microelectronics and Packaging Society, and specialist committee member under the government’s Materials, Parts, and Equipment Competitiveness Committee.

The issue is that the appointment of the second vice minister responsible for ICT has not been made. Initially, there were rumors within and outside the Ministry of Science and ICT that Director A was also nominated as the second vice minister along with First Vice Minister Oh and Director Joo. However, Director A was not included in the vice minister-level appointments announced that day.

Some quarters are linking this to the fact that the transition committee of President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol did not dispatch ICT experts early on, raising the so-called “ICT neglect theory.” Since the second vice minister, who is the practical chief responsible, needs to be appointed as soon as possible for the government’s ICT administration to operate properly, the delay in the appointment without a clear reason is causing concern.

However, there is also analysis that the attempt at a bold appointment deviating from the traditional seniority and open recruitment system has met internal resistance. Until now, there has been no case in the Ministry of Science and ICT or the entire government where a director-level official was directly promoted to vice minister. Director A entered public service late through a special recruitment for Ph.D. holders in 1997, not through open recruitment. By administrative examination standards, this corresponds to about the 40.5th exam. Therefore, if Director A were promoted to vice minister, more than 7 to 8 senior officials would have to give up their positions, which is known to have caused significant internal controversy.

An official said, "It is fortunate that at least some vice minister appointments have been made because stable work progress depends on the appointments being made quickly," adding, "I understand that some appointments are delayed due to many discussions and practical issues within the ministry."

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