Former Minister of Gender Equality and Family Kim Hyun-sook has secured a job as the associate dean at Soongsil University starting in February. Additionally, Lee Ho-seung, former head of the Economic Policy Office in the Moon Jae-in administration, has received approval to work as an outside director at Samsung Biologics starting in March.
The Government Public Officials Ethics Committee disclosed the results on the 5th regarding employment applications from 89 retired public officials who requested employment reviews in January this year.
Among the retired public officials deemed eligible for re-employment by the ethics committee that day were former Minister Kim and former Deputy Minister Lee, as well as former Commissioner Yoon Tae-sik, who received approval to work as an outside director at Lotte Insurance.
On the other hand, Lee Chan-woo, who retired from the Financial Supervisory Service in July 2022, has received approval for employment as the chairman of NH Nonghyup Financial Group.
Conversely, the ethics committee determined that seven individuals were denied employment, while six were classified as restricted from employment.
Former Deputy Mayor of Seoul Ryu Hoon, who retired in June 2022, requested an employment review to become an outside director at Xi S&D, a real estate comprehensive service company that is a subsidiary of GS Engineering and Construction, but was denied employment. The ethics committee judged that the duties Ryu performed during his public service were closely related to the business of the company he was seeking employment with.
The ethics committee also ruled against employment for a case involving a local administrative official in Geoje, Gyeongnam, who retired in November last year and attempted to take a position as chairman of Micom Construction. In addition, executives from the Daegu-Gyeongbuk Advanced Medical Industry Promotion Foundation, a health researcher from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, and three level 4 officials from the Ministry of the Interior and Safety also received rulings of non-approval for employment.
Former Head of the Office for Government Policy Coordination Koo Yoon-cheol, who retired in June 2022, was notified of employment restrictions. He sought to work as an outside director at Samsung Life Insurance, but the ethics committee found a close connection between the duties of his department and the company he intended to join during the five years prior to his retirement.
Meanwhile, the ethics committee requested the competent court to impose fines for eight cases where individuals employed themselves without undergoing a prior employment review, even though they were subject to the review.