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By Lee Hyo-sik
Staff Reporter
Career soldiers, high-ranking government officials and politicians have
been dominating the top posts of state-run corporations over the years,
while only a few have been promoted from within to run companies.
Before the Kim Young-sam Administration was inaugurated in 1993, career
soldiers ran the majority of public firms. But since then, politicians
and bureaucrats have become CEOs of many public corporations.
Analysts say the much-highlighted reckless management of some state-run
companies is often attributable to the so-called politically-influenced
``parachute personnel management.'' They say it is almost impossible to
restructure state-run banks and other public firms unless their
personnel appointments are carried out in a more rational and
transparent manner.
Among 301 former and incumbent heads of Korea Electric Power Corp. and
23 other public corporations over the years, 45.2 percent, or 136, were
high-ranking government officials, followed by career solders with 22.9
percent, or 69. A total of 66 politicians, or 21.9 percent, have run
state firms.
However, those who began a career within the organizations and assumed the top posts totaled 14, or 4.7 percent.
Among 24 public firms, only eight companies, including the Korea
Development Bank and the Korea Water Resources Corporation, had CEOs
who were promoted from among their executives, not appointed from
outside.
Before former President Kim Young-sam took the country's highest office
in 1993, nearly 40 percent of 165 heads at 24 state-run firms, or 56,
were career solders. But after 1993, only 9.5 percent of 136 public
company heads, or 13, had military backgrounds.
On the other hand, an increasing number of bureaucrats and politicians
have assumed top positions of public corporations during the past three
administrations.
About 57.4 percent of 136 top posts of public firms, or 78, went to
high ranking officials of the Ministry of Finance and Economy, and
other ministries over the past 15 years. Before the Kim Young-sam
Administration, the ratio was 35.2 percent.
Also, 47 politicians, or 34.6 percent of the total, have managed
state-run corporations during the 15-year period. Before 1993, only 19,
or 11.5 percent of the total, took the highest posts of state-run
companies.
Seoul National University professor Kim Jun-ki said it is problematic
that nearly all employees of state-run firms do not have a chance to
become top manager no matter how talented they are or how hard they
work.
``Compared to their counterparts in advanced countries, Korean workers
of publicly run corporations face much difficulty in becoming CEOs. It
demoralizes employees, increases worker discontent and reduces
corporate efficiency,'' he said.
Kim noted most top posts of public companies have been reserved for
bureaucrats and politicians as rewards, adding the government should
speed up the privatization of state-run firms and establish a
transparent personnel appointment system for public companies.
leehs@koreatimes.co.kr
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