Kim Jungkwan's Organizational Experiment: "Even a 30% Cut in Fake Work Revitalizes the Organization"

Formation of "Fake Work" Task Force and Launch of Internal Reporting Channel
"Establishment of Dedicated AX Bureau... Driving Manufacturing Innovation and Industrial Competitiveness"
"Achieving $700 Billion in Exports by Year-End"

Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Kim Jungkwan has made "reducing fake work by 30%" a central theme in the operation of his ministry's organization.

At a year-end meeting held in Sejong on December 17, Minister Kim stated, "It would be best to eliminate fake work entirely, but neither people nor work can be perfect," adding, "I proposed a 30% reduction as a realistic target that the organization can actually achieve."

To ensure that this initiative does not remain a mere slogan, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy has formed a related task force and opened a reporting channel on its internal network, allowing employees to submit cases of unnecessary or formalistic work. Minister Kim explained, "The people who know best what work the ministry should and should not be doing are the employees on the ground," and added, "I want to change the organizational culture based on issues raised by those on the front lines."

Minister Kim repeatedly emphasized that the figure "30%" itself is not what matters. He said, "Eliminating all fake work is the ultimate goal, but if we assume perfection from the start, nothing can begin," adding, "This is a starting point that the organization can relate to and act on." He continued, "Even if we reduce fake work by just 30%, the organization will become much more dynamic and will be able to devote more energy to important policy tasks."

However, there is considerable confusion surrounding the interpretation of this figure. Some point out that it is unclear whether this means 30% of all work is fake work, or whether the goal is to reduce the existing amount of fake work by 30%. Both inside and outside the ministry, the consensus is that this is a symbolic target intended to raise awareness of the issue, rather than a number derived from quantitative analysis. Minister Kim also maintains that the direction is more important than an exact formula.

Minister Kim also provided criteria for what constitutes fake work. He said, "The standard is whether the public would question if these are jobs worth paying salaries for with their taxes," adding, "If the work is necessary and important, overtime is justified, but we need to cut down on formalistic reports and showy tasks that are repeated out of habit." He further emphasized, "The days when employees cannot go home because the minister or director has not left the office must come to an end."

Meanwhile, regarding the presidential work report held on the same day, Minister Kim explained, "Since it is a venue for reporting to the public, we focused on delivering the key message rather than listing every detail." He added, "With only five minutes allotted, we worked hard to reduce formal explanations and deliver impactful messages."

Regarding organizational restructuring, Minister Kim highlighted the establishment of a dedicated bureau for Artificial Intelligence Transformation (AX). He explained, "We are creating a dedicated bureau for AX, and four departments will be responsible for this, some of which are newly established." He added, "AX is not a choice but a necessity for manufacturing innovation and strengthening industrial competitiveness," and stated, "The ministry will take full responsibility for leading this area."

Minister Kim emphasized that the ministry's role next year will be "evaluated based on its ability to implement policies and leadership, rather than the size of its budget." He said, "Restoring the status and role of the organization is important," and added, "Rather than expanding the size of the organization, we will focus on building a structure that works effectively."

Regarding export prospects, Minister Kim expressed a relatively optimistic outlook. He stated, "I believe achieving annual exports of 700 billion dollars will be possible by the end of this month," adding, "There is volatility, but we are close to the target."