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Establishing an Advanced Diplomatic System
Chapter 1
Personnel and Organizational Restructuring 356
Chapter 2
Enhancing Diplomatic Capacity 359
Chapter 3
Improving the Education and
Evaluation System 363
1. Organizational Restructuring Based on Diplomatic Needs
The Ministry has endeavored to enhance its diplomatic capacity with the view to advancing the nation into a globally renowned country in accordance with its vision of a Global Korea.
In 2012, the Ministry established a new department, East Asia Free Trade Agreement(FTA) Bureau, responsible for pursuing a Korea-China FTA, a Korea-Japan FTA, a Korea-China-Japan FTA, and the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership in order to further expand Korea’s global FTA network and continue its leading role in regional economic integration in East Asia.
ASEAN is Korea’s second largest trading partner with the bilateral trade volume reaching US$131.1 billion in 2012. As the exchanges and trade between Korea and ASEAN continue to increase rapidly in recent years, the Ministry established the Republic of Korea Mission to ASEAN to lay a solid foundation for fostering economic
Chapter 1
Personnel and Organizational
Restructuring
Establishing an Advanced Diplomatic System Chapter 1 Personnel and Organizational Restructuring
ties and comprehensive cooperation that includes regional and security issues.
In addition, the Ministry set up an Embassy in Mozambique where the Korea Gas Corporation discovered another large gas field jointly with ENI, Italian national oil and gas company, in 2012. A new Consulate General was also established in Chennai, India, whose economy has grown 7% annually for the last decade and attracted such Korean companies as Hyundai Motor Company, Samsung Electronics and their respective partner companies.
The Ministry added a Global Green Growth Team, tasked to conduct “green diplomacy” to expand green growth movement globally. In 2012, Korea became the host country for the Green Climate Fund’s Secretariat, played a major role in launching the Global Green Growth Institute(GGGI), one of the first international organization in Asia and the only IO dedicated to green growth, and established the Green Technology Center Korea; thus forming a so-called “green triangle” that combines the crucial elements of strategy, fiance, and technology.
Moreover, in view of increasing cyber threats to the Governments, companies and NGOs around the world, the Ministry created a new division for information security to increase protection for its network management system.
2. Establishment of Human Resources Management System based on ‘Openness’, ‘ Fairness’, and
‘ Competition’
With its introduction of ‘sweeping measures for restructuring and reforming the HR management system and the organization aimed at realizing a fairer MOFAT’ in October 2010, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MOFAT) introduced various systems that would promote competition as well as increase openness in the HR system based on fairness. As the groundwork laid over the past two years, the reform measures have improved the predictability and transparency of the HR system and have served as incentives for employees to develop their individual skills and
capabilities, thus revitalizing the Ministry.
The Open Position System, which was introduced to strengthen diplomatic competitiveness by recruiting experts, applies to 10 director-general/director positions at the MOFAT headquarters and 14 minister-level positions at overseas diplomatic missions. Applicants for the Open Position System undergo a rigorous selection process led by a committee which includes civilian members. This kind of competitive system contributes to enhancing the competitiveness and professionalism of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
MOFAT applies the same rigorous selection process as the Open Position System to selecting DGs. The process consists of job posting, document screening and interviews.
Furthermore, with the introduction of the Draft System for Directors, director-generals may select their directors away potential candidates. The system is a competition- based HR system that is governed by demand and supply based on objective criteria such as language, skills, career and performance, not on favoritism or nepotism. It was devised to provide director-generals with greater control over the organization and broader authority over HR. Moreover, applicants for the director positions can assess their reputation within the organization. It serves as an incentive to develop their individual capabilities and contributes to the enhancement of the organization’s mid- and long-haul capabilities.
Establishing an Advanced Diplomatic System Chapter 2 Enhancing Diplomatic Capacity
1. Strengthening Diplomatic Capability through
‘ Communication’ and ‘Cooperation’
MOFAT created an online system for the purposes of cooperation and exchange of information among former and current employees of overseas missions including external personnel, providing support to those deployed for a smooth transition(adjustment) overseas as well as improving work capabilities. Furthermore, MOFAT plans to continue its efforts to expand and develop the cooperation system by strengthening intercommunication among diplomatic-related personnel in order to boost diplomatic collaboration.
Chapter 2
Enhancing Diplomatic Capacity
2. The Establishment of the Korea National
Diplomatic Academy to Cultivate Global Foreign- Service Officers
The Korean Government adopted a new system for recruiting diplomats to realize the ideal model of foreign-service officers expected by contemporary society. The new recruitment system improved upon the former foreign-service exam in two respects. Firstly, the new recruitment exam will assess a candidate’s ability to engage in strategic and comprehensive thinking. Secondly, diplomat training programs will aim to cultivate human resources equipped with capabilities tailored for their respective positions.
Accordingly, the paper-based form of the former foreign-service exam has been replaced by the “Recruitment Exam for Foreign-service Officer Candidates.” The recruitment exam aims to assess the flexible communication skills, strategic thinking and negotiation skills of the candidates. For this aim, KNDA was established on March 1, 2012 to provide a one-year-long education and training program for selected diplomat candidates. At the same time, the legal ground for recruiting diplomat candidates was provided through the partial amendment of the “Decree on the Appointment of Foreign Service Officials” on November 27, 2012, and other continuous efforts to improve the relevant laws were made, including the creation of new regulations on the details of the recruitment examination in the “Decree on the Appointment Examination of Public Servants.”
KNDA has had two major focuses since its establishment. First is to increase the public’s understanding and awareness of the newly created recruitment system, and the second is preparing the educational curriculum for the diplomat candidates who pass the recruitment exam.
The Government held two introduction sessions for the public on December 29, 2011 and July 27, 2012. These two sessions aimed to prevent confusion that might result from the elimination of the conventional foreign-service exam and to promote the public’s awareness of the new recruitment system.
During the second session, more than 650 participants attended the session, showing a high level of public interest in the new system. Also, the Chancellor of KNDA, Byung-kook Kim, visited thirteen universities around the country and had the opportunity to explain the new system and the curriculum of KNDA to university students.
Also, believing that the diplomats who will lead the country in the 21st century need complex capabilities, KNDA has been developing a curriculum in which value, knowledge, and competency are well integrated. The curriculum will utilize teaching methods incorporating case studies and simulations, which stretch beyond the accumulation of knowledge, in order for the diplomats to develop the capability of strategic and critical thinking. Housed within KNDA, the Institute of Foreign Affairs and National Security (IFANS) carries out strategy and policy research analysis and will be actively utilized to develop leading diplomatic competencies though interaction with the education and training programs of KNDA.
Based on such efforts, the first examination for diplomat candidates will take place in 2013, and the candidates who pass the exam will participate in the regular program of KNDA starting in December as the first trainees of the Academy.
Furthermore, as the demand for complex approaches to diplomacy has increased in the rapidly changing global environment, the education and training system needs to be improved not only for the newly recruited diplomats but also for current foreign- service officers. Thus, KNDA has been creating a career development system centered on values and leadership in order to cultivate CEO-style diplomats who can actively respond to the ever changing diplomatic environment. Also, in December of 2012, KNDA established the competency model for diplomatic public servants, including the newly appointed chiefs of overseas missions as well as newly recruited staff of the Ministry of the Foreign Affairs and Trade.
In addition, KNDA will strengthen the function of IFANS in building the policy community by recognizing the increasing importance of public diplomacy in the wake of globalization, democratization and digitialization. At the same time, in order to actively respond to the policy demands of the Ministry amid the dramatically changing diplomatic environment, KNDA will strengthen IFANS’ capabilities in developing
Establishing an Advanced Diplomatic System Chapter 2 Enhancing Diplomatic Capacity
recommendations on how to make foreign policies in the mid- and long-term as well as on how to react to short-term issues.
3. Establishment of a Computerized Management System for Diplomatic Missions in Korea
The Korean government has established a computerized data processing system called
‘Diplonet’ in order to substitute the previous management system for Privileges and Immunities affairs of Missions in Korea which had been operated manually, such as ID card issuance, vehicle registration and tax exemption of diplomats. The 'Diplonet’
system was officially launched on May 1, 2012.
※ ‘Diplonet’ is a compound word of ‘Diplomat’ and ‘Network.’
Diplonet orientation for members of the Missions in Korea held on March 15, 2012.
The introduction of the Diplonet system resulted in improved accuracy, efficiency, and transparency of tasks in the Privileges and Immunities affairs of 128 Missions and over 2,000 members of Missions in Korea. Moreover, the system has enhanced the convenience of the Missions since it enables the Missions to track the registration process in real time through online operation.
Diplonet orientation for members of the Missions in Korea held on March 15, 2012
Establishing an Advanced Diplomatic System Chapter 3 Improving the Education and Evaluation System
1. Enhancement of the Heads of Mission Evaluation System
With its introduction in June 2011 to create a more objective and systematic assessment of the various performances of heads of mission, the Heads of Mission Evaluation System (HMES) allowed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade to successfully carry out its first evaluation of the annual performance of 152 heads of mission in early May 2012. The HMES is based on relative evaluation principles, pursuant to the general rules of the performance appraisal of civil servants. It has been designed to encompass the overall diplomatic activities of the heads of mission including political, economic, and consular affairs, etc.
Based on the experience of the first evaluation, the Ministry sought the opinions of evaluation experts and diplomatic missions abroad, and made improvements to the evaluation system, which has been expressed in the revised version of the ‘Directive on the Evaluation of Heads of Mission (MOFAT Regulations 210, 2012.10.10.)’. This
Chapter 3
Improving the Education and
Evaluation System
revision streamlined the evaluation process, including the consolidation of 33 detailed measures into 26. It also began to assess autonomous projects initiated by the heads of mission themselves. The new evaluation of autonomous projects allowed the heads of mission to carry out diplomatic activities more suitable and customized to the respective countries where they have been assigned.
The HMES accelerated a fair competition among the heads of mission, leading to overall enhanced performance and increased competency by enhancing interaction and cooperation between the MOFAT headquarters and diplomatic missions abroad.
2. Conducting the Diplomatic Competency System
In response to the growing demand for greater professionalism and competency in foreign service officers, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MOFAT) introduced the Diplomatic Competency Assessment System in 2005, and established, the Office of Diplomatic Competency Assessment in 2007 (renamed as Diplomatic Competency Assessment Division in August 2012 due to the revisions to the MOFAT and Affiliated Organizations Setup Enforcement Rule) to manage the Diplomatic Competency Assessment and the Diplomatic Competency Development Program.
In 2012, the Diplomatic Competency Assessment Division (DCAD) conducted competency assessment for 82 candidates for Senior Foreign Service Officer (Senior FSO) positions, evaluating six areas of competency (networking, negotiation, crisis management, coordination & integration, strategic thinking and change management).
The DCAD also conducted a process of competency assessment of 81 candidates for counselor-level positions, evaluating five areas (networking, negotiation, crisis management, conflict management, and performance focus). In addition, it screened 105 candidates for the special recruitment of foreign service officers.
All candidates are assessed on the required competency for each level, employing various methods such as role-play, presentations, and report writing in diplomatic situations that simulate actual cases in the workplace. The assessment group is
comprised of relevant outside experts and former ambassadors. The assessment is linked to personnel management such as the promotion and recruitment of foreign service officers not only enhancing efficiency and objectivity of human resource management but also encourages them to develop their competency.
In the case of failure in a level of assessment, the DCAD arranges in-depth feedback interviews with the assessors to review their assessment result and help improve their competency.
For the candidates for Senior FSO and counselor-level positions, the DCAD offers the Diplomatic Competency Development Program prior to the assessment in order to give them an opportunity to review and improve their competency.
The program consists of two modules: online classes via Internet and offline classes with instructors. The offline classes, in particular, offer a better learning experience through the active participation of students in simulation exercises and basic lessons on competency theory, thus reaching beyond the scope of one-sided traditional learning.
The DCAD continues to develop diplomatic competency models in keeping with international standards through benchmarking good examples of other advanced countries, and to improve the diplomatic competency assessment system and competency development program. With all these efforts, the DCAD will enhance the diplomatic competency of foreign service officers and strengthen the competitiveness of MOFAT.
Establishing an Advanced Diplomatic System Chapter 3 Improving the Education and Evaluation System
