Dialogue with the President Emphasizes Change, Urges "Consider an Efficient Government"
[Asia Economy Reporter Baek Kyunghwan] President Yoon Suk-yeol held a dialogue session with civil servants in Sejong City on the 7th and stated, "Public officials should carry out policies with the mindset of a company." Earlier, through a Cabinet meeting, President Yoon also instructed each ministry to change their working methods and thinking, saying, "If the mindset of public officials does not change, it will be difficult to survive in the economic war." This was based on the judgment that changes among public officials are a priority to support export-oriented economic diplomacy.
On the morning of the same day, President Yoon, who presided over the Cabinet meeting at the Sejong Government Complex, held a roundtable with 150 directors, section chiefs, and administrative officers from various ministries who participated in the annual work report. The session was conducted in the so-called AMA (Ask Me Anything: an event popular in the U.S. where famous figures host online or offline meetings and answer questions from the public without restrictions) format, where civil servants asked questions and the president answered.
President Yoon Suk-yeol is taking a commemorative photo with public officials after concluding the 'Dialogue with the President' held at the Government Sejong Convention Center on the 7th. [Photo by Yonhap News]
Before taking questions, President Yoon delivered a greeting, saying, "As a senior who has served in public office for 26 years, I understand the difficulties of civil servants well, and I respect the long experience of career public officials and decision-making based on science and common sense." He also urged, "Career public officials should focus on which policies benefit the national interest or the daily lives of the people."
At this occasion as well, President Yoon emphasized the need for change among public officials. In response to a question from a section chief of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy asking, "Please share your thoughts on national prestige felt in the process of expanding the global market as the 'No. 1 salesperson' and enhancing our country's presence in the international community," President Yoon said, "Our country has global competitiveness in fundamental industries such as semiconductors, shipbuilding, steel, and automobiles," and added, "Public officials should carry out policies with the mindset of a company."
He continued, "In the environmental sector, while there is a method to strictly limit pollutant emissions, there is also a way to create a clean environment by continuously supporting and nurturing companies that have technologies to purify pollutants," and urged, "The mindset of public officials must change so that they can continuously create economic value in the market, and please consider ways to become a more innovative and efficient government."
He also reiterated the philosophy of governance centered on the private sector and the market. President Yoon explained, "A country where liberal democracy and market economy operate and have companies with competitiveness makes its people wealthy and happy," and said, "If the market operates fairly and companies can actively participate in national policy decisions, the country can develop into a top-tier nation with many world-class companies."
The subsequent luncheon was also conducted in a striking standing style. President Yoon took group photos and selfies with young talents from various ministries and engaged in informal conversations. He said, "Rather than encouraging public officials, it was a precious time where I received great energy," and added, "I will continue to frequently have opportunities to communicate with the public service whenever Cabinet meetings are held in Sejong City."
Earlier, President Yoon instructed each ministry to change their working methods and thinking during the Cabinet meeting. He said, "I mentioned that I am Korea's No. 1 salesperson, but the working methods and thinking of public officials must also change boldly," and noted, "While it takes our competitors three years to build a semiconductor factory, it takes us eight years." He also stated, "To survive in global competition, we must boldly break the existing customs and regulatory frameworks." He then conveyed, "If the mindset of public officials does not change, it will be difficult to survive in the economic war. We must become a more agile and flexible government."
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