Recently, Deputy Minister Yoon In-dae of the Ministry of Strategy and Finance summoned about twenty directors belonging to four countries known as the "Deputy Minister line." He reportedly asked the directors a question and said, "Let's talk openly." It is noted that holding a meeting with the directors gathered to discuss personnel issues, rather than economic policy, is unusual.
◇ The Deputy Minister line, once fierce, is now in a 'sensitive' situation
The structure of the Ministry of Strategy and Finance is largely divided into areas of work such as budget, taxation, policy, international, and finance. Among them, the Deputy Minister's office oversees "economic policy." The Deputy Minister oversees four departments: Economic Policy Bureau, Policy Coordination Bureau, Economic Structure Reform Bureau, and Future Strategy Bureau, as well as their 22 associated divisions.
Deputy Minister Yoon arranged this meeting ahead of the regular personnel appointments for Deputy Directors in mid-March. The Deputy Minister line has long been considered a "department to avoid" among Deputy Directors. The neologism "Jeong-Jo-Gumi," derived from the names of the four departments, is also commonly used. He has been known to have deep concerns about this issue, indicating that it was no longer a matter he could treat as personal.
It is understandable, as the Deputy Minister line was once at the "core" of the Ministry of Strategy and Finance. This position is responsible for framing the structure of the South Korean economy and overseeing related policies. The "Economic Policy Direction," announced twice a year in the first and second halves, and items for the "Economic Ministers' Conference," which acts as the control tower for national policies related to the economy, are also developed here. Going further back, the Economic Development Five-Year Plan, which led South Korea's rapid economic growth since the 1960s, originated from the Economic Planning Bureau's Comprehensive Planning Department, which is the precursor of the Economic Policy Bureau within the Deputy Minister line.
There was also an unwritten rule that anyone capable of becoming the Minister must have worked here. Currently, Choi Sang-mok, who is acting as President and Deputy Minister and Minister of the Ministry of Strategy and Finance, is also from the Deputy Minister line, having served as the 'Director of Policy Coordination' and 'Director of Economic Policy.' This has led to a sense of pride among bureaucrats in the economic sector, considering the Deputy Minister line as the top position.
However, this myth seems only valid for the senior generation. Recently, the departure of a junior ace Deputy Director from the Comprehensive Policy Division of the Economic Policy Bureau has become a topic of interest. He reportedly passed the 5th grade public exam as a top candidate in the financial position last year. He is known to have also passed the Seoul National University Law School entrance exam at the same time but chose the Ministry of Strategy and Finance. Nevertheless, he took the exam again and ultimately chose to attend law school. His previous assignments included the Price Policy Division and the General Policy Division of the Economic Policy Bureau. It seems there were dominant reactions suggesting that his initial assignment was not an easy one.
Anyway, the dozens of directors summoned to this meeting reportedly shared various opinions one by one. It is said that the relatively younger directors were more eager to express their views. However, it seems there were no sharp solutions to be found. Therefore, we listened to the stories of the Deputy Directors, the parties involved, without filtering.
◇ Deputy Directors: “We handle everything without authority, and there's no time to rest”
First, from the aspect of 'work nature.' Deputy Directors with experience in the Deputy Minister line pointed out that they are required to serve as the brains of the entire government but face the problem of "having no authority" first. Deputy Director A stated, "When I call other agencies, most often they respond with, 'Why do you need that?'" He added, "In the past, the power of the Ministry of Strategy and Finance and the Deputy Minister's office was strong, making cooperation smooth. Hence, officials at the level of director and above only think back to those days and question why proper directives were not given to the ministries, while Deputy Directors and the practical staff are working as super 'ul' (乙) begging while they work."
Furthermore, they are in charge of identifying the status and causes of the 'everything' (森羅萬象) without consideration of fields or topics and establishing countermeasures. This leads to a sense of self-deprecation as well. Deputy Director B stated, "Compared to the relevant ministries or other departments, there's a lack of expertise and information, and given the limited time, I spend much time pretending to work rather than actually doing it, which diminishes my work efficiency."
Deputy Director C remarked, "Without actual policy tools like budget or taxation, I must continuously come up with policy ideas, which is very distressing, and since I have to push forward in the direction dictated from above, I feel a sense of self-deprecation."
Dissatisfaction was also voiced regarding 'work intensity.' Deputy Director D stated, "As various issues are frequently published as news, I need to be connected at all times, day or night during weekends," adding, "The Budget Office, which competes with the Deputy Minister's office for workload, has a basic annual schedule set." Deputy Director E noted, "After 6 p.m. and even on weekends, I often receive directives as if it were a weekday, so having dinner with family becomes a dream," and added, "I do not even hope for 'sharp quitting' (on-time quitting); I am not given time to rest."
Amid all this, the lack of 'appropriate compensation' is another grievance. Deputy Director F explained, "I did not take the administrative examination expecting a high salary, so no one is fixated on money," adding, "The overtime pay is approximately 14,000 won per hour, but there are fixed limits on daily and monthly overtime hours, essentially leading to working for free."
Deputy Director G commented, "Although there are compensations like study abroad and promotions at the Ministry level, that only applies to some senior officials, and junior ones gain nothing," lamenting, "Besides, the only incentive is, 'Having experience in the Deputy Minister's office, I will not be sent back to the Deputy Minister's office.'"
So many stories were shared that could not be contained within the article. Perhaps this is a story that those above may already know. Therefore, rather than just analyzing the causes, countermeasures need to be proposed now. Deputy Minister Yoon is reportedly considering a plan to overhaul the current organizational structure of the Deputy Minister's office. The idea involves reorganizing the Economic Structure Reform Bureau into a 'Living Economic Bureau,' responsible for policies related to prices, employment, real estate, youth, welfare, and small businesses.
A Deputy Director told the reporter, "The reasons for the declining popularity of the Ministry of Strategy and Finance's bureaucrats are most pronounced in the Deputy Minister's office organization." It is hoped that the serious considerations and solutions of the Deputy Minister will mark the starting point for overcoming the crisis in public service.