[Manbo Jeongdam] "Complex Procurement Tasks... Traveling Nationwide for 'On-site Communication'"

Footsteps at Famous Temples Nationwide... Walking in Spare Moments
‘Peacefulness’ Gained from Hobby Positively Influences Work
Strengthening On-site Communication, Building Consensus with ‘Sincerity and Diligence’

"Although I am a baptized Catholic, I often visit sansa (mountain temples). I like sansa not bound by religious meaning, but as unique cultural heritage. When I walk along the tranquil trails around the sansa and become one with nature, I feel my mind becoming more peaceful than at any other time."

On the 9th, under the spring sunshine, I met Lim Gi-geun, Administrator of the Public Procurement Service (PPS), at Hanbat Arboretum in Daejeon. With a modest impression, straightforward speech, and a playful expression, a smile lingered on Administrator Lim’s lips. It started when the conversation turned to sansa.

Administrator Lim is a sansa enthusiast. Among the famous sansa nationwide, the only place he has yet to visit is Bongamsa Temple in Mungyeong. Bongamsa is a typical sansa where monks devote themselves solely to ascetic practice, and except for Buddha’s Birthday, the general public cannot easily enter. For this reason, Lim expressed regret that visiting Bongamsa requires the determination to push through the crowds that flock there on Buddha’s Birthday without much time to spare, making it a daunting temple to visit.

On the 9th, Lim Gi-geun, Administrator of the Public Procurement Service, was walking along the trail at Hanbat Arboretum in Daejeon. Photo by Public Procurement Service

"Visiting sansa is always enjoyable," said Administrator Lim, who is also considering someday embarking on a package tour linking sansa, pavilions and gazebos, Catholic holy sites, seowon (Confucian academies), walking trails, and local eateries by region. The reason is to find joy in walking and meaning in life through travel.

In his leisure time, Administrator Lim enjoys hobbies such as visiting art galleries, watching ballet, and listening to classical music. For health, he frequently uses a health club or climbs low mountains near his living area. He also finds simple pleasure in walking by the neighborhood lake with his spouse.

As the head of an institution, his schedule cannot always be leisurely. However, he is determined not to be lazy and to continue his hobbies faithfully whenever he can find time. The mental relaxation and philosophical reflection gained from hobbies positively influence his performance as Administrator.

He confidently stated that as one gains mental relaxation, one can escape the "shallow relationships" of mechanically meeting and talking with people. When I approach others with composure, deeper conversations and relationships become possible. While walking and talking with Administrator Lim, his stories ranged widely from policy and organizational management to cultural life and thoughts on living.

Lim Gi-geun, Administrator of the Public Procurement Service, is smiling while expressing trust in the Public Procurement Service and its employees at Hanbat Arboretum on the 9th. Photo by Public Procurement Service

- It has been about 100 days since you took office as Administrator of the Public Procurement Service. How have you spent this time?

▲ Over the past 100 days, I focused on communication at the field level and traveled across the country. I mainly met with local procurement offices and representatives of innovative companies in regions such as Seoul, Gyeonggi, Incheon, Gangwon, Gwangju, Busan, Daegu, Gunsan, and Chungbuk. Traveling distances ranged from as short as 100 km to as long as 500 km per day. I did not emphasize merely meeting someone. I avoided formal meetings. The core of field communication was listening carefully to what the other party wanted to say and distinguishing what the PPS can and cannot do to set directions. Instead of vague promises like "we will review it," we clearly indicated "this is possible" or "this is difficult," listened to opinions, and deliberated together. Issues judged feasible were promptly forwarded to policy departments and acted upon without delay. Most of the schedule was filled with mandatory meetings between field companies and local office staff, as well as visits to socially vulnerable groups connected with local offices, such as welfare centers.

- Why do you place importance on field communication?

▲ Procurement work is fundamentally complex and multi-layered. Contract regulations and systems often change, causing confusion in the field. Some procurement company representatives I met were unaware of already changed regulations and requested improvements. This is why the PPS must strengthen field communication, not just handle policies. For the same reason, the PPS recently has been diversifying and activating communication channels to inform stakeholders about changed regulations and systems. Besides spreading information through the media, we actively strengthen communication by directly sending separate emails to stakeholders to ensure understanding. Ultimately, it is important to create many "allies" for the PPS. The more allies, the stronger the defense. When controversies arise between decentralized and centralized procurement, if many say, "I have received much help from the PPS," or "This agency actively supports what we (procurement companies) need," the PPS naturally gains strength. To increase allies, the PPS will continue to communicate actively with the field and focus on discovering and promoting policies that can be felt on the ground.

- Early in your tenure, you compared the PPS and its employees to "the eyes of an ox." Do you still think the same?

▲ The original image that the PPS and its employees are like "the eyes of an ox quietly working in the field" remains valid. It suggests an institution and staff who are pure and focused solely on their work. External perspectives may differ. The PPS’s work nature is prone to criticism. For example, in contract work, if there is only one contract party (one company), many others are excluded, and those excluded rarely have good feelings. This structure can cause distorted views. Nevertheless, the PPS has a solid system and a fair, trustworthy organizational capability. The procurement infrastructure, such as the electronic procurement system (Nara Market), is very advanced, and PPS employees are passionate and sincere, as observed over the past 100 days. Given the high trust in procurement companies, PPS employees, and the system, I now think, "I just need to do my best."

On the 9th, Lim Gi-geun, the Administrator of the Public Procurement Service, met at Hanbat Arboretum and smiled while sharing stories about Sansa. Photo by Public Procurement Service

- The PPS is not a government agency familiar to the general public. What efforts are you making?

▲ The PPS is familiar to procurement companies related to public procurement work but has little contact with the general public. Recently, there was an internal suggestion to break away from the traditional bureaucratic promotional framework and promote the PPS in a novel way. For example, using globally renowned K-cultural content (such as ballet) to introduce the PPS to the public. The story would be that the PPS plays a supporting role in nurturing procurement companies (dream trees) that make good products to expand into the global market (world stars). The background for planning such unique promotional content is to at least inform the public about what the PPS does and how it helps them.

- You have emphasized the positive influence of public procurement. Please explain specifically.

▲ The PPS has driven domestic economic growth as a central procurement agency. In national crises, it has acted as a top-tier problem solver and taken the lead during structural transitions. Recently, public procurement is required to play a broader role as a policy tool responding to changing internal and external conditions. Its role is growing as a means to foster new industry growth ecosystems, respond to climate change, and address supply chain crises. To meet these demands, the PPS believes procurement work must be firmly rooted in the regional economy and communities. Collaboration between the PPS and local communities is essential. Currently, half of the PPS staff work at the Daejeon headquarters, and the other half at local procurement offices. We will fully utilize this working environment to lead the headquarters and local offices in discovering and strengthening community-linked activities that approach the field and work together with local society.

- The public procurement market serves as a growth ladder for procurement companies. Does the PPS have strategies to help procurement companies expand overseas?

▲ Last year, the public procurement scale was 209 trillion won, roughly 10% of the GDP. The public procurement scale has steadily increased from 141 trillion won in 2018, 160 trillion in 2019, 176 trillion in 2020, 184 trillion in 2021, to 196 trillion in 2022. Many procurement companies have achieved remarkable growth alongside public procurement. Now is the time to look overseas. This year, the PPS will concentrate available resources and capabilities to help procurement companies boldly challenge overseas procurement markets and write success stories. A representative example is discovering and intensively nurturing companies in promising export sectors and establishing specialized vouchers to support companies’ overseas procurement market entry. We also plan to expand overseas demonstration projects for innovative technologies targeting foreign government agencies (pilot purchases of export-leading innovative products) and support securing specialized personnel through overseas procurement professional training programs.

- The departure of the MZ generation from public service is a serious issue. What advice would you give to the MZ generation?

▲ To the MZ generation, I am like a father figure. I honestly want to approach them. I want to listen to their concerns and help them find answers as a senior in life. To do so, I advise the MZ generation to give meaning to their work and have the insight to find joy in the space where they breathe (their workplace). I also want to remind them that "meaningless joy is hollow, and joyless meaning is bleak." Regarding how to treat colleagues, I hope they have both "sincerity" and "diligence." When I treat others sincerely, relationships deepen. When we care for each other and share heavy burdens (diligence), we can overcome difficult work life together. The latter means fully handling one’s tasks to avoid causing colleagues to work overtime or on holidays and, if possible, helping with surrounding tasks.

Interview by: Cho Young-joo, Head of Sejong Jungbu Reporting Headquarters

Compiled by: Jung Il-woong, Reporter