Known for balanced judgment and strong communication skills; generous to junior colleagues but wears his son's school uniform necktie himself

President Lee Jae Myung on Friday appointed Park Dong-il, director general of the industrial policy bureau at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, as vice minister of the ministry. [Yonhap]
President Lee Jae Myung on Friday appointed Park Dong-il, director general of the industrial policy bureau at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, as vice minister of the ministry. [Yonhap]

Park Dong-il, 56, the newly appointed vice minister of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, is widely regarded as a seasoned policy expert with broad expertise spanning industrial and nuclear power plant policy — and a particular talent for crafting innovative policy solutions.

Park graduated from Jeonju Sangsan High School, earned a bachelor's degree in economics from Seoul National University and a master's degree in economics from the University of Oregon. He entered public service in 1998 through the 40th administrative examination, joining the Ministry of Information and Communication. From 2008, he served at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy in a succession of key posts covering retail, nuclear power, materials and components, and manufacturing policy — including director of the machinery and robot division, director of the nuclear power industry policy division, director of the nuclear environmental division, director of the retail and logistics division, director general for manufacturing industry policy, and director general for nuclear power industry policy.

He has earned a reputation for approaching his work from fresh angles rather than relying on established practice, generating innovative ideas and backing them with objective data and evidence. He is also widely recognized for his ability to communicate complex issues clearly and concisely in ways the general public can readily understand.

Guided by a belief that every problem has a solution, Park is known for his exceptional ability to communicate and mediate — maintaining a sense of balance between competing positions on contentious issues and finding workable paths forward.

Colleagues say he frequently engages in candid conversation with staff regardless of rank, and his approachable personality has made him a trusted confidant for many junior officials seeking personal advice. He is particularly well known for respecting the boundaries of those below him, avoiding unnecessary work directives and refraining from contacting staff outside working hours.

His attentiveness has won him a loyal following among junior colleagues — he once gave a golf cap as a gift to a staff member heading off to study in the United Kingdom, and personally paid a congratulatory gift when another employee's wife gave birth. Yet for all his generosity toward others, Park is notably frugal in his own life: he is known to wear the necktie that came with his son's school uniform.

"He has always carried out difficult assignments with dedication, and his down-to-earth personality has earned him many devoted junior colleagues," a ministry official said. "He also shows genuine consideration for others — avoiding unnecessary work instructions and contact outside office hours."

Born in 1970 in Jeonju, North Jeolla Province. Graduated from Jeonju Sangsan High School; earned a bachelor's degree in economics from Seoul National University and a master's degree in economics from the University of Oregon. Passed the 40th administrative examination. Career posts include: secretary in the telecommunications competition policy division at the Ministry of Information and Communication; secretary in the regional economy coordination division at the Ministry of Knowledge Economy; director of the retail and logistics division, director of the nuclear power industry policy division, director of the machinery and robot division, ministerial secretary, director of the industrial infrastructure coordination division, director of the materials and components equipment coordination division, director of the materials and components equipment cooperation division, director general for nuclear power industry policy, director general for manufacturing industry policy, and director general of the industrial policy bureau — all at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.


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