"Need to Publish National Key Positions Directory"... Jung Woo-taek Proposes 'Korean-style Plum Book' Bill

Proposed Partial Amendment to the National Public Officials Act
Includes Provision to Disclose Information the Day After the Presidential Election

Jeong Woo-taek, member of the People Power Party./Photo by Yoon Dong-ju doso7@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kum Bo-ryeong] Rep. Jung Woo-taek of the People Power Party has proposed a bill to regularize the publication of a "Korean-style Plum Book."

Rep. Jung announced on the 24th that he has taken the lead in proposing a partial amendment to the National Public Officials Act, which requires the head of the Ministry of Personnel Management to prepare a "National Key Positions Directory" that specifies the duties, qualifications, appointment methods and procedures, terms, and salaries of major national positions, and to disclose it the day after the presidential election.

The idea is to create a so-called "Korean-style Plum Book." In the United States, after the presidential election, a Plum Book containing information on major federal government positions is published. It specifies the workplace of the position, type of appointment, name of the incumbent, salary level, and so on, and is used as a personnel guideline for the president.

In the past, Korea also published the "National Key Positions Directory," which included a list of about 72,000 national talents belonging to major national institutions such as the legislature, executive, and judiciary, for the first time in 2003. However, since it was not regularized, it was not published for a while after 2007. Later, in 2017, the Ministry of Personnel Management is known to have published a directory once targeting major executive positions.

Rep. Jung explained, "If we regularly publish the 'National Key Positions Directory' containing information on major positions appointed by the president immediately after the presidential election, like the United States, it could somewhat reduce controversies over parachute appointments and seat-holding personnel that have been repeated with each administration."

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