[Gwanga in] "Even Section Chiefs Must Attend In-Person Reports"... Ministry of Economy and Finance Stirred by Changed Deputy Prime Minister Reporting

Deputy Prime Minister Choi Sang-mok Changes Reporting Guidelines After Inauguration
Section Chiefs' Reports Now Required from Assistant Managers Too
"Places with Many Deputy PM Reports Will Inevitably Face Difficulties"
Ministry of Economy and Finance: "To Strengthen Reporting Skills of Staff"

Since Choi Sang-mok's inauguration as Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs and Minister of Strategy and Finance, the Ministry of Strategy and Finance (MOSF) has changed its 'work reporting guidelines,' causing unrest among employees. This is because they were instructed that if they participated even slightly in a policy, the relevant officials must attend the Deputy Prime Minister's report directly. The MOSF explained that this was intended to hear the opinions of the persons in charge directly, but some employees are concerned about the increased workload.

According to the MOSF on the 19th, the MOSF Secretariat recently announced several changes to the Deputy Prime Minister's reporting method through the internal network. Initially, the guideline was 'managers must also attend the Deputy Prime Minister's report,' but it soon changed to 'all managers from related departments must attend the report.' After further revisions, it was finally decided that even officials at the assistant manager level must attend the report. Typically, Deputy Prime Minister reports, even on practical matters, have been handled by directors, but now assistant managers and even officials are required to attend the reporting sessions.

The reporting method has changed 180 degrees compared to the previous Deputy Prime Minister, Choo Kyung-ho. Former Deputy Prime Minister Choo mainly received reports from executives at the director level or above. While assistant managers were not prohibited from attending, it was rare except in exceptional cases. In contrast, Deputy Prime Minister Choi requires the practitioners to report very detailed content directly. Follow-up questions often continue. This is why among the subordinates who attended the reports, there are remarks about 'strong feedback pressure.'

Choi Sang-mok, Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs and Minister of Economy and Finance, is speaking on the impact of export-import logistics due to the Yemen rebel conflict at the Emergency Economic Ministers' Meeting and Price-related Ministers' Meeting held on the 16th at the Government Seoul Office in Jongno, Seoul. Photo by Jo Yong-jun jun21@

Reactions among MOSF officials to the changed reporting guidelines are mixed. One official said, "It's good to be able to explain policies in detail directly to the Deputy Prime Minister," adding, "Isn't it better for the practitioner to provide the most appropriate answers to the Deputy Prime Minister's questions?" A manager said, "Many actually welcome the increased face-to-face contact with managers and officials," and added, "This is especially true in departments where opportunities to speak directly with the Deputy Prime Minister are rare in a year."

On the other hand, some complaints have emerged. The Deputy Prime Minister's reports take considerable time, and now officials must also prepare for the reports. Another official hinted, "Some see this as a positive change in departments with fewer reporting burdens, but departments with frequent Deputy Prime Minister reports find it difficult," adding, "Officials assigned to such departments must prepare to report to their managers, then to the directors, and finally to the Deputy Prime Minister."

The MOSF explained that this is part of strengthening the capabilities of the practitioners through face-to-face reporting. It means that the practitioners who created the policies should not only write reports but also be able to explain them directly to senior public officials. A MOSF official said, "If officials participate in the reporting process, it is easier to understand the Deputy Prime Minister's instructions," adding, "It depends on the discretion of the directors and managers, and officials are not required to attend obligatorily."

The multiple changes in guidelines were explained as a happening that occurred while gathering various opinions. The official said, "It is not a guideline but an explanation of the reporting method," adding, "It reflects opinions that came out after the Deputy Prime Minister talked with the employees." Deputy Prime Minister Choi led major policies such as the Economic Policy Direction (Gyeongbang) shortly after taking office. It is known that he judged it necessary to listen in detail not only to the Economic Policy Bureau responsible for Gyeongbang but also to the positions of related departments.