South Korean President Lee told government ministries that Cheong Wa Dae will loosen its grip on personnel decisions and let departments manage staffing below the level of bureau directors on their own, according to Chosun Ilbo. Under the arrangement, the president's office will hand that authority to the ministries, while the departments themselves bear responsibility for the outcomes, the paper reported.
Speaking to government departments, Lee framed the shift as a step back from presidential involvement in day-to-day operations, a stance khan.co.kr linked to criticism of "만기친람" — a Korean term for a leader who meddles in everything and neglects the bigger picture. The president's message, as khan.co.kr described it, was that Cheong Wa Dae would take its hands off and let ministries act on their own judgment.
Lee also pressed for speed on housing supply, saying the fate of the country rests with the land minister and calling for rapid supply measures, according to Donga Ilbo. Separately, he remarked that installing solar panels on idle farmland can bring in more income than farming, and that the practice could catch on, per a Daum report. In remarks carried by Policy Briefing, he said reform is the reason government exists and that his administration will be judged by actions rather than words.
The personnel change is the most concrete item so far, since it shifts hiring authority below the bureau-director level from the presidential office to individual ministries. What to watch next is whether ministries use that latitude and how the government's performance on housing supply and reform is assessed.
