Yoon's Preference for 'Neulgong' Causes Stir Within People Power Party... "Pushed Aside by Seocho-dong Team and MB Men"

Plan to Announce Presidential Office Appointments on the 1st
Expected Scale Reduction and Priority Placement of Neulgong
"Many Party Officials Returned to the National Assembly Early"
"Eogong Have Excellent Political Sense, Complementing Neulgong"
"Yoon's Short Political Career Means Eogong Will Be Needed"

President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol is announcing the second round of Cabinet member candidates and the appointment of the Chief of the Presidential Secretariat at the briefing room of the Presidential Transition Committee in Tongui-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul on the 13th. On the right is Han Dong-hoon, Deputy Director of the Judicial Research and Training Institute, who has been nominated as Minister of Justice. Photo by Transition Committee Press Corps

[Asia Economy Reporter Kwon Hyun-ji] Ahead of President-elect Yoon Seok-yeol's presidential office appointments, concerns are emerging among People Power Party officials. This is due to expectations that the number of 'Eogong (accidental public officials)' positions in the new presidential office will decrease. Some speculate that they may have been outcompeted by the 'Seocho-dong team' (Yoon's prosecution personnel) and 'MB men' (personnel from the Lee Myung-bak administration).

President-elect Yoon plans to announce the new government's presidential office organization and key appointments on the 1st. Since Yoon has emphasized 'slimming down the presidential office' to move away from the imperial presidency, the scale of appointments is expected to be significantly reduced. In particular, career public officials (Neulgong) are likely to be prioritized over political appointees (Eogong).

As a result, concerns and dissatisfaction are simultaneously detected within the People Power Party. Being dispatched to the presidential office is not only a major career milestone but also a way to reward party officials who helped bring about the administration, and the opportunity for this is expected to diminish. Typically, when a new government takes office, some party secretariat officials and aides have been employed or seconded as administrative officers in the presidential office.

A senior People Power Party official A said, “The internal atmosphere is not good,” and added, “Most of the party officials dispatched to the Presidential Transition Committee might have to return to the party.” Another party official B, who was formerly an aide, said, “Some aides voluntarily returned early, judging that they would not be able to go all the way to Yongsan, where the new presidential office is located.”

The necessity of Eogong was also emphasized. While Neulgong have policy expertise, Eogong excel in political sensibility, making them complementary. A People Power Party policy official said, “Party officials understand public sentiment well through elections, but public officials do not,” and added, “Eogong can see aspects that higher-ups cannot, so they clearly serve a complementary role.” In fact, they have mainly been assigned to the presidential office’s political affairs, public relations, and publicity sectors.

A also said, “If the president has been in politics for a long time, Eogong might not be necessary, but if, like President-elect Yoon, the political experience is short, they will be needed more,” and predicted, “Even if the government starts operating like this now, I think they will look for Eogong again in a year.” He explained that they serve as a bridge between the party and the Blue House, enabling smooth governance.

Some speculate that this is the result of losing out in competition with personnel close to President-elect Yoon. B said, “Reducing Eogong is a superficial intention, but an invisible power struggle is taking place with the Seocho-dong team and MB men,” and A also said, “(President-elect Yoon) has little connection with the party,” and “I expected key positions to be occupied by prosecutors or public officials.”