[ED] Tap right people for Cabinet jobs

Cabinet reshuffle should not be abused to save troubled leaders

President Yoon Suk Yeol’s reported plan to replace several members of his Cabinet either later this month or in early July sparks soul searching about Cabinet reshuffles. The start of the 22nd National Assembly is a known reason that has motivated Yoon to contemplate replacing some of his ministers with fresh faces. Among others, six ministers — including Minister of Science and ICT Lee Jong-ho and Interior Minister Lee Sang-min who were appointed by President Yoon in his first year in presidency — are expected to be replaced.

Yoon’s reason for the reshuffle, if true, makes little sense.

Two years in the same jobs are far from too long to stay in the posts. If someone has been in a certain position for two years, the person may feel comfortable about doing their job, but there are still many things they need to learn. There is a lot more to catch up on, when and if the position requires job holders to demonstrate a great deal of leadership skill, as well as a thorough grasp of complex issues and ability to find solutions, like Cabinet ministers. Therefore, replacing ministers just because they were in the same jobs for two years doesn’t sound necessary at all. There would be other plausible reasons that have triggered President Yoon to consider a Cabinet reshuffle in this critical time period while the ruling camp is still reeling from the humiliating election results.

The best-case scenario for a sitting president will be that they appoint the right people for the right jobs and let their picks stay in the post all during their presidency. If their picks turn out to be unfit, despite thorough pre-selection screenings, the president has no other option but to replace them. Nobody would blame the leaders if a reshuffle is conducted in consideration of this principle.

Despite this, however, replacing Cabinet ministers still should be minimized and taken as a last resort, because frequent reshuffles will do more harm than good. They not only hinder effective implementation of policies but also create an unnecessary leadership vacuum.

In Korea, Cabinet reshuffles have been misused frequently.

President Yoon and his predecessors have changed their Cabinet members when they felt the need to turn the tide in their favor. Cabinet reshuffles came when their popularity hit lows or when they were in a quagmire over disadvantageous election results or mismanagement of state affairs.

This reflects that Korean politicians view Cabinet reshuffles as a chance to regain the public’s trust, rather than filling crucial government posts with the most qualified people.

Ministers’ notoriously short tenures are directly related to politically motivated reshuffles. A study finds that ministers’ average job retention stands at merely 14 months, meaning that the average minister leaves the post slightly a year after they took office. With this figure, policy continuity and smooth implementation of key policies are hardly expected.

Frequent reshuffles also waste taxpayer money. Once a person is nominated for a certain Cabinet position, the National Assembly has to arrange a confirmation hearing to verify the nominee’s qualifications, both at the professional and personal levels. A task force is set up inside the ministry to prepare for the confirmation hearing. Some nominees drop out before, during or after the confirmation hearing as their past irregularities or flawed ethics — or both — are made public. If this happens, the president should find another nominee. A leadership vacuum lingers in the ministry. All this translates into the spending of taxpayer money.

A Cabinet reshuffle is not a remedy for troubled leaders. It should be about appointing the right people for the right jobs. Selecting well-prepared people for key positions will not only help the government spend taxpayer money wisely, but also help the appointer — in this case the president — have a tight grip on state affairs. The importance of placing capable, proven people in Cabinet posts cannot be overstated.

Political scientist Hahm Sung-deuk shared his insight into Cabinet reshuffles to underscore why picking the right people for Cabinet posts matters for presidents.

“Presidents will find it easier to succeed in their jobs, if their Cabinet picks turn out to be successful. It’s not that a successful president begets successful ministers. Rather the opposite may be true. The more capable the ministers, the more likely the president would succeed in presidency,” he said.