Yoon asks new vice ministers to ruthlessly fight cartels with vested interests

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol instructed newly appointed vice ministers Monday to “ruthlessly” fight against “cartels with vested interests,” his spokesperson said, referring to corruption among public officials.

“Our government is an anti-cartel government,” Yoon said. Yoon gave the instruction during a luncheon with 13 new vice minister-level officials after presenting them with certificates of appointment, according to a written briefing by Lee Do-woon.

Yoon called on the new vice ministers to be loyal to the spirit of the Constitution, saying both domestic and foreign affairs should be conducted in the spirit of the liberal democratic Constitution. “Be loyal to the state, the nation and the constitutional system. What topples a democratic society from the outside is totalitarianism and socialism, but what topples it from the inside is corrupt cartels,” he said.

“I am not saying you should switch horses, but that you should ride your horses properly in the spirit of the Constitution,” Yoon was quoted as saying.

The remarks by Yoon are said to be aimed at the Ministry of Science and ICT. Yoon’s appointment of former secretary for science and technology Cho Seong-kyung as first vice minister of Science and ICT reportedly indicates his determination to dismantle the research and development (R&D) budget cartel that he recently criticized. As the secretaries trusted by Yoon are expected to move to relevant ministries as vice ministers and take the lead in the destruction of the cartel, the government circle is reportedly on alert.

Yoon has been referring to the war against cartels with vested interests lately. Similar comments were made during a meeting with senior presidential secretaries held before the luncheon with the vice ministers, multiple officials said. “At the meeting with senior secretaries, President Yoon emphasized the need to break the cartel, which has become a social structural problem,” said a key official in the presidential office.

The Yoon administration has already launched audits targeting the solar and nuclear power mafia and has strongly criticized labor unions, finance and communication sectors for their “predatory power cartel.” More recently, Yoon directly pointed out to Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Education Lee Ju-ho the cartel between the private education industry and government officials in the university entrance exam, continuing the so-called “war against the cartel with vested interests.”

Yoon also urged the new vice ministers to wield the sword of bold personnel changes. “Whether it’s a government organization or a business organization, the most important thing is to evaluate people,” Yoon said, asking them to “always accurately evaluate the job performance of subordinate organizations and public officials.”

This suggests a large-scale personnel reshuffle in the ministries where the vice ministers have been appointed. The new vice ministers were appointed to 11 ministries, including the Ministry of Economy and Finance, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, Ministry of Science and ICT, Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Unification, Ministry of Employment and Labor, Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and Ministry of SMEs and Startups.

Meanwhile, Yoon observed an after-school program at an elementary school in Suwon, south of Seoul, on the same day and said, “I (think) that taking care of the elderly is purely a matter of welfare, while caring for children is a matter of education,” he said. “It is the job of the government and education authorities to expand the range of choices so that education seekers can learn more about what they want.”

Yoon also had a meeting with parents, teachers and newly appointed Second Vice Minister of Culture, Sports, and Tourism Jang Mi-ran. “It is very fortunate that this kind of after-school program provides opportunities for children to learn various fields and adapt to them,” he said.

Yoon, who has emphasized the role of public education in college entrance exams, said, “Everything should be normalized. We must normalize school education. Schools should be the main center for raising children, and we should not spare various institutional and financial support needed.” He emphasized that public education should be the focus from elementary school onwards.