District Heating Corporation President Nominee Adds Only 'Efficiency Improvement' to Existing Management Goals

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Sejong=Reporter Dongwoo Lee] It has been revealed that Jeong Yong-gi, the newly appointed president of Korea District Heating Corporation and former member of the Liberty Korea Party, submitted a job performance plan during his recruitment that merely listed the corporation's history and existing management philosophy. Concerns are being raised that the controversy over the lack of expertise among leaders in the energy sector continues, following Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power and Korea Gas Corporation.

According to materials submitted by the District Heating Corporation to the office of Jeong Il-young, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, on the 15th, Jeong prepared a job performance plan spanning five pages of A4 paper. The plan, which outlined the vision and management strategy as a candidate for the president of the District Heating Corporation, was found to have only added the word "efficiency" to the existing vision and strategy of the corporation.

The job performance plan is a document in which the presidential candidate directly diagnoses issues within the public institution and describes specific work plans and operational directions. As it contains the candidate's management philosophy, it is a key document in the hiring process for public enterprise presidents.

In fact, Jeong listed the history of the District Heating Corporation, the management environment, and the corporation's vision on one and a half pages of A4 paper at the level of existing management philosophy, then added only the word "efficiency" under the "Applicant's Opinion" section, citing the rationale of "expressing the will for management efficiency."

Next, under the "Management Goals and Strategies" section, he simply listed the current management goals of the corporation and added "development of efficiency indicators." In the "Management Strategy Directions and Tasks" section, he wrote his aspiration to "do his best," filling the remaining three pages of the job performance plan.

Currently, the management goals on the District Heating Corporation's website include four objectives: 2.1 million households by 2028, a 6% reduction in carbon emissions compared to 2018, obtaining an 'S' grade in ESG evaluation, and achieving a top-tier comprehensive integrity rating. Jeong effectively added efficiency to these goals.

Jeong's proposed "Plan for Promoting Efficiency" also closely follows the management efficiency measures promoted by the Ministry of Economy and Finance under the Yoon Seok-yeol administration. Jeong listed the Ministry's measures such as ▲asset sales ▲postponement of investment plans ▲personnel and organizational efficiency, and reiterated his commitment to "do his best."

Representative Jeong Il-young pointed out, "The biggest problem is that Jeong lacks experience or expertise related to energy," adding, "While former members of the National Assembly sometimes cite past experience in relevant standing committees as expertise, Jeong has never served on energy-related committees such as the Science, Technology, Information and Communications Committee, the Land, Infrastructure and Transport Committee, or the Safety and Administration Committee (now the Ministry of the Interior and Safety)."

Previously, Choi Yeon-hye, a former Liberty Korea Party member appointed as the new president of Korea Gas Corporation, was also found to have submitted a job performance plan during recruitment that was essentially a patchwork of introduction materials posted on the Gas Corporation's website. Additionally, a newly appointed outside director at Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power recently resigned after it was revealed that their self-introduction lacked any experience related to nuclear power generation or the electric power industry.

Representative Jeong emphasized, "In the midst of a global energy crisis, responsible management and innovation in energy public enterprises are more important than ever, yet controversies over parachute appointments in energy public enterprises continue to arise. It is necessary to thoroughly investigate whether individuals lacking expertise are being appointed to energy-related institutions simply because they opposed the previous government's renewable energy policies."

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