Kang Seung-woo

In the wake of a political controversy involving former presidential aide Kim Dae-nam, President Yoon Suk Yeol's campaign pledge to eliminate "parachute appointments" already seems to ring hollow in his second year in office. The practice refers to people with political or business backgrounds being brought in to fill high-level government positions despite a lack of expertise.

Kim has stirred up controversy for allegedly asking a left-leaning YouTuber to smear Han Dong-hoon ahead of the ruling People Power Party's national convention in July, reportedly because first lady Kim Keon Hee dislikes him.

However, Kim's recent and lucrative appointment as standing auditor for Seoul Guarantee Insurance, following his tenure at the presidential office, is attracting even greater attention. His annual salary, ranging from 240 million won ($177,000) to 360 million won, has drawn criticism, particularly given his lack of relevant experience.

The practice of parachute appointments is one that no previous administration has managed to abandon. Regardless of political affiliation — conservative or liberal — once in power, administrations continue to engage in widespread patronage, distributing positions like heads of public institutions, standing auditors and executive directors to their political allies. Former President Moon Jae-in campaigned on a promise to eradicate such unqualified appointments, but after taking office, he faced continued criticism for perpetuating the practice, with some claiming his administration was even worse than former President Park Geun-hye in this regard.

While Kim's case is the most recent example, the Yoon administration, which was once highly critical of the Moon administration's nepotism, is now under growing scrutiny for cronyism itself. According to media reports, political figures made up 80 percent of the standing auditor appointments at 25 public institutions during the early part of the Yoon administration.

It has been revealed that all of the 44 officials who served in the Yoon administration — in the past two years — successfully found new jobs in financial institutions, public companies and major firms.

According to Rep. Chung Il-young of the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), 17 of these officials transitioned to major companies, 11 to public institutions and eight to the financial sector.

Moreover, Rep. Lim Mi-ae, a fellow DPK lawmaker, found that 24 parachute appointments have been made at affiliate organizations under the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, with appointees with ties to Yoon, his wife Kim Keon Hee or the ruling People Power Party.

Additionally, there are rumors that Kim Oh-jin, a former first vice minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport who oversaw the relocation of the presidential residence, and Kang Hoon, a former presidential secretary for policy and public relations, are set to lead Korea Airports Corp. and the Korea Tourism Organization, respectively. Kang, a former journalist, has no relevant experience.

The National Assembly should not be exempt from public scrutiny. Although it has been repeatedly proposing bills to end the practice, all have been scrapped. Lawmakers, when in opposition, strongly advocate for such reforms, but once in power, they quietly reverse their stance. This practice of turning senior positions in public institutions into rewards for politically sidelined individuals must no longer be tolerated.

When executive positions in public institutions are reduced to the spoils of regime change, the competitiveness of these organizations inevitably declines. Leaders without legitimacy cannot reform inefficient management and often resort to colluding with labor unions to merely complete their terms.

It is time to break away from the outdated practice of appointing defeated politicians to senior positions in public institutions as a form of reward and instead focus on identifying and appointing experts with both competence and integrity. By setting an example through appointments in public institutions, society at large can be encouraged to embrace innovation and challenges, ultimately enhancing the nation's global competitiveness.

The writer is the business desk editor at The Korea Times.