[Asia Economy Reporter Ryu Tae-min] In line with President Yoon Seok-yeol's directive to reduce committees affiliated with the president and government to innovate public sector management, the committees under the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT) are expected to be significantly downsized. Notably, MOLIT has the highest number of committees among central government ministries, and more than one-third of its committees have not held a single meeting this year, making large-scale consolidation inevitable.
According to MOLIT on the 6th, there are currently 65 committees under its jurisdiction, of which more than one-third, 24 committees (36.9%), did not hold any meetings from January to May. The average number of meetings during this period was 2.9, with only 16 committees (24.6%) holding three or more meetings.
Various committees were established to reflect diverse opinions on government policies. However, as the necessity for their existence has diminished, many committees have either not held meetings or exist in name only, leading to concerns about budget waste.
Committees that did not hold any meetings include the Infrastructure Management Committee, Urban Regeneration Special Committee, Construction Machinery Supply and Demand Adjustment Committee, Public Land Stockpiling Deliberation Committee, and Public Support Private Rental Housing Integrated Deliberation Committee. In particular, the Yongsan Park Development Promotion Committee, related to Yongsan Park which was pilot-opened last month following the presidential office relocation and is scheduled for temporary opening in September, did not hold even a single written meeting this year. Additionally, some committees such as the Taxi Policy Deliberation Committee and Construction Machinery Supply and Demand Adjustment Committee held only two meetings in total over three and a half years from 2019 to May this year. The Business District Deliberation Committee, established in 2017, did not hold any meetings during this period.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety reported the ‘Government Committee Reorganization Plan’ at the Cabinet meeting yesterday. It is expected that more than 200 of the current 629 committees will be reduced or consolidated. A MOLIT official explained, "Committees with insufficient meeting records, those serving only simple advisory roles, or committees with similar functions are likely to be consolidated."
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