Lee: "Will Push Forward with Government Reorganization Plans as Quickly as Possible"
Lee Jaemyung, the presidential candidate of the Democratic Party of Korea, announced that he would push forward with government reorganization plans as quickly as possible, including the establishment of a Ministry of Climate and Energy and the separation of budgetary functions from the Ministry of Economy and Finance.
On May 28, Lee met with reporters in the Sinsa-dong area of Gangnam-gu, Seoul, and emphasized the need to establish a Ministry of Climate and Energy. He stated, "Currently, our country needs to move toward an energy transition, but there is no dedicated department for energy, and it is currently handled as part of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy."
Lee's presidential campaign pledge book, released earlier that morning, included the establishment of a Ministry of Climate and Energy as a policy control tower to actively respond to carbon neutrality and the energy transition.
Lee said, "Going forward, our country must make focused investments in the energy transition required by the climate crisis, and an independent ministry is necessary. Environmental issues are also related, and I will quickly establish the Ministry of Climate and Energy by combining these two areas."
He added, "However, since legal revisions are required, it will be difficult to do it in a rush, but I will proceed as quickly as possible."
As part of the broader government reorganization, Lee also stressed the need to clarify the roles of the Ministry of Economy and Finance and the Financial Services Commission. He said, "The Ministry of Economy and Finance also needs to be reorganized," and added, "There is a need to separate its budgetary functions."
He further explained, "In the case of financial policy, the Ministry of Economy and Finance is responsible overseas, while the Financial Services Commission handles it domestically. The Financial Services Commission is in charge of both supervision and policy, so there is a need to clarify these roles." Lee stated, "Beyond that, I do not intend to make changes to most of the existing ministries."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
