Envoy calls for political neutrality of diplomats
Korean Ambassador to Belarus Kim Yong-ho has openly criticized former senior diplomats who return as Cabinet members or Cheong Wa Dae officials after retiring and joining political camps.
Kim recently posted his opinion on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs intranet, saying such moves prevent junior diplomats from being politi- cally neutral as public officials.
The criticism is of the practice where senior ministry officials retire and join political camps before a presidential election and, if the camp’s candidate wins, they return to the diplomatic sector being appoint- ed as ministers or diplomacy-related secretaries at the presidential office.
“For the last 10 years, some old boys (retired public officials) have made a comeback to Cheong Wa Dae or ministries, making history regress rather than moving it forward. And the foreign ministry was not an exception,” Kim said in the posting.
The 55-year-old said the retirees not making a comeback will help the junior diplomats maintain their political neutrality, and help establish a career civil service system. “Old boys should not return to the field but enter politics as career politicians or remain as advisers.”
Kim also urged fellow and junior diplomats to have open discussions in this new era, indirectly criticizing the closed-door sessions among high-ranking ministry officials organized by Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se, who also became a minister after joining former President Park Geun-hye’s election camp.