Presidential Office: "No Review or Plans to Privatize Public Enterprises" (Update)

[Asia Economy Reporter Baek Kyunghwan] On the 27th, the Presidential Office stated regarding the privatization of public enterprises, "The government has never considered it and currently has no plans to pursue it." This was in response to the Democratic Party of Korea's offensive claiming that the Yoon Seok-yeol administration is pushing for the privatization of public enterprises.

A Presidential Office official told reporters on the same day, "I clearly state that it has never been considered," regarding the privatization of public enterprises.

The controversy over the privatization of public enterprises arose after it was confirmed that Kim Dae-gi, Chief of Staff to the President, included in a book published in 2013 the idea that "there is a need to sell some shares of Incheon Airport and Korea Railroad Corporation owned by the government." On the 17th, during a National Assembly Steering Committee session, Kim explained in response to opposition lawmakers' questions about the book's content, "In the case of Incheon International Airport Corporation, it is not about transferring operational rights to the private sector, but like Korea Electric Power Corporation, the government holds the shares and manages it; however, the idea is to sell about 30-40% of the shares to the private sector."

In response, a Presidential Office official drew a line, saying, "It is the personal opinion contained in a book from 10 years ago," and "It does not represent the policy direction of the new government."

Earlier, on the 19th, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance Choo Kyung-ho also stated during the National Assembly Budget and Accounts Special Committee comprehensive policy questioning, "The privatization of electricity, water, railroads, and airports has never been considered since the new government took office, no instructions to consider it have been given, and there are no plans to do so in the near future."