Kim Yung-rok, the former governor of South Jeolla Province and a leading contender to become the next chief executive of KEPCO (015760), has failed a government ethics review of his prospective employment. With no decision yet on whether to pick one of the two remaining candidates or reopen the search, uncertainty over the utility's leadership has deepened.
The Government Public Ethics Committee said on Sept. 23 that it had reviewed 87 employment applications from former public officials on Sept. 21. Of those, the committee denied approval in 11 cases and imposed employment restrictions in seven.
Kim's prospective appointment as KEPCO chief was among those denied. The committee concluded that the case did not meet the legal grounds for approval, which include employment deemed necessary for national security, strengthening external competitiveness or the public interest, as well as cases where the applicant would have little scope to exert influence after taking the job.
KEPCO's executive recommendation committee had earlier narrowed the field to three candidates: Kim, former lawmaker Oh Young-sik and Lee Jong-hwan, a former KEPCO executive vice president for business operations. With Kim out, attention now turns to whether the government will proceed with the two remaining candidates or launch a fresh call for applicants.
KEPCO said it has yet to receive official notice from the government on the next steps. "At this point we do not know whether the process will continue with the two existing candidates or start over with a new open call," a KEPCO official said. "We will take follow-up action once we are informed of the outcome."
As a result, Kim Dong-cheol, whose term as chief executive ended on Sept. 19, is expected to stay on in the role for the time being until a successor is named.
