Separate Report on '20 National Tasks'... Forming 'Key Task Management TF' to Accelerate
President Yoon Chairs Cabinet Meeting in Sejong: "Public Officials Must Change Methods and Mindsets"
"To Survive Competition, We Must Boldly Break the Framework of Practices and Regulations"
[Asia Economy Reporter Baek Kyunghwan] President Yoon Suk-yeol on the 7th instructed each ministry to change their working methods and mindset, stating, "If public officials' mindsets do not change, it will be difficult to survive in the economic war." He judged that the change of public officials is a priority to support export-oriented economic diplomacy. To focus on the government's key tasks, President Yoon also ordered a separate report on the '20 priority tasks' and the formation of a 'Priority Task Management Task Force (TF)'.
On the same day, President Yoon presided over a Cabinet meeting at the Government Complex Sejong in the morning and said, "Exports, investment attraction, and advanced science and technology cooperation are the core of economic diplomacy, and all our systems must be aligned with those of developed countries that live well," delivering this request.
President Yoon Suk-yeol is entering the Cabinet meeting held at the Government Complex Sejong on the morning of the 7th. [Photo by Yonhap News]
President Yoon emphasized the change of public officials that day. He said, "I mentioned that I am Korea's No. 1 salesperson, but the working methods and mindset of public officials must also change boldly," and mentioned, "It takes our competitors 3 years to build a semiconductor factory, but it takes us 8 years." He also stated, "To survive in global competition, we must boldly break the existing customs and regulatory frameworks." He added, "If public officials' mindsets do not change, it will be difficult to survive in the economic war. We must become a more agile and flexible government."
He also reiterated the whole-of-government follow-up measures that he has been emphasizing since last month's overseas trips. President Yoon said, "We had in-depth discussions on how to create markets, how to manage markets fairly, and what incentives to provide so that the private sector can create various products, services, and economic values based on autonomy and creativity," adding, "We must make Korea the best innovation hub and align all our systems with the global standards of developed countries that live well."
President Yoon also ordered prompt disaster relief, including dispatching rescue personnel, to Turkiye, where thousands of casualties have occurred due to a major earthquake. He said, "It is only natural to help our brother country Turkiye," and added, "I hope each ministry actively cooperates in helping and supporting this disaster."
Earlier, President Yoon instructed the rapid dispatch of rescue personnel using our military transport aircraft and the swift provision of emergency medicines. He also urged close cooperation with Turkiye authorities through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and local diplomatic missions. In the early morning of the day, President Yoon released a message saying, "I feel deeply sorry for the people of Turkiye and Syria who are going through difficult times. Korea expresses deep condolences to those who have lost their loved ones."
At the Cabinet meeting that day, as the New Year's work reports concluded, the 20 key national tasks to be prioritized were also reported. In particular, to fully implement the priority tasks, it was decided to form a 'Priority Task Management Task Force (TF)' within the Presidential Office, led by Chief of National Planning Lee Gwan-seop. The 20 priority tasks were selected according to the four keywords presented by President Yoon in his closing remarks of the work report: ▲Reform ▲Export ▲Global Standard ▲Science and Technology. Five tasks, including education reform, were judged to be 'collaborative tasks' requiring coordination among ministries. The '3+1 reform' tasks were designated as the three major reforms of labor, education, and pensions, plus government reform.
The Presidential Office cited detailed tasks of 'government reform leading innovation' such as agile and flexible government, elimination of formalism, spread of performance-oriented culture, and realization of a digital platform government. Economic tasks included macroeconomic stability, normalization of the real estate market, fostering promising export sectors, promoting export drives led by small and medium enterprises, export and future industrialization of agriculture, forestry, marine, and fisheries, fostering startups and ventures to realize Startup Korea, and strengthening competitiveness of the financial industry. The Presidential Office stated, "We will closely collaborate and manage with ministries step-by-step from planning priority tasks, preventing risks, checking progress, to achieving results."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
