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| Park Jong-pill, spokesman for the Ministry of Employment and Labor / Courtesy of Park Jong-pill |
By Jun Ji-hye
Park Jong-pill, who was reappointed as a spokesman for the Ministry of Employment and Labor, has been cited by many other civil servants as a mentor.
In 2019, the National Human Resources Development Institute under the direct control of the Ministry of Personnel Management selected Park as a great lecturer for young civil servants, as his lecture about how to write policy reports effectively received good reviews from attendees.
Before being reappointed as a spokesman for the labor ministry at the end of August, he served as a deputy minister in charge of planning and coordination, the post given to a grade 1 civil servant.
His reappointment as a spokesman came as President Yoon Suk Yeol decided to elevate the level of the spokesman post from grade 2 to grade 1 for seven ministries, including the Ministry of Employment and Labor, the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Health and Welfare, with an aim of enhancing communication.
It is the second time for him to serve as the labor ministry's spokesman, as he assumed the post in 2020 when he was a director-level official. It is rare for a public official to be appointed as a spokesman twice throughout his or her career.
The appointment was construed as the Yoon government strengthening efforts to win public consent for labor reform attempts, as Park had taken the lead in drawing up relevant policies when serving as a deputy minister in charge of planning and coordination.
Labor reforms are one of three areas of change President Yoon is pursuing, along with education and pension reforms.
Park is known for his ability to eloquently explain complex issues.
He said he focuses on storytelling when trying to convince and always keeps three rules in mind when working.
"The three rules are creating policies, selling policies and mentoring team members," Park told The Korea Times. "I try to be balanced and rational when establishing policies, and then be strategic to sell those policies to three sectors ― lawmakers, journalists and experts. During this process, I also try to mentor my team members to develop their capabilities."
He also stressed three aspects to promote policies more effectively ― the timing, method and content.
After graduating from Korea University, Park entered the public service in 1995 after passing the 38th Higher Civil Service Examination.
He obtained a doctorate in business administration from Yeungnam University in 2021.
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