[Reporter’s Notebook] National Reform and Chaos: The Paradox of Cabinet Reshuffles

[Asia Economy Reporter Ryu Jeong-min] President Moon Jae-in's personnel appointment style brings to mind 'sotbap' (rice cooked in a pot). The waiting time for letting the rice steam is relatively long. He tends to avoid personnel reshuffles aimed at political reform. Even when there are factors necessitating a cabinet reshuffle, he takes a pause rather than acting immediately.

This differs from the traditional mechanism of Korean politics. In Korean politics, the Prime Minister was sometimes treated as a 'bullet catcher.' They would take the brunt of criticism aimed at the president and were used as a card for reform when a change of pace was needed. Since the Prime Minister was treated this way, ministers were practically considered as having a life as fragile as a fly's.

The reason a cabinet reshuffle is a useful card for the highest national leader is that it can serve as a means to shake up the political landscape. It can be used as a political image to show that the reshuffle was carried out in accordance with the people's will, thereby serving as a momentum for national governance.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

However, as the National Assembly's confirmation hearings have become occasions to delve into the personal lives of reshuffle candidates, the traditional political grammar surrounding cabinet reshuffles has lost its effectiveness. While a reshuffle can lead to effects of political reform, it can also become a blunder that leads to a chaotic political situation.

On the 3rd, President Moon announced the new Director of the National Intelligence Service (Park Ji-won) and the Minister of Unification candidate (Lee In-young). The period of deliberation over the security line change has finally ended. Now that the results have been presented, the time for verification remains. As this is the first confirmation hearing of the 21st National Assembly, the opposition party is sharpening its knives. If unexpected issues arise during the hearing, not only the candidates but also President Moon could be directly hit.

That said, the cabinet reshuffle cannot be indefinitely delayed out of fear of political backlash. If the waiting time is too long, the rice will burn and become inedible. Politics is about timing. Especially in personnel appointments, deciding on the candidate is not the only important factor. The timing must be well chosen.

Criticism that the waiting time related to follow-up reshuffles for the Ministry of National Defense and the Ministry of Health and Welfare is becoming too long is a point the Blue House should carefully reconsider. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's position has changed as President Moon has empowered it. President Moon's political burden regarding stabilizing the real estate market has also increased accordingly.

It is an intriguing point to see what conclusion President Moon's personnel appointment style, symbolized by the waiting time, will lead to.

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