[Govt Watch in] "Worried About Changes in Work Culture"... Civil Servants Anxious Over Launch of Ministry of Climate and Energy

Issues Raised Over Inter-Ministerial Regulatory Interpretation
Concerns About Confusion in Promotion and Personnel Systems
Stress from Burden of Duty Integration
Public Enterprises Closely Watching Impact of New Ministry

Subtle tensions are emerging within the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and the Ministry of Environment over the government's plan to establish a new "Ministry of Climate and Energy." Despite the rationale for integration and high policy expectations, frontline officials at the center of these changes are increasingly concerned about organizational culture clashes, confusion in personnel systems, and policy consistency.

"We interpret regulations differently, and I'm worried our ways of working might change." An official at the Ministry of Environment said this, noting that issues over regulatory interpretation between ministries are likely to arise first during any organizational restructuring. He added, "Even for the same climate policy, each ministry interprets regulations a bit differently, and there are differences in how work is handled. This can affect the tone of reports and cause communication problems even in minor things like meeting styles."

Working-level officials at the section chief level also agreed about these cultural differences. Another Ministry of Environment official explained, "The Ministry of Environment is known to issue the second most regulatory interpretations after the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. I understand that there have been many clashes with the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy over issues like the distribution of diesel vehicles and the emissions trading system." Recently, there have been frequent requests for regulatory interpretation regarding the Clean Air Conservation Act. In January this year, the Ministry of Government Legislation interpreted that acid treatment facilities in semiconductor manufacturing plants are considered emission facilities and therefore must be equipped with automatic stack monitoring devices under Article 17, Paragraph 5 of the Enforcement Decree of the Clean Air Conservation Act.

There is also a sense of burden due to the integration of duties. A director-level official at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy said, "Both climate and energy are important tasks for future generations, but at the end of the day, organizations are run by people. The stress from changes in the existing personnel system, as well as the sheer volume of work, is significant." A working-level official at the Ministry of Environment confided, "At first, there were concerns that the Ministry of Environment might be diminished, but after the appointment of the environment minister, I understand that officials at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy are having similar worries."

Government Complex Sejong./Photo by Hyunmin Kim kimhyun81@

There are also considerable concerns regarding the personnel system. One official at the Ministry of Environment said, "Promotions and personnel matters are the most sensitive issues, even if no one says so. Honestly, if a new ministry is created, some people will want to transfer there. However, if it is merged with certain departments of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, where personnel bottlenecks are already severe, there is anxiety that promotions and personnel moves could become even more difficult."

Working-level officials at affiliated agencies of each ministry are also closely watching the impact of the organizational restructuring. An official at Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power, who requested anonymity, said in a phone call, "If the energy department of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy is transferred to the Ministry of Climate and Energy, there are concerns about whether the operating life of nuclear power plants or regulations might be tightened. If the new ministry puts more emphasis on climate than energy, there is no choice but to consider the possibility that nuclear-related policies could be scaled back."

An official at a public institution under the Ministry of Environment also said, "If a new organization is created, for example, the power generation sector could be separated. Although no one says it out loud, there seem to be concerns about the possibility of the organization being split again." A director-level government official commented, "Government organizational restructuring always comes with strong justification, but reality is complex. Building trust between ministries should take priority over simply changing nameplates."