[Insight & Opinion] Double Standards in Public Institution Heads' Resignations: How to Break the Vicious Cycle

[Asia Economy] There are many vicious cycles that inevitably repeat whenever the regime changes, but few are as unsightly as the conflicts surrounding the resignation of heads of public institutions. This is because both ruling and opposition parties display the embarrassing spectacle of 'double standards.' Since the Yoon Seok-yeol administration took office, the ruling party has been pressuring heads of public institutions appointed during the Moon Jae-in government to resign. With the regime change, people who share the new government's philosophy should take charge of these institutions, but the 'Moon Jae-in people' are stubbornly holding their ground, causing the Yoon administration's angry voices to grow louder.

However, there are fundamental limits to what the ruling party can do. This is because Kim Eun-kyung, former Minister of Environment under the Moon Jae-in government, who ordered a targeted audit to force the resignation of the standing auditor of the Environmental Corporation appointed during the Park Geun-hye administration, was sentenced to prison. Therefore, what we see are indirect pressures for resignation through audits or inspections within the scope that do not entail legal liability for abuse of power. It is well known that the Board of Audit and Inspection's intensive audit of the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission was aimed at pressuring Chairman Jeon Hyun-hee, who refused to resign. Ultimately, since the method to remove those appointed during the Moon Jae-in government involves digging up their weaknesses and faults, the situation inevitably appears petty. The controversial remark by Kwon Seong-dong, a People Power Party lawmaker, who said to Kim Je-nam, chairman of the Korea Nuclear Safety Foundation, that he should "bite his tongue and die," was also an unrefined expression that emerged in this process.

The Democratic Party of Korea is raising its voice to criticize such pressure from the government and ruling party as 'purging.' However, looking back at what the Democratic Party government did just five years ago, they hardly seem qualified to do so. After the Moon Jae-in government took office in 2017, 49% of the heads of public institutions appointed during the Park Geun-hye administration were replaced before completing their terms. Of course, this process involved various pressures to force the resignation of institution heads appointed by the previous government. Democratic Party lawmakers even demanded the resignation of KBS President Ko Dae-young and MBC President Kim Jang-gyeom. The Democratic Party, which was harsher than the current ruling party, now raising its voice against resignation pressure after becoming the opposition, is yet another example of double standards.

Moreover, the guilty verdict in the 'Ministry of Environment blacklist' case has become a shield for institution heads refusing to resign. Knowing there is no way to force them out if they hold firm, these heads are declaring they will complete their terms. Jeon Hyun-hee, Chairperson of the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission; Han Sang-hyuk, Chairperson of the Korea Communications Commission; and Jeong Hae-gu, Chairman of the National Research Council for Economics, Humanities and Social Sciences, have become symbolic figures disliked by the ruling party. However, regardless of the legally guaranteed term, the fact that these heads insist on completing their terms despite the regime change does not look good. Under a government with which it is difficult to share national philosophy, they end up holding onto their positions without doing much. Whatever their convictions may be, it is cleaner and more presentable for new wine to be put into new wineskins. It is hard to see what public significance completing their terms holds.

The ruling party pressuring resignations through petty methods, the opposition party that changes its stance despite having done the same, and the incumbents unwilling to relinquish their vested interests?all are engaged in a dirty fight in the mud. Everyone is a loser in this battle. Yet, the reason this situation is left unattended is the incompetence of both ruling and opposition political camps. A law should be enacted so that the terms of heads of public institutions end alongside the current president's term, and on that basis, the Democratic Party should persuade those appointed during the Moon Jae-in government to resign en masse as part of a grand compromise. A bill to align the terms of public institution heads with the presidential term has already been proposed by Democratic Party lawmakers in the National Assembly. Therefore, if the ruling and opposition parties make laws based on a gentleman's agreement and make political efforts, this issue can be resolved sufficiently. Politics is about solving problems, not just fighting.

Yoo Chang-sun, Political Commentator

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