"I Appreciate the Offer, but I Must Decline"...Why Many Refuse Cabinet Posts [For Public Officials, Competence Comes First]

Reasons for Declining Cabinet Positions
Burden of Humiliating Confirmation Hearings
Concerns About Being Labeled as Affiliated with a Particular Political Camp

"I appreciate the offer, but I must decline."

Person A, a former chairperson of a government-affiliated committee and a legal professional, shared that after completing their term as chair, they were offered a cabinet-level position but chose to decline. The government considered both A's public service experience and their prior confirmation hearing when making the offer, but A ultimately refused after carefully weighing the proposal at the time, as well as the potential impact on their future career and social activities.

A explained that they declined the offer because being seen as affiliated with a particular political camp could tarnish their professional image and potentially affect the law firm they belong to whenever there is a change in administration. A stated, "Our firm handles a wide range of cases both domestically and internationally, and there was internal advice that if the firm is perceived as leaning toward a particular camp, it could be problematic in the long run."

National Assembly Party. Photo by Kim Hyunmin kimhyun81@

Experts point out that, aside from the advantages or disadvantages in professional activities caused by political labeling and conflicts of interest, excessive public shaming of nominees during confirmation hearings is a major reason why professionals hesitate to join the cabinet. It is not uncommon to hear that not only the candidates themselves but also their families oppose the nomination process, as the hearings often scrutinize every detail of the candidate's and their family's private lives.

There are also reports that some decline the offer because, even if they manage to pass the confirmation hearing and serve in public office, a change in administration can lead to the denial of the previous government's work and, in some cases, investigations. Professor B, who often hears of colleagues declining cabinet offers, said, "If you continue your research and teach students at the university until retirement, you can maintain your social reputation and enjoy a stable retirement. Most people question the need to get involved in the middle of political strife," adding, "Unless you are a politician, it is difficult to withstand the humiliation that you and your family might face."

The practice of holding humiliating confirmation hearings, with the ruling and opposition parties switching roles as the government changes, is nothing new. Former President Park Geunhye and former President Moon Jaein both criticized the National Assembly's confirmation hearings as 'public trials' and 'humiliation sessions,' and called for improvements to the confirmation hearing system. Furthermore, there has been a growing trend of the National Assembly failing to adopt confirmation reports after holding hearings, causing delays in cabinet formation or forcing the president to proceed with appointments regardless.

While only three appointments were made without confirmation reports during the Roh Moo-hyun administration, the numbers increased to 17 under Lee Myungbak, 10 under Park Geunhye, 34 under Moon Jaein, and 29 under Yoon Sukyeol. Person C, who participated in personnel vetting in a previous administration, said, "Usually, when a cabinet offer is made and consent for vetting is requested, more than half of the candidates express reluctance and decline. Everyone agrees that excessively invasive and humiliating confirmation hearings, the failure to adopt confirmation reports, and other forms of obstruction are discouraging the government from forming and operating its cabinet."

There are ongoing calls for reforming the confirmation hearing process. Shin Yul, professor of political science and international relations at Myongji University, said, "Closed-door hearings, which are being considered as an alternative in some quarters, are inappropriate in terms of the public's right to know. However, while candidates' past illegal acts and violations of the law should be disclosed, humiliating allegations unrelated to these matters should be eliminated."