Imagine someone whose name changes every five years. Confusion would reign for a while, to say the least. In Korea, changing a person’s name even requires an approval from the court. Situations in other countries are not that different.

Check this out: It was 1993 when the Ministry of Trade and Industry, and the Ministry of Energy and Resources were merged to become the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (known as “MOTIE”). In 1998, the ministry’s name was changed as the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Energy (now “MOCIE”). The ministry then became the Ministry of Knowledge Economy in 2008, abbreviated as MKE. Few foreigners I have met were able to connect the present MKE with the previous MOCIE or MOTIE without being given some explanation.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Finance and Economy (known as “MOFE”) emerged in 1993 as a result of the merger of the then Economic Planning Board and the Ministry of Finance. Through repeated convergence and divergence of portfolios, it became in 2008 the Ministry of Strategy and Finance, abbreviated as MOSF. Again, some explanations are required to help someone understand the lineage.

The Financial Supervisory Commission (“FSC”) was established in 1998 in the aftermath of the financial crisis. The financial regulatory agency also changed its name into Financial Services Commission in 2008 (still the same acronyms of FSC, but a different name). The new name confuses people as to the difference between the agency and the Financial Supervisory Service (“FSS”), an independent, financial regulation watchdog. Likewise, the MOA became MOAFF in 1996, and then MIFAFF in 2008, reflecting its accordion-like fluctuations of portfolios. This ministry is commonly known as the Ministry of Agriculture. Again, some background is necessary to track down all these changes in the agricultural ministry. In fact, the brochures and websites of various ministries usually offer long chronological summaries of these changes ― changes seldom seen in other countries.

And these are all ministries and agencies that frequently deal with foreign entities and governments. If these changes confuse us in Korea, they would handily confound those abroad. It is not uncommon to hear officials from other countries still refer to the Korean ministries by using the old, conventional names. The foreign governments’ or organizations’ reports frequently include parentheses or footnotes to help the readers.

It seems that there is a possibility that these names will change again next February. The platforms of the three presidential candidates call for, though with varying degrees, a reshuffle in the administration through jurisdictional swaps and adjustments, so new changes in names seem to be on the horizon. If this is the case, a new comparison table will have to be compiled ― again.

A stack of information available on websites and from various publications has enabled foreign counterparts to closely watch what is happening in the Korean governmental ministries and agencies almost real-time. Ministry activities and policy changes are promptly picked up. That is not just a situation in Korea, but a global phenomenon brought by IT technologies and transparency enhancement requirements.

Frequent changes of the agency names and jurisdictions may alert these foreign watchers with respect to the predictability and consistency of the domestic policies in Seoul, which are increasingly the focal point of foreign interest in the new regulatory and business environment of the FTAs. Changes and reforms are necessary, but decisions to change governmental organizations should be carefully made by considering all relevant implications instead of simply unveiling them to domestic constituents.

Perhaps even with some changes in jurisdiction, the “official” names of the ministries and agencies should preferably remain the same in the absence of compelling reasons. If the names have to change this time again, then they have to be the ones that can stay for a long time. It is just too difficult for our foreign counterparts to memorize all these tongue-twisting acronyms and understand what their (present) portfolios are. 

By Lee Jae-min

Lee Jae-min is a professor of law at the School of Law, Hanyang University, in Seoul. Formerly he practiced law as an associate attorney with Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP. ― Ed.