Handonghun's Direct 'Personnel Verification' Organization to Begin Full Operations as Early as the 7th of Next Month (Comprehensive)

Minister of Justice Han Dong-hoon is attending the Regulatory Innovation Ministerial Meeting held at the Government Seoul Office in Jongno-gu, Seoul on the 24th. Photo by Kim Hyun-min kimhyun81@

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyung-min] The Ministry of Justice's "Personnel Information Management Unit," which will be responsible for personnel screening functions under the new government, is expected to be established as early as the 31st. The official commencement of operations is likely to be as soon as the 7th of next month.

According to related government departments on the 29th, the government will hold a Cabinet meeting on the 31st to submit partial amendments to the "Regulations on the Collection and Management of Information on Public Office Candidates, etc." and the "Organization of the Ministry of Justice and Its Affiliated Agencies." The amendment includes the Yoon Seok-yeol administration's plan to abolish the Office of the Senior Presidential Secretary for Civil Affairs and assign the personnel screening function to the Ministry of Justice. The Office of the Senior Presidential Secretary for Civil Affairs had previously performed personnel screening for public officials but was dissolved with the new administration.

Specifically, the Personnel Information Management Unit will be newly established as an agency directly under the Minister of Justice to systematically collect and manage personnel information of public office candidates. The Minister of Justice will be entrusted with the authority of the head of the Ministry of Personnel Management.

The unit will be composed of a total of 20 members, including the head. This includes one prosecutor or senior executive service member, three prosecutors, one grade 3 or 4 official, four grade 4 or 5 officials, four grade 5 officials, three grade 7 officials, one grade 8 official, one grade 9 official, and two police inspectors. The government announced this plan for legislative notice and collected opinions from the 24th to 25th but found no notable issues. The Ministry of Government Legislation completed its review on the 26th. The amendment also passed the vice-ministerial meeting on the 27th. It is highly likely that the amendment will pass the Cabinet meeting on the 31st as is. If President Yoon immediately promulgates it, it will be enforced right away.

The president's promulgation takes effect through publication in the official gazette. Publication in the gazette usually takes about a week after Cabinet approval. Therefore, it is highly likely that the unit will officially launch and begin operations as early as the 7th. Personnel orders for the unit will be issued to coincide with the launch date, but preparatory work for the formation is expected to accelerate rapidly after Cabinet approval.

The head of the unit is reported to be appointed from outside the prosecution. There are also expectations that the head will be selected from individuals who previously worked in the Office of the Senior Presidential Secretary for Civil Affairs or from the Board of Audit and Inspection.

Considering concerns about the concentration of authority in Minister Han, the Ministry of Justice decided that the minister will not receive interim reports from the Personnel Information Management Unit. Additionally, to prevent personnel information from being used for investigative purposes, a "Chinese wall" (restriction on information exchange between departments) will be established within the ministry, and to maintain the organization's independence, the office will be located in the annex of the Board of Audit and Inspection in Samcheong-dong.