[Dissecting the Presidential Office] The 2nd Term Also 'Seo, Oh, Nam'... "Prosecutors Remain Influential"

Analysis of 47 Secretaries and Above in the 2nd Term of the Presidential Office
Seoul National University, 1960s-born, Male Trend Continues

The second phase of the Yongsan staff team supporting President Yoon Suk-yeol officially launched earlier this month. The presidential office praised itself for demonstrating a willingness to reform by completely replacing the three top secretaries?Chief of Staff, National Security Office Chief, and Policy Office Chief?who hold ministerial-level positions. This personnel reshuffle was said to actively reflect President Yoon’s determination to boldly tackle the major events of the 'third year of national governance' and the 'general election.' However, a comparative analysis by Asia Economy of the ages, educational backgrounds, genders, birth regions, and career histories of 47 second-phase staff members (at the secretary level and above) against those of the first phase revealed that the changes amounted to little more than superficial decoration with an empty core ('naehweosik' (內虛外飾): hollow inside, merely ornamental outside).

Prosecutors remain dominant. As of May 10, 2022, six prosecutors had joined the presidential office since the start of the Yoon administration, an unprecedented number in the former Blue House. Among the newly launched second phase, five are from prosecutorial backgrounds. Excluding staff members who resigned this month to run in the general election (former Legal Secretary Joo Jin-woo and former Personnel Secretary Lee Won-mo),the numbers are roughly the same. Prosecutor Lee Sang-yang, International Legal Affairs Secretary, filled the vacancy left by former Legal Secretary Joo, and key positions were consecutively occupied by prosecutors. Yoon Jae-soon, General Affairs Secretary (former prosecutor in the Supreme Prosecutors' Office’s Criminal Investigation Department), Kang Ui-gu, Chief of Staff (former secretary to Prosecutor General Yoon Suk-yeol), Lee Si-won, Public Service Discipline Secretary (former head of the 6th Criminal Division at Seoul Southern District Prosecutors' Office), and Bok Doo-gyu, Personnel Planning Officer (former director of the Supreme Prosecutors' Office Secretariat) all retained their posts. Including presidential office officials at the secretary level and above and ministerial and vice-ministerial appointments across departments, the total number of prosecutors in the Yoon administration rises to 21.

Prosecutors Dominate Key Posts... Presidential Office Age Rises

In terms of personnel composition, the second-phase staff mirrored the first phase’s pattern centered on 'Seo-Oh-Nam' (Seoul National University graduates, in their 50s, male). The presidential office explained that the appointments reflected President Yoon’s emphasis since his presidential candidacy on selecting individuals based on 'ability and proven performance,' but the preference for Seo-Oh-Nam continued unchanged in the second phase.

When Chief of Staff Kim Dae-gi, born in 1956, retired on the 31st of last month, some interpreted it as a 'younger presidential office.' However, broadening the analysis to the entire staff reveals that the average age of the presidential office actually increased. Excluding vacant positions (International Legal Affairs Secretary, Overseas Public Relations Secretary, New Media Secretary) and the Cybersecurity Secretary whose personal details have not been disclosed, the average age of 47 out of 52 second-phase staff members whose birth years are public is 55.5 years. There are nine in their 60s (19.1%), 36 in their 50s (76.6%), and two in their 40s (4.3%), with the 50s forming the core.

By comparison, the first-phase presidential staff had an average age of 54.5 years at the time of its 2022 launch, with seven in their 60s (13.7%), 37 in their 50s (72.5%), six in their 40s (11.8%), and one in their 30s (2%). In contrast, the second phase has no staff in their 30s, fewer in their 40s, and more in their 50s and 60s. This contrasts with President Yoon’s efforts since the second half of last year to promote a 'younger presidential office' through visits to livelihood sites and active administration.

Gender imbalance has worsened. President Yoon initially indicated a plan to gradually increase female appointments after the government’s launch. However, among secretaries and above, only four women (7.7%) were present in the first phase’s 52 members. In the second phase (53 members), although spokesperson Choi Ji-hyun was promoted to Personnel Secretary, the total number of women dropped to three (5.7%). Former Senior Spokesperson Kim Eun-hye and former Political Secretary Jeon Hee-kyung resigned last month to run in the general election, and Overseas Public Relations Secretary Kang In-seon was appointed Second Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs this month, but even considering these changes, the proportion of female staff remains in the single digits.

Male-Dominated Appointments... Continued Concentration in Seoul and Yeongnam

After the May 21, 2022, joint press conference following the Korea-US summit, President Yoon responded to criticism from The Washington Post regarding 'male-biased appointments' by saying, "Probably because it has not been long since fair opportunities for women in various fields have started to be actively guaranteed, we plan to more actively ensure such opportunities." Accordingly, the number of female ministers among 19 ministries increased from three (Han Hwa-jin, Kim Hyun-sook, Lee Young) to five (Kang Jeong-ae, Song Mi-ryeong, Han Hwa-jin, Kim Hyun-sook, Oh Young) as of December last year. The proportion rose from 15.8% to 26.3%. Although the number of female ministerial appointments has increased, female appointments in the presidential office staff remain insufficient.

The early criticism of the presidential office’s 'overconcentration of Seoul National University graduates' also persisted into the second phase. Among the 51 first-phase staff members whose educational backgrounds were disclosed, 19 (37.3%) graduated from Seoul National University, while in the second phase, 21 out of 50 (42%) are Seoul National University alumni. Despite government efforts to relocate agencies to provinces and foster regional talent, the presidential office’s preference for Seoul National University graduates has intensified.

The trend is similar regarding birth regions. Among the 46 first-phase staff members whose birthplaces were disclosed, 16 (34.8%) were from Seoul, the same as President Yoon’s birthplace. In the second phase, 14 out of 46 (30.4%) are from Seoul, the largest group. Concentration in Yeongnam regions such as Busan, Ulsan, Gyeongnam (BUK), and Daegu, Gyeongbuk (TK) also continues. Among first- and second-phase staff, 12 (26.1%) and 10 (21.7%) are from Busan, Ulsan, and Gyeongnam respectively, ranking second and third, while TK-born staff number nine (19.6%) and seven (15.2%) respectively. The number of staff from Honam and Gangwon regions increased in the second phase. Honam-born staff rose from two (4.3%) in the first phase to four (8.7%) in the second. Notably, Gangwon-born staff increased by five from two in the first phase to seven in the second. The Chungcheong region had four staff members (8.7%) in both phases.

Policy Office Chief Born in 1970 Alone Is Insufficient

The appointment of Professor Sung Tae-yoon, born in 1970 and an economics professor at Yonsei University, as one of the three office chiefs (Policy Office Chief) is considered a notable change. Professor Sung was a student of the late Yoon Ki-joong, President Yoon’s father and Yonsei University emeritus professor. The Chief of Staff Lee Kwan-seop and new National Security Office Chief Jang Ho-jin, both born in 1961, are contemporaries who were promoted from Senior Secretary for National Planning to Chief of Staff within a month, proving their status as close confidants of the president. While they come from traditional bureaucratic backgrounds, Policy Office Chief Sung is distinguished by his academic background and younger age. This lowered the average age of the three office chiefs from 65.3 to 59 years. A ruling party official interpreted this as reflecting President Yoon’s intention to continue a bureaucracy-centered system while appointing a young economist as Policy Office Chief to deliver policies that the public can more tangibly feel.

However, the number of professors and academics did not increase in the second phase. Among the first-phase staff, five were professors: Kim Sung-han (Korea University, National Security Office Chief), Kim Tae-hyo (Sungkyunkwan University, First Deputy Director of National Security Office), Cho Sung-kyung (Myongji University, Science and Technology Secretary), Ahn Sang-hoon (Seoul National University, Senior Secretary for Social Affairs), and Wang Yoon-jong (Dongduk Women’s University, Economic Security Secretary). The second phase includes four professors: Sung Tae-yoon (Yonsei University, Policy Office Chief), Ahn Se-hyun (University of Seoul, Economic Security Secretary), Kim Tae-hyo, and Wang Yoon-jong, showing little difference.

Although the second phase of the presidential office has been organized, experts’ evaluations are cold. Despite being packaged as a personnel reform, the overall personnel code is largely similar to the first phase, with no clear sense of change. Professor Park Sang-byeong of Inha University’s Graduate School of Policy said, "A president’s personnel appointments are themselves a message. In a situation where the president’s approval rating is stagnant, the renewal of staff should accompany a change in the national governance approach, but the second phase shows no such serious intention." He criticized it as "merely an extension of the first phase, filling vacancies left by staff called to run in the general election," and predicted, "The president’s intentions have not changed much, and only after the April general election and its results will there be changes in the staff."

Professor Lee Jun-han of Incheon University’s Department of Political Science and Diplomacy said, "There are few notable new figures among the second-phase staff, and many are recycled personnel. Given the high interest rates and inflation threatening livelihoods, and that the economy is what citizens find most difficult, the staff composition seems insufficient to alleviate public anxiety," he assessed.