Will the Yoon Administration Continue the Government's Lowered Threshold for 'National Petitions'?

Symbol of Moon Administration 'National Petition' to Continue Operation Until Last Day of Term
"Important Role as a Space for People’s Appeals"
Recognized for Positive Functions Such as Social Public Discussion and Legal Amendments
Attention on Whether Yoon Administration Will Inherit National Petition... Transition Team "Discussing Improvement Plans"

On August 19 last year, President Moon Jae-in directly responded to a public petition on the occasion of the 4th anniversary of the introduction of the 'National Petition'. Photo by the Blue House National Petition Board capture.

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Hyun-joo] As the national petition system, symbolizing the Moon Jae-in administration, came to an end on May 9, the day of President Moon's departure, some citizens expressed their regrets. The national petition system has served as an active communication channel connecting government ministries and citizens, leading to various legal reforms such as the Yoon Chang-ho Act. Attention is now focused on whether the Yoon Suk-yeol administration, with three weeks left before its inauguration, will inherit the national petition system.

The Blue House national petition system was launched on August 19, 2017, marking 100 days since the Moon Jae-in administration took office, with the purpose of "the government answers when the people ask." Posts are officially published after receiving prior consent from 100 people, and if a petition receives more than 200,000 endorsements within 30 days, the Blue House and government ministries respond accordingly.

The national petition board was originally scheduled to close on May 9, one month before President Moon's term ended. Considering the 30-day endorsement period, petitions posted after this date would be difficult for the current government to respond to, even if they received over 200,000 endorsements.

However, following President Moon's directive, considering the original purpose of the petition board, the national petition system continued to operate until May 9, the last day of his term. According to the Blue House on the 13th, President Moon recently stated in an internal meeting that "the national petition board not only plays a role in resolving petitions but also serves as a space for citizens who have no proper place to voice their concerns to appeal."

Earlier, on the fourth anniversary of the national petition system in August last year, President Moon expressed his affection for the system in a video response, saying, "The national petition system is a direct communication platform where the government responsibly answers the earnest voices of the people," and added, "Although there are petitions that cannot be resolved or are beyond the government's authority, I want to emphasize the importance of having a place where citizens can appeal."

President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol is announcing the second cabinet at the briefing room of the 20th Presidential Transition Committee in Tongui-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, on the 13th.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

However, it remains uncertain whether the Yoon Suk-yeol administration will continue the national petition system. The U.S. Obama administration’s petition system, "We the People," which served as a reference model for Korea’s system, became ineffective after Donald Trump was elected president.

Although criticized for becoming a battleground for political disputes, the national petition system has been recognized for its positive functions. The "Yangcheon-gu Child Abuse Case," where a 16-month-old child was adopted, repeatedly abused, and died, was brought to public attention through petitions posted on December 17, 2020, demanding punishment for the abusive adoptive parents, and on January 5, 2021, calling for the dismissal of the responsible police chief and officers. The system also played a significant role in raising awareness of digital sex crimes that outraged many and the issue of apartment demolition near the Kimpo Jangneung World Heritage site.

The so-called "Kim Sung-soo Act," which abolished the mandatory reduction of sentences due to diminished mental capacity, and the "Yoon Chang-ho Act," which strengthens penalties for drunk driving, were also initiated through national petitions. Thanks to this, the national petition system has been evaluated as an active communication channel connecting citizens and government ministries and as a complement to direct democracy.

In this regard, the Presidential Transition Committee (PTC) announced that it is discussing improvement measures to preserve the communication purpose of the national petition board. On the 18th at 2 p.m., Won Il-hee, the PTC’s senior deputy spokesperson, said at a press conference in Tongui-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul, "We are conducting a comprehensive review to maintain the purpose of public communication and to avoid unnecessary conflicts."

Currently, the PTC operates a petition board similar to the national petition system called "What the People Want from the President-elect" to gather public opinions. As of 1:30 p.m. on the 19th, 49,828 posts had been uploaded to this board on the PTC website. The "National Proposal Center," an institution for collecting public opinions, has also officially launched. At the launch ceremony on the 4th, Ahn Cheol-soo, head of the PTC, expressed his commitment to public opinion gathering, saying, "Whether it’s computers or human work, accurate input leads to accurate results," and added, "We must listen precisely to the voices of the people so that they can be translated into policies that the people truly want. I hope this will become a good foundation for accurately understanding public sentiment."