South Korean presidential office Cheong Wa Dae is set to replace chief and senior positions at public and state-invested enterprises this week starting with those who had landed the high-paying job on the coattails of former president Park Geun-hye.

Presidential chief of staff Im Jong-seok on Tuesday chaired a human resource recommendation committee to review chief executive positions at public organizations. An official from the presidential office told Maeil Business Newspaper in a phone interview on Monday that the presidential office will make a list of CEOs to be replaced and initiate a reshuffle process by determining recommended candidates. New heads will be selected among the candidates who pass verification processes, he added.

In order to enhance transparency in the personnel appointment, Cheong Wa Dae is expected to additionally receive recommendation from external sources while respecting the ministers’ right to name CEO nominees in umbrella organizations, according to sources. The recommended candidates would have to go through a stern verification process in public. The presidential office would also take firm measures for lax management.

The reshuffle is expected to replace heads of public organizations appointed by the influence of pro-Park factions during the former administration. Some of them have already offered to step down and been waiting for the new government’s final decision.

The Ministry of Strategy and Finance has designated 332 public institutions this year including 35 public companies, 89 quasi-government agencies and 208 others. There are more than 2,000 positions subject to the shake-up.

Traditionally, public attention was drawn on who will be selected to head the most influential institutions such as Korea Development Bank; Korea Exchange; Korea Electric Power Corp. (KEPCO) and its six subsidiaries; Human Resources Development Service of Korea; Korea Electrical Safety Corp.; Grand Korea Leisure; Korea Racing Authority; Korea Broadcast Advertising Corp.; Korea Workers’ Compensation & Welfare Service; Government Employees Pension Service; Korea Investment Corp.; and Kangwon Land.

By Kang Gye-man and Oh Soo-hyun

[ⓒ Pulse by Maeil Business News Korea & mk.co.kr, All rights reserved]