[Conditions for Presidential Success in 2022] Short Interview with the Author: ④ "Do Not Be Swayed by Bureaucrats; Control Them Democratically (Jang Seung-jin)"

YouTube Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-B7bt1eUcns

The East Asia Institute (EAI) has launched the project <Conditions for Presidential Success in 2022>, targeting presidential candidates, their campaign teams, politicians, media, and influencers, in anticipation of the 20th presidential election scheduled for March 9, 2022. Following a working paper series, a book has been published. The nine researchers summarize the conditions for success in the roles of head of the executive branch, politics of harmony and coexistence, and balanced national development and communication as 'decentralization, integration, and coexistence.' We present a short interview with the author, along with the web publication of the working paper series, which aims to present the conditions for the next president's success by analyzing the failures of past presidents.

Chapter 4, "Do Not Be Swayed by Bureaucrats; Control Them Democratically" – Jang Seung-jin (Kookmin University)

Read the Working Paper

■ Author: Jang Seung-jin_ Associate Professor, Department of Political Science and International Relations, Kookmin University. He holds a Ph.D. in Political Science from Columbia University. His research focuses on political processes such as elections, political parties, and public opinion. His recent publications include "Opening Up the National Assembly: Institutions and Behavior of the Korean National Assembly" (2020, co-authored), "When Do Voters Judge in General Elections?: Conditional Retrospective Voting in the 21st General Election" (Journal of Korean Political Science, 2020), and "Does Partisan Bias Distort Retrospective Evaluations? An Analysis of Experimental Surveys" (Korean Political Party Studies, 2021).

Video Transcript

When I was writing the chapter, I recalled the scene where the Democratic Party's attempt to provide universal grants to the National Foundation was frustrated by the opposition of the Deputy Prime Minister of the Public Procurement Service. Regardless of who was right or wrong, I saw a crucial policy pushed by the ruling party being frustrated by the opposition of bureaucrats. We often focus on the relationship between the president and the National Assembly, or between the ruling and opposition parties, but just as important is how the president will deal with bureaucrats after taking office, or what kind of relationship they will build with them. This aspect has not been discussed enough. So, I wanted to write about that. The core message is that the most important power a president can exercise to control the bureaucracy is ultimately personnel appointments. Who will be appointed as the head of the bureaucratic organization? This is perhaps the most important, if not the only, power the president holds. In order to encourage bureaucrats to actively cooperate with the agenda pursued by the president and the ruling party, I believe it is necessary to appoint individuals who share the president's philosophy of governance and have a high level of understanding of the president's national agenda. This might be criticized as 'personnel appointments based on loyalty,' but I personally believe that even if such criticism arises, it is crucial for the president to boldly appoint people they can trust and who share their political orientation to key positions, and to delegate sufficient authority and autonomy to those individuals. This will encourage bureaucrats to actively participate in government policies, and ultimately, it is a crucial condition for the president to successfully manage the nation. This is the core of the chapter I wrote. One additional point is that what I am discussing now generally refers to administrative agencies. However, there are somewhat unique institutions in our country, often referred to as 'power institutions,' and the approach to these should be different.

The head of the bureaucratic organization, who will be appointed? This is perhaps the most important, if not the only, power the president holds. In order to encourage bureaucrats to actively cooperate with the agenda pursued by the president and the ruling party, I believe it is necessary to appoint individuals who share the president's philosophy of governance and have a high level of understanding of the president's national agenda. This might be criticized as 'personnel appointments based on loyalty,' but I personally believe that even if such criticism arises, it is crucial for the president to boldly appoint people they can trust and who share their political orientation to key positions, and to delegate sufficient authority and autonomy to those individuals. This will encourage bureaucrats to actively participate in government policies, and ultimately, it is a crucial condition for the president to successfully manage the nation. This is the core of the chapter I wrote. One additional point is that what I am discussing now generally refers to administrative agencies. However, there are somewhat unique institutions in our country, often referred to as 'power institutions,' and the approach to these should be different.

Regardless of who becomes the next president, I have written something slightly different from the general discourse. Personally, I wish they would be a bit bolder. Personally, if the president has a vision for the direction they want to lead Korean society for the next five years, and has been elected through that vision, then even if they face criticism or opposition, I personally hope to see them actively pursue what they want to achieve. Of course, they must take responsibility for the outcomes, but under the premise of taking responsibility for the outcomes, I personally want to see them vigorously pursue the policies and core national tasks that they presented to the voters and for which they were chosen, without being timid. That is my personal opinion.

Regardless of who becomes the next president, I have written something slightly different from the general discourse. Personally, I wish they would be a bit bolder. Personally, if the president has a vision for the direction they want to lead Korean society for the next five years, and has been elected through that vision, then even if they face criticism or opposition, I personally hope to see them actively pursue what they want to achieve. Of course, they must take responsibility for the outcomes, but under the premise of taking responsibility for the outcomes, I personally want to see them vigorously pursue the policies and core national tasks that they presented to the voters and for which they were chosen, without being timid. That is my personal opinion.