In a meeting with leaders of the Democratic Party today, President-elect Lee Myung-bak said he would push for changes in Korea’s civil service law to allow the government to employ foreigners as civil servants in important policy making positions.
Lee Seung-hee (that would be the DP lawmaker, not the Playboy model) noted that she’d brought William Ryback, the Deputy Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority, to Korea as deputy head of the Financial Supervisory Service, but that his role was limited by his position as a mere “special advisor.” Appealing to the president to use Ryback to his fullest, President-elect Lee responded by noting the Civil Service Law has yet to be changed, so capable foreigners have not be hired as civil servants.
He then said, “I will propose to change the law so that foreigners, too, can be hired as civil servants.”
Current laws restrict civil service employment for foreigners to contract professors and researchers. It does not allow them to serve in positions where they can exercise state power, decide policy or deal with national security and science and technology.
According to OhMyNews, when Park Sang-cheon, the leader of the DP, tried to add, “With the exception of sectors with national secrets,” Lee suggested even that limit was unnecessary, saying, “Even after their term is over, foreigners keep secrets well.”
It looks like Lee has big things in mind for David Gordon Eldon, chairman of the Dubai International Financial Center Authority and co-chair of the presidential transition team’s special committee on national competitiveness
OhMyNews is predicting “controversy.” I’m sure there will be one, but as for how big, I don’t know — it appeared the DP, a minor opposition party granted, agreed for the most part that the government should be allowed to hire foreigners as officials. We’ll have to wait to hear what the United New Democratic Party has to say about it — I’d image they’ll be split.
For me, well, I’ll be honest — hiring foreigners as civil servants makes me somewhat uncomfortable. And I say that as a foreigner. Perhaps it strikes me as a little too 19th-century imperial? I don’t know. Anyway, hiring foreigners in the private sector? Fine. The government contracting work to foreigners? Fine. But putting foreigners in positions of political power with authority over national policy? I don’t know about you, but I’d prefer to reserve those sort of positions for citizens.
That being said, I guess having foreigners in high-ranking positions didn’t turn out entirely shitty for Hong Kong and Dubai. Who knows — it might turn out well here, too, I suppose. And in the event that the law does change, I happily offer my services as either foreign minister or Cheong Wa Dae national security advisor. And although it would be a bit below me, I’d be willing to consider Korean ambassador to Washington, although I’d prefer to head the UN legation in New York — better for weekend architecture photos and all that. Anyway, just give me ring — I’m sure NIS has my number somewhere.
26 Comments
where do we send resumes???
why stop there. let foreigners become presidents too.
I was going to offer to fill that spot, too. But I thought it might come off as a bit arrogant.
Can they form a Special Committee on Anma Inspections? I’d be glad to “spearhead” that one (pun intended).
Africans and Asians, particularly Chinese/Japanese need not apply. (not that I disagree with that notion).
“Foreigners” really mean western Europeans or North Americans.
Before everyone rushes in with their resume, consider that, should anything go amiss anywhere in the vicinity a waegook’s Korean government job, guess who will get the tar and feathering?
The more I think about it, the more the stupider the ideal this seems. Foreign civil servants will have a hard time surviving Korea’s dirty politics. Political rivals are constantly looking for dirt on each other, and the foreigners will be easy pickings.
#7 I agree. Once a foreigner messes up, he/she can be easily replaced with less controversy.
IMHO, if a foreigner is more qualified, I dont see why not. It’s time Korea sees outside the box and get some breath of fresh air. I think us Koreans in general are too close-minded and think that our ideas are more superior/important than others.
I thought they had already.
Having a policy where Koreans can hire foreigners for the civil service, in most cases allows overseas koreans will expertise and foreign citizenship to work in the Korean civil service. There are many well connected overseas Koreans that would like like the benefits of Korean citizenship without any of the downside.
It’s a great idea, but one which won’t work.
Both Hong Kong and Dubai have a history of having been British colonies. The social and legal “technology” behind the operation of both places’ commercial functions is primarily borrowed from the English-speaking world and adapted to local circumstances — although the owners are Chinese and Arab, respectively, Hong Kong and Dubai’s fundamental “operating systems” come from the English common law. Their institutions’ internal logic and self-concept are comprehensible to the minds of persons coming from the English common law. Plus, the local people are already accustomed to the idea that the British may know better how to operate their own technology.
Korea is a different animal altogether. Unless LMB intends to import more advanced legal culture, which he can’t do unless he’s President for 15 years instead of 5, putting foreigners “in charge” of parts of the Korean machinery won’t bring all that much in the way of change. The bureaucracy will lose all focus on getting work done, and devote all energies to ejection of the irritating foreigners.
Ethnic-Korean foreign citizens might have an easier time, but the more likely they are to survive the infighting (i.e., the “more Korean” they are), the less likely to bring meaningful change.
I think you’re right. But be that as it may, when the post “Minister of Mountain Spirits” is created, as it inevitably will, they know whodda call…
Korean organizations hire non-Koreans(usually American and European white males) in the hope that will impart their knowledge and experience and thus improve their organization’s work processes, etc.
However, these non-Koreans usually spend their days making English presentations, trying to relay their employer’s position to overseas customers, and more or less warming the seat. The reason being that the bureacracy in the organizations that hire them more or less limit their scope of activity. Thus the non-Koreans being contract workers realize that it’s better to keep their heads down, blend in, and receive their monthly paychecks instead of trying to make waves in an organization that doesn’t like its people making waves.
Also, I’ve witnessed a meeting where an Englishman came in and IMO gave some very good advice on how to best proceed with a certain on going issue. The Koreans in the meeting just nodded their heads. When I received a minutes of meeting from the guy who was recording the meeting there was no mention of the English guy giving the advice and the action items did not reflect the guy’s advice.
#14 I read somewhere that the old Chosun dynasty preferred to utilize skilled and knowledgeable visiting foreigners as court jesters and buffoons. Evidently not a lot has changed.
Good analysis by Brendon and mins. I worked as a director at Samsung and although I used Korean in my work, it was abundantly clear that Kyopo and foreigner alike were not to make waves. In fact, the imperative for Koreans and foreigners alike appeared to be survival by clinging to a manager on his way up via obu obu (obsequious arese kissing). I saw the writing on the wall with regard to the hard times Samsung would eventually face under Pres. Roh Mu Shik and left just before the snot hit the fan.
The foreign employee or contractor can expect to confront a serious lack of support, and a self-serving hypercompetitive back stabbing culture in which only the most underhanded survive.
As one Korean commentator stated about Korean lack of organizational cohesion, the Japanese are like a rock while the Koreans are like sand.
Used to be a director at Samsung? Quite a risk-taker you are, leaving a career job and coming back to the States. Are you an early retiree?
‘and receive their monthly paychecks instead of trying to make waves in an organization that doesn’t like its people making waves.’
just like the real world. too bad we can’t live in a perfect one.
‘Used to be a director at Samsung? Quite a risk-taker you are, leaving a career job and coming back to the States. Are you an early retiree?’
he seems to like to talk about japan, perhaps he was an exec at toyota.
For once I’m with pawikirogi. Organizational dynamics exist in Korea and everywhere else in the world where organizations exist.
Lol, I’m far from retired, and the director level position at Samsung could never be a career position as I do not hold Korean citizenship.
Brendon, speaking of organizational dynamics, there are significant differences in corporate governance between Samsung and other companies. The social dynamics are also quite difference. Samsung is sort of an abberation in the business world.
Check out evolutionary biology. “The Mind of the Market” is worth a read. Its thesis is that businesses must be “moral” in order to survive. Companies like Enron are the exception, and, as we all know, their unethical practices resulted in eventual collapse. I assessed that Samsung in its present form cannot survive and I was anxious to remove myself from a business environment in which business practices were fundamentally corrupt and substandard and we were instructed to continuously purge documents.
mins: “Also, I’ve witnessed a meeting where an Englishman came in and IMO gave some very good advice…When I received a minutes of meeting from the guy who was recording the meeting there was no mention of the English guy giving the advice and the action items did not reflect the guy’s advice.”
Another tactic is to isolate foreign contractors by having them report to English-speaking low-to-mid level employees on whom they depend for translation. Mid level personnel then sift through and report only the facts that confirm the biases and foregone conclusions of upper management. No dissenting opinions may be expressed and any fact that may contradict the biases of a Dept VP must be purged before reaching said VP.
Funny you should mention that. I have indeed already read this book. And it fits my experience with clients, which is that most “corporations” are nothing more than collections of people — good and bad, I guess, but mostly good. Contrary to the thesis of the Democratic Party, I’ve found that most corporations are moral. As a company lawyer I have not once been asked for assistance in finding ways to break the law.
@20 man let me tell you about mandatory, paranoid (read unnecessary), paper-shredding and file deletion lately…
I don’t know about your non-Korean clients, but Korean corporations will obviously never ask a non-Korean lawyer on sensitive matters that might not be legal. To them it is tantamount to hanging out the dirty laundry for all to see.
Fair enough. Korean corporations are loath to consult a non-Korean lawyer on anything at all, really. I just thought it would be impolitic to say that foreign clients haven’t asked for help in breaking laws.
“Contrary to the thesis of the Democratic Party, I’ve found that most corporations are moral.”
That’s your thesis, and does not represent the thinking of Democrats whose administrations have statistically been better for the economy and whose positions are generally more moderate…but that’s a subject for another thread I suppose.