Conflict in Inter-Ministerial Task Allocation After Acting Prime Minister Hong Nam-gi's Appointment... Some Ministries Express Dissatisfaction
[Asia Economy Reporter Jang Sehee] "Are we the Ministry of Strategy and Finance's lackeys?"
Recently, a post on an anonymous bulletin board within the Prime Minister's Office has become a hot topic. The post simply stated, "Not only the personnel but also the work, why are young officials leaving? This is why," a line that was somewhat difficult to understand at first glance, but it received considerable responses. The post was followed by numerous 'likes' and comments expressing agreement.
The reason this post resonated is related to the timing of its publication. After Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun stepped down and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Strategy and Finance Hong Nam-ki took over as acting Prime Minister, dissatisfaction within the Prime Minister's Office was fully reflected in the post. One employee commented, "When the Prime Minister's Office drafts briefing materials, the Ministry of Strategy and Finance insists on reviewing them," and lamented, "Should a Prime Minister's Office official receive such messages from a Ministry of Strategy and Finance official?" This was followed by reactions such as, "Are we a subordinate agency of the Ministry of Strategy and Finance? Why is this happening?"
Among government officials, this is seen as an example of the confusion in policy coordination since the acting Prime Minister system was implemented. Although some argue that it is inevitable during the transitional period until a new Prime Minister is appointed, considering the pressing issues such as vaccine procurement, real estate, semiconductors, and virtual currencies, every bit of discord inevitably has a significant impact on daily life.
Since Deputy Prime Minister Hong took over as acting Prime Minister, the tasks he has managed for a full week include Cabinet meetings, Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters (CDSCH) meetings, and government questioning sessions in political, diplomatic, unification, and security fields. During the preparation for government questioning on diplomacy, conflicts arose due to a lack of coordination between the Ministry of Strategy and Finance and the Prime Minister's Office. While the Ministry of Strategy and Finance was responsible for economic affairs and the Prime Minister's Office for political, diplomatic, and unification affairs, the Ministry of Strategy and Finance insisted on reviewing the final briefing materials, which led to dissatisfaction within the Prime Minister's Office.
The Ministry of Strategy and Finance also has its say. Since the head of the Ministry is acting Prime Minister, it is necessary to unify the reporting system to avoid work gaps. A Ministry of Strategy and Finance official said, "Since the Deputy Prime Minister is acting Prime Minister, it is appropriate for the Ministry of Strategy and Finance to conduct the final review," adding, "Although there was some confusion, it was an unavoidable situation due to the Prime Minister's vacancy."
Some point to the lack of explicit regulations regarding the acting Prime Minister as a background to the inter-ministerial conflict. According to the Government Organization Act, there are no explicit provisions for an acting Prime Minister. The structure inevitably leads to a decline in work momentum when the acting Prime Minister system is in place.
Additionally, since the Prime Minister nominee is preparing for the confirmation hearing, the Prime Minister's Office faces limitations in focusing on the acting Prime Minister duties. During the Lee Myung-bak administration, Deputy Prime Minister Yoon Jeung-hyun served as acting Prime Minister in the absence of a Prime Minister nominee without causing significant issues. Yoon served as acting Prime Minister for nearly two months after Prime Minister Chung Un-chan resigned and Prime Minister nominee Kim Tae-ho was disqualified during the confirmation hearing process.
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