Statistics Korea to Implement Small-Scale Organizational Restructuring Next Month... Establishment of 'Statistical Register Division'

Priority Plan to Expand the Statistical Register
Three Additional Staff Members Assigned to 'Goryeong Society Statistics'

[Asia Economy Sejong=Reporter Song Seungseop] The Statistics Korea will reorganize its organization next month. To enhance the usability of the data it holds, it will create a 'Statistical Register Division' and strengthen the 'Aged Society Statistics' function in line with the changing environment.

According to Statistics Korea on the 13th, the Statistical Register Division will be newly established under the Statistical Data Hub Bureau on the 6th of next month. The statistical register refers to lists and information of individuals and companies created using administrative and survey data. It is created to gather scattered data from various ministries in one place to accurately grasp the actual situation in Korea.

Since October 2020, Statistics Korea has officially promoted the Statistical Register Construction Project to enable efficient statistical compilation and active data sharing. Although statistical registers existed before, multiple departments managed them separately depending on the tasks. From now on, the newly reorganized Statistical Register Division will be solely responsible for related work.

The division will have a total of 11 members, with a Grade 4 Senior Secretary serving as the head. Additionally, seven personnel (three Grade 5, two Grade 6, one Grade 7, and one Grade 8) who were in charge of constructing and operating the statistical register in the Administrative Data Management Division will be transferred entirely. Furthermore, one person each for Grades 6, 7, and 8 will be added. Since the division is initially formed with minimal staff, Statistics Korea plans to continuously expand the department size according to demand.

The Statistical Register Division will first work on expanding the existing registers. Currently, the statistical registers have limited items collected, restricting data collection. Once the registers are expanded, more detailed and new statistics can be confirmed even for the same corporate statistics. The division will also work on discovering new registers. For example, the Youth Statistical Register was created on the 21st of last month, aiming to provide customized statistics.

A Statistics Korea official explained, "Data handled by the private sector may have biases because it does not cover all citizens or businesses," adding, "Connecting scattered data not only multiplies its value but also reveals the true nature of the data, effectively supporting policy assistance by government ministries."

Other departments also underwent personnel adjustments. The Administrative Statistics Division strengthened its 'Aged Society Statistics' function in line with the aged society by adding two Grade 5 and one Grade 6 personnel. Instead, one Grade 5 position responsible for 'Employment Statistics' was reduced. The Statistical Data Planning Division secured two additional personnel to enhance data security research capabilities.