[The Editors' Verdict] Expectations for the First President from a Bureaucratic Background

Jae-hyung Chung, Head of Financial News Department

President-elect Yoon Seok-yeol is the first president who is an elite bureaucrat to have passed the civil service examination (Gosi). Although there was President Choi Kyu-hah, who was also a high-ranking bureaucrat, he was appointed by the new military regime and served only a short term of eight months, so Yoon can be considered the first in this regard.

Many elite bureaucrats have attempted to run for president in the past but all failed. There were former Prime Minister Ko Gun, known as a 'master of administration,' former Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Ban Ki-moon, who served as UN Secretary-General, and from the legal profession, former Prime Ministers Lee Hoi-chang and Hwang Kyo-ahn, who gained popularity with their 'straightforward' and 'blunt' images. Lee Hoi-chang narrowly lost in two presidential elections, while the others withdrew during the election process.

The main reason they failed in their presidential bids was that, having lived a dignified life receiving lifelong respect, they could not survive in the political arena, which is full of all kinds of power plays and mudslinging. It was not because they lacked the qualifications or abilities to be president.

During about 20 years as a journalist, I spent three-quarters of that time in the economic and financial departments, covering economic ministries such as the Ministry of Economy and Finance, the Fair Trade Commission, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, and the Financial Services Commission. Most bureaucrats I met often said "for the nation and the people." They emphasized what policies should be implemented and which paths would be desirable for the country's prosperity. Perhaps because it was a meeting with journalists, their sense of duty and responsibility as public officials was remarkable. I often thought that if such people became president, they would do very well.

I have not covered the legal beat, so I am not familiar with judicial bureaucrats such as prosecutors. Judicial bureaucrats, who can influence politics and power, might be different from economic bureaucrats. They always advocate 'judicial justice' and say they "investigate according to law and principles," which seems similar, but considering that prosecutors are called 'servants of power,' it might not be so. Still, President-elect Yoon did not "serve any person" and properly investigated the living powers. Because of this, he was demoted but later revived when the administration changed. This gained him popularity and enabled him to become president.

Compared to politicians, bureaucrats have the advantage of not being swept away by populism. Rather than focusing on winning votes in elections, they prioritize the country's long-term vision and future when promoting policies.

They also tend to listen well to experts. When dealing with new issues or matters, bureaucrats start by finding experts who are well-versed in the relevant fields. They listen to each expert's opinions, encourage discussions among them, and judge what the most desirable decision is to reflect in policy. This is especially true for fields they are less familiar with.

Of course, there are drawbacks. They tend to be overly conservative. The term 'Bokjibu-dong' (literally 'welfare department immobility') often follows them. Politicians tend to push forward with projects even if there are side effects when there are many requests, but bureaucrats tend to avoid doing things if side effects are a concern.

They also have a narrow view of new technologies. Regarding virtual assets, the initial stance was "preparing legislation to ban virtual currency transactions" (January 2018, then Minister of Justice Park Sang-ki), which drew heavy public criticism. A Ministry of Science and ICT official who attended the related meetings said, "I argued vocally that it shouldn't be done, but was criticized as if I was saying 'then let's just leave the speculative gambling ring as it is,'" and added, "Except for our department, most other ministries had that perspective."

The ban on virtual currency transactions was eventually dropped, but afterward, the virtual asset market was practically left unregulated, leading to a proliferation of virtual asset exchanges and a situation where investor protection was completely lacking.

I sincerely hope that President-elect Yoon will maximize the strengths of bureaucrats and minimize their weaknesses. I also hope he succeeds as an elite bureaucrat president and that many such presidents will emerge in the future.