Education, Labor, and Pension Reform Reports to be Completed by the 9th
Presidential Office Considering Establishment of Education and Culture Chief Secretary Office
Yoon Emphasizes Speed to Ensure Tangible Impact for the People
[Asia Economy Reporter Ki-min Lee] President Yoon Seok-yeol concluded the New Year’s work reports from the key ministries responsible for the three major reforms in labor, education, and pensions, urging thorough implementation. In particular, President Yoon plans to support the three major reforms and economic response through a reorganization of the Presidential Office.
According to the Presidential Office on the 10th, President Yoon completed the work reports related to the three major reform tasks, starting with the Ministry of Education on the 5th and concluding with the Ministry of Employment and Labor and the Ministry of Health and Welfare yesterday.
Regarding labor reform, the Ministry of Employment and Labor reported on revising the Enforcement Decree of the Labor Union Act to ensure transparency in union accounting, establishing a union accounting disclosure system, expanding the management units for extended working hours and introducing a working hours savings account system, eliminating discrimination against dispatched workers, expanding the scope of dispatched work, and instituting measures to close wage gaps.
The Ministry of Health and Welfare also plans to announce the National Pension financial forecast by the end of this month and, after gathering public opinion, present reform measures to the National Assembly by October this year to advance pension reform.
The Ministry of Education intends to make this year the inaugural year of education reform, promoting four major reform tasks?individualized customized education, state-responsible educational care, education that revitalizes local communities, and talent cultivation?along with ten core policies.
The Presidential Office also plans to reorganize to support the government’s reform task implementation. Specifically, the Presidential Office is considering, at the idea stage, establishing a new Senior Secretary for Education and Culture to alleviate the burden on the Senior Secretary for Social Affairs, who oversees the three major reforms.
Currently, under the Senior Secretary for Social Affairs, there are five secretaries, including the Senior Secretary for Health and Welfare, who is a senior secretary, as well as secretaries for Employment and Labor, Education, Climate and Environment, and Culture and Sports. The establishment of a Senior Secretary for Education and Culture is deemed necessary to expedite the reform tasks.
In addition, instead of a large-scale personnel reshuffle, the Presidential Office appears to be filling gaps. Soon, it plans to establish an International Legal Affairs Secretary responsible for reviewing export-related laws and adjusting legal issues, and a Policy Coordination Secretary who will handle intergovernmental policy communication and coordination related to exports such as nuclear power and defense industries.
The Presidential Office is also working on establishing a Public Service Inspection Team under the Office of the Secretary for Public Service Discipline. This is interpreted as an effort to prevent noise and risks that could arise from lax discipline among public officials at a time when the government must achieve results in reform tasks.
With the blueprint prepared and the reorganization announced, the Presidential Office and government plan to accelerate reform efforts this year. In his closing remarks at the work report yesterday, President Yoon emphasized the speed of reform, saying, "In the new year, we must carry out institutional innovation and reforms that truly need to be changed at a rapid pace. Only then will the people feel the impact." He added, "Even when you are on a boat, you can only feel that you are moving when it goes at a fast speed," underscoring the need for swift progress.
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