Presidential Transition Committee to launch ahead of Yoon’s inauguration

(The Korea Herald/ANN) -- Yoon Suk-yeol of the conservative People Power Party has been elected as the new president of South Korea, and the process of taking over command will begin with the formation of presidential transition committee that will help Yoon draw a blueprint for the new administration.

The committee will help Yoon get to work immediately upon inauguration on May 10 and ensure a seamless transition of power from President Moon Jae-in to his successor. It will be the first time in nine years for a presidential transition committee to launch in South Korea.
According to the Presidential Transition Act, the presidential transition committee will be comprised of one chairperson, one vice chairperson and up to 24 committee members, and Yoon, as the president-elect, will be in charge of making the picks for those positions.
The chairperson is tasked with assisting the president-elect and assume overarching control of the transition process, meaning a figure who clearly understands the philosophies and visions behind the president-elect would be appointed to start drawing a roadmap for a new five-year administration.
Former President Roh Moo-hyun appointed former National Assembly Speaker Lim Chae-jung to lead his transition committee before inauguration, and Lee Kyoung-sook, former president of Sookmyung Women’s University, was named to serve as the chairperson for the presidential power transition committee of Roh’s successor Lee Myung-bak.
Former Constitutional Court chief Kim Yong-joon was appointed to handle the power transition for impeached President Park Geun-hye before she took office. No presidential transition committee was formed before Moon took office, as he was immediately inaugurated upon winning the election held following Park’s impeachment.
The new presidential transition committee for Yoon will the first to form since the last one was assembled in January 2013. The committee by law can run until 30 days after the new president takes office.
Even though it is customary for a new committee to launch around 15 days after the new president is elected, Yoon is believed to immediately embark on the process to discuss ways to adjust anti-virus rules and respond to difficulties stemming from the Ukraine-Russia conflict.
Many have speculated that People’s Party Chairman Ahn Cheol-soo, who dropped out of the presidential race to unite his candidacy with Yoon, will head Yoon’s presidential transition committee as the chairperson, as it is in the interest of the People Power Party to publicly show its will on forming a coalition government upon Yoon’s inauguration.
Rep. Chang Je-won of the People Power Party, one of the key figures behind the successful candidacy merger between Yoon and Ahn, was picked to serve as the chief of staff for Yoon during his time as the president-elect.
Yet Yoon told reporters Thursday that he has not made any final decisions on forming the presidential transition committee, saying he has not had enough time to think on the formation and picks just yet but will start discussions on the matter in coming days.
The president-elect pledged while announcing the candidacy merger with Ahn earlier this month that the two will work together in forming a coalition government, and appointing Ahn to head the transition committee will be symbolic by showing the winner’s will to follow up on the pledge immediately.

(Latest Update March 11, 2022)