SEOUL– The Cabinet on Tuesday approved two revised ordinances to set up a personnel vetting unit under the justice ministry, allowing the ministry to take over the role of checking the qualifications of senior position candidates from the presidential office.
The approval, made in a Cabinet meeting presided over by Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, paved the way for the ministry to launch the “personnel information management team” as early as June 7.
The team will be responsible for vetting potential candidates for senior government jobs in the Cabinet and elsewhere. In the past, the role was carried out by the now-defunct office of the senior presidential secretary for civil affairs.
Abolishing the office of the senior civil affairs secretary was one of President Yoon Suk-yeol’s campaign promises amid criticism that the office had been involved in secret investigations into civilians for political and other purposes.
On Monday, the government unveiled a set of measures to curb inflation and stabilize people’s living conditions.
Han urged Cabinet ministers to swiftly implement the measures to ease the economic pain of low-income people hit by high inflation.
Han also called for people to cast their ballots in Wednesday’s local elections and parliamentary elections.
Source: Yonhap News Agency