In the short time since Yoon Suk-yeol’s inauguration, the new South Korean president has pursued policies that can be best summed up under the banner “Anything but Moon Jae-in.” Nowhere has the new administration’s efforts to differentiate itself from its predecessor been more apparent than in its appointments of new economic officials.

Thus far, Yoon has shown a preference for naming professionals and technocrats with lots of experience in their fields. This is a change from previous administrations — liberal and conservative — that have tended to fill key ministerial positions with political friends or prominent university professors.

This difference