Daegu Chamber of Commerce Holds Meeting with People Power Party's Regulatory Reform Task Force... Discusses 37 Issues

The Daegu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Chairman Lee Jae-ha) and the People Power Party's Regulatory Reform Promotion Team (Chairman Hong Seok-jun) held a Daegu policy meeting on the 4th at the Daegu Chamber of Commerce in Dong-gu, Daegu, where university representatives, venture entrepreneurs, and government officials gathered to listen to various regulatory reform voices experienced in the field and discuss regulatory reform measures.

At the policy meeting, more than 40 participants, including People Power Party Regulatory Reform Promotion Team members Kim Byung-wook and Han Moo-kyung, as well as entrepreneurs proposing regulatory reforms, discussed 37 regulatory reform proposals needed in various fields and the difficulties faced.

Daegu area businesspeople and the People Power Party's Regulatory Reform Promotion Team are taking a commemorative photo after holding a meeting.

In particular, officials from seven related government ministries, including the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Employment and Labor, the Ministry of Justice, and the Korea Communications Commission, participated in the policy meeting to listen to regulatory reform proposals from the field and discuss improvement measures.

For some proposals, immediate acceptance responses from the relevant government ministries were obtained, adding significance to this meeting.

Lee Jae-ha, chairman of the Daegu Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said in his opening remarks, "This is the first time since COVID-19 that industry, academia, government, and public sectors have gathered together in the Daegu region," and added, "I hope this will be a meaningful time to share difficulties in the industrial field and seek solutions together."

He continued, "I ask the National Assembly and central ministries to maintain continuous interest so that the regulatory reform proposals mentioned today do not remain just discussions but lead to practical improvements."

He especially requested, "For the revitalization of the Daegu economy, I hope the government and the National Assembly will pay much attention and support future new growth projects in Daegu and Gyeongbuk, such as the construction of the Daegu-Gyeongbuk New Airport, the establishment of the Daegu Mobility Specialized Complex, and the construction of the National Robot Test Field."

At the meeting, improvement proposals were made regarding various difficulties experienced in the field, such as extending the stay period under the employment permit system for foreign workers (under the Ministry of Justice), improving the direct production confirmation certificate procedure for companies in industrial complexes (under the Ministry of SMEs and Startups), establishing safety management guidelines suitable for industrial sites (under the Ministry of Employment and Labor), allowing city gas business service centers to install gas ranges when replacing gas facilities using specific gases (under the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport), and applying regulatory sandbox to regional medical advertisements (under the Korea Communications Commission). Substantive discussions continued through Q&A with government officials.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport responded by accepting the proposal to allow city gas business service centers to install gas ranges in specific gas use facilities. They announced plans to amend the Enforcement Decree of the Framework Act on the Construction Industry to allow installation work and related construction of minor gas appliances fixed to piping, such as gas ranges used in senior centers and other specific gas use facilities, to be performed under the gas facility construction (Type 2) category, considering fairness with general households and safety. Currently, only Type 1 gas facility construction companies are permitted to install or modify facilities in specific gas use facilities.

Additionally, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy accepted the proposal to allow research and development companies within industrial complexes to register sales facilities as ancillary facilities even when producing OEM products of directly researched and developed goods. Currently, only manufacturing companies residing in industrial complexes are allowed to obtain sales business permits as ancillary facilities for products they directly produce.

Regarding the proposal to establish grounds for operating both bachelor's degree and associate degree programs when integrating junior colleges and universities, the Ministry of Education, the relevant authority, expressed acceptance. Currently, there is no basis for awarding associate degrees at universities, which has led to the wholesale abolition of competitive associate degree programs upon integration of junior colleges and universities, thereby shrinking higher vocational education and reducing incentives for mergers between universities and junior colleges.

Hong Seok-jun, chairman of the People Power Party Regulatory Reform Promotion Team and member of the National Assembly for Daegu Dalseo-gap, stated, "South Korea is currently experiencing a decline in growth potential due to population decrease and a sharp decline in the economically active population," and added, "The Yoon Seok-yeol administration is pushing regulatory reform with utmost determination to implement the national philosophy of freedom and fairness as a policy agenda."

Hong emphasized, as President Yoon Seok-yeol pointed out, that "public officials should not act like judges," and stressed, "When complaints come from companies and others, we should not simply judge whether they comply with regulations, but rather utilize the discretion of administrative officials to the fullest extent to consider the direction South Korea should move forward and promote regulatory reform."

Lee Jae-ha, chairman of the Daegu Chamber of Commerce and Industry, concluded the meeting by saying, "Today’s meeting was a valuable opportunity to directly explain the regulations and difficulties experienced in the field to central ministries and receive responses. I ask for continuous attention so that the proposals mentioned today do not remain discussions but lead to practical improvements," and added, "The Daegu Chamber of Commerce and Industry will continue to faithfully serve as a communication channel between the National Assembly, government, and companies."