From early on in her election campaign Park Geun-hye, president-elect, has spoken out against so-called “parachute appointments,” promising to be fair and transparent in personnel matters.

The term describes the act of appointing close associates and aides to high-level positions within the government and state-run organizations without regard to the concerned individuals’ field of expertise. The practice has long been a part of the country’s political landscape, and has traditionally been more pronounced at the beginning and end of a president’s term.

In a rare moment of frankness, Park criticized the incumbent Lee Myung-bak administration for such practices.

“There is much talk of parachuting officials in state-run companies and agencies regardless of their expertise. I think that such developments should not occur,” Park told reporters on Tuesday, saying that she would use expertise as the main criterion for making appointments.

“(Making appointments regardless of expertise) is a burden on the public, and also on the next government, it is wrong.”

Park’s comments follow a series of “parachute” appointments of Cheong Wa Dae officials at state-run organizations.

In December alone, four presidential secretaries have taken on auditor positions at state-run organizations including the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency, while one has been appointed as the head of the Korea National College of Agriculture and Fisheries.

From the outset President Lee Myung-bak’s term was marked by a series of appointments based on having geographic, academic, religious and professional ties to the president.

So far, the president-elect’s emphasis on fair personnel management appears to have sent a clear message to her closest aides.

In a break from the custom of key campaign aides of a president-elect going onto take places in the transition committee, a number of Park’s closest allies and aides have voluntarily distanced themselves from the center of power.

“As my role has now been completed, I will leave Seoul and rest.” Kim Moo-sung, who headed Park’s General Election Measures Headquarters, in the note placed on his office door on Dec. 21.

Along with Kim, Yeungnam University professor Choi Oe-chool, who is said to be one of Park’s most trusted advisers, has also left Seoul saying that he will concentrate on research, while former chief secretary Lee Hag-jae resigned saying that he will not be taking any appointed posts during the upcoming administration

Park’s style of personnel management and selecting officials, however, comes with its own dangers. She has so far kept all decision making processes to herself, keeping even her closest aides in the dark.

The president-elect is maintaining near-absolute secrecy in naming the transition committee members to the point that committee spokesman Park Sun-kyu was unable to even estimate the timing of the next related announcement saying, “nobody seems to know.”

Whether a result of the selection method, which the opposition has termed “by myself appointment,” or not, the choice of Yoon Chang-jung as her chief spokesman has come under fire from all sides.

Yoon is a former journalist well known for his vehement attacks on the progressive bloc. During the campaign period Yoon referred to former Prime Minister Chung Un-chan and other conservatives who endorsed Democratic United Party’s Moon Jae-in as “political prostitutes.” In referring to Moon and his supporters, Yoon used the terms “anti-South Korean force” and “forces of subversion.”

As such Yoon’s appointment has incited strong attacks from the DUP.

“(Making Yoon the chief spokesperson) is not only dangerous for the new government, but also sufficient to cast doubt on president-elect Park’s sincerity for claims about grand integration,” DUP spokesman Park Yong-jin said in a statement.

By Choi He-suk  (cheesuk@heraldcorp.com)