[Exclusive] Circumstances of 'Strategic Appointment' by Presidential Office, Allegations of Presidential Staffer Being Tapped for Senior Position at Ministry of Science and ICT-Affiliated Agency

[비즈한국] Amidst allegations of "strategic appointments" (albakgi) by presidential office officials, suspicion has emerged that a key presidential staffer, Mr. A, has been tapped for a major position at a public institution under the Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT). Mr. A has been working at the Presidential Secretariat since 2023.

Allegations have emerged that a presidential staffer, Mr. A, has been tapped for a major position at an institution under the MSIT. A view of the presidential office in Yongsan. Photo = Reporter Choi Jun-pil

It is reported that Mr. A has passed both the first and second rounds of the internal appointment process at Institution B, which is under the MSIT. The personnel announcement is scheduled for June 1, and he is reportedly set to begin work on June 2, the day before the presidential election. A political source who shared this information pointed out, "It is problematic that the appointment is taking place just before the presidential election, but it is also problematic that an incumbent presidential office official has applied to an affiliated public institution."

Institution B held an open recruitment for an audit committee chair and audit committee members last April, and it is understood that Mr. A applied for the audit committee member position. Institution B specified that applicants for the position must be civil servants at Grade 5 or higher with at least three years of experience in audit-related work, but the connection between Mr. A's current duties and audit work is not clearly evident.

An official from Institution B stated only, "We will hold a board meeting on May 27 to finalize the appointment. At this time, it is impossible to confirm the applicants or the pool of candidates." Bizhankook also inquired about this matter to the presidential office, but did not receive a response.

According to the Public Service Ethics Act, when a public official scheduled to retire takes a job at an institution related to their agency, they must receive employment approval. However, Institution B, where rumors of Mr. A's appointment are circulating, is not subject to employment review. Previously, an official from Institution B also explained, "Our institution is not an organization subject to employment review as defined by the Government Public Service Ethics Committee."

Meanwhile, allegations of "strategic appointments" by the presidential office have been raised recently with the presidential election just around the corner. On the 19th, Park Chan-dae, the senior general campaign committee chair of the Democratic Party of Korea, stated, "Reports continue to come in that public officials who worked in the presidential office are returning to their ministries to be promoted or placed in key positions," and requested that Acting President Lee Ju-ho "order a freeze on all personnel appointments in all ministries until the new government is launched."