[Gwanga in] Ministry of Unification Settled In, Unexpected Leadership Change Causes Stir

First Female Vice Minister, Young 40s, External Appointment
Unrest Over Vice Minister Replacement Who Led Organizational Restructuring
Short Career Due to Youth, Mixed Expectations and Concerns

The first female vice minister, in her 40s, an outsider. Three keywords struck the Ministry of Unification. The organization, which was being reorganized after a large-scale overhaul, is now in a state of confusion due to a sudden leadership change. There are also criticisms that this move was made to align with the personnel reshuffle at the Presidential Office.

President Yoon Suk-yeol appointed Kim Su-gyeong, spokesperson of the Presidential Office, as the vice minister of the Ministry of Unification on the 15th, a day before. Moon Seung-hyun, the current vice minister, was selected as the next ambassador to France, and the agrement (host country’s consent) process is reportedly underway. He took office in June last year, so it has been just over a year and two weeks.

Just as stability was barely achieved, another radical personnel change?

Kim Soo-kyung, spokesperson for the Presidential Office, appointed as the next Vice Minister of Unification
[Photo by Yonhap News]

According to stories from inside and outside the government, this personnel change is more related to the reshuffle at the Presidential Office than the Ministry of Unification. Moon Seung-hyun is known to have consistently expressed his desire to return to the diplomatic field. He was appointed as a 'relief pitcher' during a time when the Ministry of Unification’s position was shaky enough to spark calls for its abolition, and now he has fulfilled that role. This situation coincided with the Presidential Office’s deliberation over changing the spokesperson. The background of Kim, the appointee who served as the unification secretary, and the fact that the 'Day of North Korean Defectors' ceremony on the 14th was successfully concluded with great acclaim, all helped to complete the lineup.

The Ministry of Unification is in a bewildered atmosphere. The ministry has undergone repeated upheavals due to successive reorganizations, including a reduction of 81 personnel last year. This was the largest 'surgery' since the 80-person reduction in February 2008 during the Lee Myung-bak administration. During the process of reorganizing the organization, Vice Minister Moon, who had a reputation for strong 'grip' since his time at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, played a significant role. Among the staff, he was so enthusiastic that they nicknamed him 'Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Friday, Friday.'

The Ministry of Unification established areas such as 'North Korean human rights' and 'unification discourse,' and once again solidified its position as the department responsible for North Korea. The morale of the staff peaked at the 'Day of North Korean Defectors' ceremony last weekend. It was the first time the Ministry of Unification solely led and produced a government-wide event presided over by the president and attended by ministers. The leadership change was announced the day after this monumental event, so it is understandable that the staff are confused.

Appointee Kim Su-gyeong was born in 1976. After graduating from Seoul National University’s Department of Linguistics, she worked as a reporter for Dong-A Ilbo for four years. She went abroad for further studies and obtained a Ph.D. in Sociology from Stanford University in September 2013. She began addressing human rights issues as a research professor at Korea University’s Graduate School of International Studies. During her time as a research fellow at the Korea Institute for National Unification, she participated in writing the North Korean Human Rights White Papers in 2018 and 2020. In March 2021, she was appointed assistant professor in the Department of Social Welfare at Hanshin University.

After being selected as the unification secretary at the National Security Office in July last year, she was appointed spokesperson of the Presidential Office in December of the same year. Looking at her career progression, which advanced again in just seven months, she follows a similar path to Kang In-seon, who was a former Chosun Ilbo reporter, became the first spokesperson of the Presidential Office, and was then appointed second vice minister of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The fact that this appointment is not an internal promotion is interpreted as a sign that Yongsan still does not fully trust the Ministry of Unification.

Kim Soo-kyung, spokesperson for the Presidential Office, appointed as the next Vice Minister of Unification
[Photo by Yonhap News]

Inside and outside the Ministry of Unification, the first key issue is how Kim will take control of the organization. Her political sensibility honed at the Presidential Office is considered a strength, but at the same time, the fact that she has only experienced public service within the Presidential Office is a variable. Questions arise about her lack of experience in public service culture or in actually leading an organization with hundreds of members. Until a few years ago, she was a research fellow at the Korea Institute for National Unification, carrying out research projects as a subordinate, so jumping straight to a position with personnel authority makes senior officials at the Ministry of Unification quite tense.

Her youth also means a short career, which is a challenge. Although Kim is introduced as a 'North Korean human rights expert,' even counting from her time as a research professor at Korea University’s Graduate School of International Studies, it has been less than ten years until her appointment as unification secretary. At 48 years old, she is twelve years younger than the current vice minister. All the directors and bureau chiefs with extensive public service experience are older than her, which brings both hope and concern. Some expect her to demonstrate bold driving force. Lee Jong-seok, who was appointed Minister of Unification in January 2006 during the Roh Moo-hyun administration, was the same age as Kim is now.

An official from the Ministry of Unification said, "Understanding and taking control of the organization comes from experience, so how she demonstrates that is crucial," adding, "There is both hope and concern about whether she can maintain the working atmosphere and address the chronic personnel backlog."