Choi Dong-seok, Head of the Human Resources Innovation Office, Expertise in HR Organization and Achievement Prediction Models

The background and official career of Choi Dong-seok, the head of the Ministry of Personnel Management.

On July 20, 2025, the presidential office announced the appointment of Choi Dong-seok, head of the Choi Dong-seok Human Resources and Organization Research Institute, as the head of the Human Resources Innovation Agency. President Lee Jae-myung stated that Choi was selected after comprehensive consideration of his accumulated experience in human resources and organizational management in both the public and private sectors, as well as his policy advisory history. Choi was born in Wonju, Gangwon Province, and graduated from the Department of Business Administration at Sungkyunkwan University. He later earned a master's degree and a doctoral degree in business administration from the University of Giessen in Germany. After obtaining his degrees, he joined the Bank of Korea and worked for about 20 years, leading practical work related to organizational innovation as the head of the Human Resources and Organizational Reform Team. He then moved to the private sector, serving as the vice president in charge of human resources and organization at Kyobo Life Insurance and as a senior advisor. He also worked as a policy advisor for job analysis at the Central Personnel Committee, deeply engaging in the personnel systems of the public sector. Following this, he established the Human Resources and Organization Research Institute and has continued research and practical education activities by presenting a systematic approach to talent selection and organizational management through related publications and lectures. This experience has drawn attention to him as a qualified candidate for the head of the Human Resources Innovation Agency at a time when there is a demand for the overhaul of the personnel system and innovation in organizational culture within the public sector.

Practical experience in personnel and organizational management covering both public and private sectors

Choi Dong-seok, the director, has experience in performing human resources and organizational tasks in both public institutions and private enterprises with a practical focus. During his time at the Bank of Korea, he led human resources innovation projects such as the reform of personnel systems, job analysis, and improvement of evaluation systems. The establishment of standards for organizational restructuring and the strategy for the deployment of internal personnel at that time strengthened his organizational analysis abilities and experience in designing personnel systems. After moving to Kyobo Life Insurance, he carried out strategic human resource planning, including the restructuring of the human resources and organizational structure of private enterprises, the design of a core talent discovery system, and the introduction of a performance-based compensation system. During this period, he launched the introduction of a job-centered personnel system, believing that a human resources system optimized for the company's sales environment and organizational culture was necessary, demonstrating his design ability to connect practical work with policy. Additionally, he served as an advisor to the Central Personnel Committee and participated in government job analysis and position classification reform projects. His advisory activities for the maintenance of the public sector recruitment system based on job standards and the establishment of evaluation criteria for personnel allowed him to accumulate experience in both the theoretical and practical aspects of public sector organizational policy.

Choi Dong-seok Human Resource Organization Research Institute and Public Education through YouTube Activities

After retiring from public office, Director Choi Dong-seok established the 'Choi Dong-seok Human Resources Organization Research Institute' and focused on delivering a comprehensive understanding of human resource theories and practices. In particular, he has been conducting continuous educational activities aimed at the general public and practitioners through his YouTube channel, discussing topics such as 'the perspective of observing people,' 'structures to reduce hiring failures,' and 'directions for organizational management.' His representative lecture content includes titles like 'What Makes Competent People Different,' 'How to Evaluate Public Officials,' and 'Hiring Failures Are the Beginning of Organizational Collapse,' each of which has garnered over 100,000 views and received a positive response among actual HR practitioners and corporate leaders. In his lectures, Director Choi goes beyond simple theoretical explanations to present case-based organizational diagnoses and criteria for evaluating people, focusing on providing practical tools for human resource management. His content particularly emphasizes the establishment of objective criteria to reduce evaluation errors within organizations and the development of competency diagnosis systems for achievement prediction.

Theoretical Structure and Evaluation Method of the 'Achievement Prediction Model'

The achievement prediction model written by Director Choi Dong-seok is evaluated as a competency diagnosis system that compiles his personnel philosophy. This model aims to classify a person's behavioral characteristics and competencies according to structured criteria and scientifically predict the likelihood of achieving performance in specific roles. The achievement prediction model is composed of four main competency groups. First, the instrumental competency group includes basic competencies such as analytical thinking, conceptualization ability, and logic. Second, the abstraction competency group assesses higher-level thinking abilities such as creativity, learning ability, and problem structure recognition. Third, the goal-oriented competency group evaluates internal motivations for achieving results, such as achievement orientation, self-direction, and perseverance in execution. Fourth, the supporting competency group consists of elements necessary for environmental adaptation and collaboration, including confidence, organizational awareness, and flexibility. A total of 16 detailed competency elements are empirically collected through behavioral event interviews (BEI) and diagnosed by quantifying cases based on the respondents' actual experiences. This is designed to minimize the subjective intervention of evaluators and be utilized as a structured assessment tool that can be repeated.

Practical applicability and expected effects of the 'Achievement Prediction Model'

Achievement prediction models are suggested to be applicable to both public and private organizations as they provide objective criteria to reduce personnel failures. In fact, Director Choi has utilized this model in organizational diagnosis projects for the Bank of Korea, Kyobo Life Insurance, numerous small and medium-sized enterprises, and some local governments. This model is designed to reduce bias issues that arise from traditional academic and career-based hiring, increasing the predictability of actual performance through behavior-based competency assessments. The items in the model can be repeatedly applied at various human resource management stages, not only in the early stages of recruitment but also in performance management during employment, leadership evaluation, and promotion eligibility judgments. Additionally, by establishing an internal record system that systematically stores and manages personnel-related documents and behavioral examples, it is expected to enhance the consistency of evaluations within the organization and the utilization of accumulated information. In the public sector, this is particularly recognized as a method that can make a practical contribution to improving fairness in personnel management and establishing a job-centered personnel system.

The value of expertise assessed by the Presidential Office regarding Director Choi Dong-seok

The Presidential Office appointed Choi Dong-seok as the head of the Ministry of Personnel Management, stating that he is a personnel expert whose professional expertise in personnel and organizational management, built up in both public and private sectors, and theoretical and practical integration abilities have been sufficiently verified. It particularly evaluated that his publications, including the achievement prediction model he proposed, and practical application cases will be useful for 'scientific and systematic public official personnel system improvement.' Major tasks he will undertake in the future include enhancing fairness in the recruitment and placement of public officials, spreading a selection method focused on the suitability between job roles and talent, and establishing competency criteria to objectively assess competence and loyalty within organizations. Choi Dong-seok is confirmed to have practical expertise capable of driving structural innovation in the personnel system itself, going beyond merely implementing policies, based on his consistent practical and research work in the field of personnel and organization across the boundary of public and private sectors.