South Korea watchdog flags ‘revolving door' in agencies
April 16 (Asia Today) -- A South Korean civic group said more than 90% of re-employment applications by retired public officials from key government agencies were approved, highlighting persistent concerns over a "revolving door" between regulators and industry.
According to a report released Wednesday by the Citizens' Coalition for Economic Justice, 142 out of 156 re-employment reviews involving former officials from the Ministry of Science and ICT, the former Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning and the Korea Communications Commission were approved between January 2015 and July 2025.
That translates to an average approval rate of 91%, with the Ministry of Science and ICT recording the highest rate at 93%, followed by the former ministry at 87.5% and the communications regulator at 83.3%.
The report found that many former officials moved into industry-related organizations such as associations and trade groups. Of the 142 approved cases, 63 involved such organizations, followed by private companies with 39, public institutions with 18 and law, accounting and tax firms with 14.
The group said the pattern reflects a typical "revolving door," where officials who once worked in regulatory bodies later join organizations representing the industries they oversaw.
It warned that associations and industry groups often act as de facto lobbying channels, allowing former officials to maintain policy influence after leaving public service.
A key issue cited in the report was the frequent use of an "expertise" exception clause under the enforcement decree of the Public Officials Ethics Act, which allows re-employment based on professional knowledge and experience.
The civic group said the provision is interpreted broadly and has effectively become a catch-all justification for approving most job transitions, failing to adequately prevent potential conflicts of interest.
Under current rules, employment restrictions apply only to work related to duties performed within five years before retirement, a limitation critics say allows former officials to bypass restrictions by avoiding direct links during that period.
The post-retirement employment ban is also limited to three years, which the group said reduces its effectiveness.
The organization called for reforms including extending the review period to at least 10 years, lengthening the employment restriction period to five years or more and expanding oversight to include newly established companies.
It also urged greater transparency, including disclosure of review materials from the Public Officials Ethics Committee.
The group said repeated re-employment of former officials risks weakening the oversight role of regulatory agencies and entrenching a system in which regulators can later serve as protectors of corporate interests.
-- Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI
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Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260416010005181
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