Jo Yong-beom, 54, the new Vice Minister of the Ministry of Planning and Budget, is a career budget official who has held a string of key posts in the Budget Office. In addition to budget expertise, the communication skills Jo showed while serving as Spokesperson of the Ministry of Economy and Finance are cited as a strength.
Born in Jeju, Vice Minister Jo entered public service by passing the 39th administrative exam and, since the former Ministry of Economy and Finance (MOEF) era, steadily worked through major Budget Office posts, including director of budget standards, director of administrative budget, director of agriculture, forestry and maritime budget, director of budget policy, director of overall budget, director of social budget review, and director-general for overall budget review. In Dec. last year, Jo rose to head of the Budget Office, and in Jan. this year, as the Ministry of Planning and Budget and the Ministry of Economy and Finance were separated, served as the inaugural head of the Budget Office at the Ministry of Planning and Budget.
Jo was promoted to Vice Minister seven months after becoming head of the Budget Office. As a result, Jo remains a rare Budget Office chief who did not finish compiling the main budget. During a short tenure, however, Jo swiftly put together a so-called "war supplementary budget" totaling 26.2 trillion won and led the drafting of next year's budget plan of "800 trillion won + alpha," more than 10% larger than this year's main budget. To secure resources for expanded fiscal spending, Jo also began a high-intensity expenditure restructuring to cut discretionary spending by 15% and mandatory spending by 10%. Jo also actively pushed forward the long-debated reform of the grant-in-aid (earmarked tax) for local educational finance.
Vice Minister Jo is regarded as having handled duties based on clear budget principles and meticulousness. While strict to the details during internal budget reviews, Jo is known to mingle freely with staff and carefully look after junior officials.
A junior official said, "During daytime budget reviews, prioritizing principles and meticulousness kept staff on edge, but in the evenings, going around by division to arrange gatherings, Jo became a friendly senior offering encouragement." The official added that Jo kept steady communication with staff even when outside schedules piled up during the budget compilation season.
Because of this, Jo enjoys deep trust within the organization. From 2013 to 2015, while serving as a Director at the Ministry of Economy and Finance (MOEF), Jo was selected by junior officials for three consecutive years as a "boss to emulate" and was inducted into the "hall of fame." Jo is also credited with successfully handling Spokesperson duties at the ministry, backed by a trademark wit.
▲ Born 1971, Jeju ▲ Seoul National University, law ▲ 39th administrative exam ▲ University of Wisconsin, LL.M. ▲ Ministry of Economy and Finance, director of overall budget; director of budget policy; director of agriculture, forestry and maritime budget; director of administrative budget; director of budget standards; director of trade coordination; Digital Budget and Accounting Planning Group, Head of Team for overall planning ▲ Asian Development Bank Institute (ADBI), senior specialist ▲ Office of the President, Senior Administrative Officer, Economic Policy Office ▲ Ministry of Economy and Finance, Spokesperson ▲ director of social budget review ▲ director-general for overall budget review ▲ Ministry of Planning and Budget, head of the Budget Office