President Roh Moo Hyun has shuffled his cabinet no fewer than thirteen times since being inaugurated. Maybe you can say there were eleven, if you combine the cabinet remakes that took place within the period of a week. On average of once every two months, changing sometimes just one but sometimes even up to five cabinet ministers at a time. The constant changes have become something of a set practice.
The reason for this latest cabinet shuffle is not clear. It looks like it is supposed to strengthen the government's capabilities, but if you look at it closely that will no necessarily be the case. Roh has suddenly started talking about "two year terms." He's saying that after two years the ideas can dry up and people can get lost and lazy in their mannerisms, and so that's why he changed his ministers of Gender Equality, Government Administration and Home Affairs, and Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, and Government Legislation. It is hard to tell whether he is saying the outgoing ministers did him well or not. Subsequently it is hard to tell what is being expected of the incoming ministers. The Government Administration and Home Affairs Minister is on his way out after 16 months, but the Information and Communication Minister is staying on even though he has been around for two years.
Also highly problematic is the decision to change the position of Deputy Prime Minister for Education and Human Resources Development. After much agonizing over a choice following his inauguration, Roh named someone for the position and said he would be in office for the same period as his first minister. By saying so he was emphasizing the need for reform-oriented and consistent education policy. Yun Deok Hong was out after nine months, and now Ahn Byoung Young is leaving after roughly a year. The explanation being given, that "though there were many accomplishments there is a high degree of dissatisfaction with education," is hardly persuasive. There is no way for there not to be dissatisfaction when you are reforming a path through the many entangled issues facing education. It would be a big mistake to think changing ministers is going to make the discontent go away. There are ethical questions about former Seoul National University (SNU) president Lee Ki-Jun, and his choice as new education minister is was not thought through very well. Lee resigned as SNU president after it was discovered he was the member of the board of directors at one of the country's conglomerates, had spent way too much from his expense account, and that his son had avoided military conscription with dual citizenship.
Changes in the cabinet should have clear policy direction and purpose. This latest cabinet shuffle lacks both because ministers are being seen as consumables. The people are worried that it might mean the government is retreating from reform.
The Hankyoreh, 5 January 2005.
[Translations by Seoul Selection (PMS)]
[Editorial] Are Cabinet Ministers Consumables? |
