Ministry of Justice, Fair Trade Commission, and Ministry of Government Legislation Work Report
President Yoon: "National Vision and Values Are in the Constitution"
[Asia Economy Reporter Ki-min Lee] On the 26th, President Yoon Seok-yeol repeatedly emphasized government operations with constitutional values and principles in mind, such as liberal democracy and free market economy.
On the morning of the same day, President Yoon stated at the New Year work briefing of the Ministry of Justice, the Fair Trade Commission, and the Ministry of Government Legislation, held at the Blue House State Guest House under the slogan "A country where law and principles stand upright, a fair Republic of Korea where everyone prospers together," "I think it is very meaningful to have a time to put our heads together and discuss and contemplate what principles and philosophy we will use to operate the national affairs in your respective fields this year in order to create a fair country where law and principles stand upright and everyone prospers in the new year."
First, he stressed the point that government operations should be considered with vision and values by comparing it to a company. President Yoon said, "When it is a small company, you can just work hard to make money without being picky," adding, "However, when the company grows, the number of employees increases, the number of business partners increases, and it becomes highly connected with overseas sectors, the company should not operate in that way."
He continued, "Many CEOs always think about the vision and values their company pursues, inform and spread them to employees and those who have many connections with business partners, and try to follow those principles. That is how the company grows bigger, contributes to society, creates more economic value, and makes more money," emphasizing, "It is the same for a country. The vision and values of a country are all written in the constitution."
President Yoon particularly reminded that the Ministry of Justice, the Fair Trade Commission, and the Ministry of Government Legislation are institutions that protect Korea's values and constitution. In this regard, he emphasized, "The Ministry of Justice, the Fair Trade Commission, and the Ministry of Government Legislation are truly institutions that uphold the values and constitution that the Republic of Korea pursues. Freedom, democracy, human rights, and the rule of law are collectively called liberal democracy, and the Fair Trade Commission's role is to properly uphold and manage the principle of free market economy under a fair competitive environment."
At the work briefing that day, Minister of Justice Han Dong-hoon presented five core tasks under the theme of "Global advanced rule of law supporting future prosperity": a safe country from crime, immigration and entry-exit policies, establishment of legal order, building legal order infrastructure, and protection of human rights in blind spots.
The Ministry of Justice plans to introduce a Korean-style "Jessica Law (Jessica Lunsford Act)" restricting the residence of high-risk sex offenders and take the lead in strict punishment of drug and organized violent crimes. In the United States, through the Jessica Law, released child sex offenders are required to wear electronic devices for life and are restricted from residing within about 600 meters of facilities such as schools, implementing measures that simultaneously prevent recidivism and ensure community safety.
The Ministry of Justice also plans to focus on establishing a new Immigration and Entry-Exit Management Agency (tentative name) to contribute to economic growth through visa and nationality policies and strict establishment of stay order, strict punishment of organized illegal acts by interest groups and active repatriation of fugitives abroad, revision of civil and commercial laws, and improvement of medical systems in detention facilities, Minister Han reported.
Following the Ministry of Justice, at the Fair Trade Commission work briefing, Chairman Han Ki-jung announced four core tasks under the theme "A fair market economy where principles stand upright": promoting innovative competition focusing on correcting monopolistic abuses in digital markets such as semiconductors and app markets; strengthening the fair trade foundation for small and medium enterprises and small business owners by improving systems and unfair practices so that SMEs can receive fair compensation; rational operation of large business group systems by rationalizing policies such as designation and disclosure systems; and protecting consumer rights by strengthening consumer safety and rights protection in the digital environment.
Director Lee Wan-gyu of the Ministry of Government Legislation reported five policy tasks under the theme "Supporting Korea's new leap forward actively through legislation": strengthening overall legislative coordination for rapid implementation of national tasks; transitioning the legal system to realize the local era; establishing and spreading the use of "full age" in daily life; revising laws to support socially vulnerable groups such as small business owners; and providing legislative services that communicate with the public and cooperate with the world.
Meanwhile, about 140 people including Minister of Justice Han Dong-hoon, Fair Trade Commission Chairman Han Ki-jung, Director Lee Wan-gyu of the Ministry of Government Legislation, professors, and experts attended the briefing that day. In particular, about 20 people from the private sector and related organizations, including experts on prevention and response to crimes and unfair acts such as sex crimes, drug crimes, and illegal group actions, as well as consumer groups, were present to listen to the opinions and suggestions of the public in the field of justice, fair trade, and legislative policies.
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