Won Hee-ryong: "Neither Fish nor Rice... Public Institution Heads Appointed by Moon Government Must Step Down"

Won Hee-ryong Responds to National Assembly Government Questioning
"Terms of Administration and Public Institution Heads Should Align"

Won Hee-ryong, Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, stated that the terms of the administration and heads of public institutions should coincide, and that public institution heads appointed during the previous government should resign.

On the 4th, during a government-wide economic inquiry held at the National Assembly, when Jeong Il-young, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea, asked, "Do you think public institution heads should resign when the administration leaves?" Minister Won replied, "They should leave."

Won Hee-ryong, Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, is responding to lawmakers' questions during the government-wide economic inquiry held at the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul, on the 4th. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

Minister Won said, "The institution itself must move along with the government's policies or philosophy to overcome difficult resistance, internal vested interests, or attempts to protect their own positions and lead change. If this does not happen, it will be neither fish nor fowl."

Regarding the criticism that their terms are legally guaranteed, he said, "That is the problem," adding, "There is a bill to align the terms of the administration and public institution heads, and I hope it is passed quickly in the National Assembly. Things only work when they are aligned."

Meanwhile, four heads of public institutions under the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport have resigned before completing their terms. Earlier last month, Na Hee-seung, President of Korea Railroad Corporation (KORAIL), was dismissed, and prior to that, Kim Hyun-joon, former President of Korea Land and Housing Corporation (LH), Kim Jin-sook, former President of Korea Expressway Corporation, and Kwon Hyung-taek, former President of Housing and Urban Guarantee Corporation (HUG), resigned mid-term. Kim Kyung-wook, President of Incheon International Airport Corporation, recently announced his intention to resign.

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