Yoon Government Presidential Office Restructuring Accelerates... Outline Expected as Early as This Week

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[Asia Economy Reporter Baek Kyunghwan] Discussions on the reorganization of the presidential office under the new government are gaining momentum. The outline of the presidential office staff is expected to be revealed as early as this week, with President-elect Yoon Seok-yeol conducting detailed coordination on the direction of the organizational restructuring together with Kim Dae-gi, the nominee for the first Chief Presidential Secretary.

On the 17th, a member of the transition committee stated, "It is difficult to confirm the detailed schedule for the reorganization of the Blue House presidential office, but with the nominee for Chief Secretary appointed, progress is being made faster than before."

President-elect Yoon’s direction for the presidential office reorganization is focused on 'streamlining.' The plan involves dividing coordination and policy functions, creating a dual structure with the Prime Minister’s Office, and some reduction and reorganization of the current eight senior secretariats is virtually confirmed. Previously, Yoon also pledged to abolish the Senior Secretary positions. In addition, he mentioned plans to abolish the Civil Affairs Senior Secretary’s Office, the Second Office assisting the First Lady, reduce Blue House staff by 30%, and streamline the Blue House organization itself.

Lee Jin-bok, a former member of the People Power Party and three-term lawmaker who served as mayor of Dongnae District in Busan, is a strong candidate for the first Senior Secretary for Political Affairs. He is regarded as a strategic expert within the party, having served as head of the Saenuri Party’s Strategic Planning Headquarters and as the general director of the election campaign committee for the April 15, 2020 general election.

For the Senior Secretary for Economic Affairs, the names of Kim So-young, a member of the Economic Division 1 of the transition committee, and Choi Sang-mok, secretary of the same division, are being mentioned. Choi was also a candidate for the Financial Services Commission chairman. Additionally, for the Director of the National Security Office, Kim Sung-han, former Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade under the Lee Myung-bak administration and currently secretary of the Foreign Affairs and Security Division of the transition committee, is being considered. For the Deputy Director of the Security Office, the names of Kim Tae-hyo, a professor at Sungkyunkwan University and member of the Foreign Affairs and Security Division of the transition committee, and Shin In-ho, former Blue House Crisis Management Secretary, are being mentioned.

There is growing interest in transferring the functions of the Policy Office to a newly established joint public-private committee directly under the president. The role of the existing Policy Office chief is expected to be handled within the new joint committee, with a proposal to appoint an operating director at the vice minister level to coordinate and mediate agenda-specific committees.

The joint public-private committee is expected to be composed of both government officials and private members. Some reports indicate that there is discussion about granting private experts not only advisory roles but also voting rights. Earlier, during the election campaign, President-elect Yoon stated, "I will gather the best talents from the private sector, including overseas Koreans, without discrimination, and involve them in national governance."

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