Launches on the 16th at Gwanghwamun, Seoul... Larger in Scale Than During the Moon Jaein Administration
Vice Chairpersons: Kim Yongbeom, Jin Sungjun, and Bang Kiseon Appointed
Seven Division Heads Named: Park Hongkeun, Jung Taeho, Lee Choonseok, Lee Chanjin, Choi Minhee, Lee Haesik, and Hong Hyunik
Six Incumbent Ruling Party Lawmakers Included
Operates for 60 Days, Finalizes Top 100 Policy Tasks
President Lee Jaemyung Expected to Announce Results at a National Briefing Session
The National Policy Planning Committee, which will serve as the transition team for the Lee Jaemyung administration, has completed the selection of three vice chairpersons and seven division heads and will officially launch on the 16th at its office in Gwanghwamun, Seoul. Six members of the National Assembly from the Democratic Party have also been named as vice chairpersons and division heads. They will be responsible for designing the "Top 100 Policy Tasks" for the five-year Lee Jaemyung administration. The National Policy Planning Committee is expected to begin its full operations with briefings from government ministries. Once the Top 100 Policy Tasks are finalized, President Lee is also expected to hold a direct report to the public in the form of a "National Briefing Session."
According to the National Policy Planning Committee and the Presidential Office on June 12, Chairman Hanju Lee, who was appointed by President Lee on June 5, has finalized a total of 10 members, including three vice chairpersons and seven division heads. The vice chairpersons are Yongbeom Kim, Chief of Policy at the Presidential Office; Sungjun Jin, Policy Committee Chair of the Democratic Party; and Kiseon Bang, Chief of the Office for Government Policy Coordination. This composition mirrors that of the vice chairpersons who participated ex officio in the "National Policy Planning Advisory Committee" during the Moon Jaein administration. During the operation of the committee, these individuals will serve as bridges between the Presidential Office, the ruling party, and the government.
The seven division heads for each field have also been confirmed. The National Policy Planning Committee is divided into the Planning Division, Economic Division 1, Economic Division 2, Social Division 1, Social Division 2, Political and Administrative Division, and Foreign Affairs and Security Division. This is one more division than during the Moon Jaein administration. Park Hongkeun, a four-term Democratic Party lawmaker, has been named head of the Planning Division, which oversees all divisions. Taeho Jung, a Democratic Party lawmaker who served as Senior Secretary for Job Creation in the Moon Jaein administration, has been appointed head of Economic Division 1. Choonseok Lee, a Democratic Party lawmaker, has been appointed head of Economic Division 2.
Chanjin Lee, a lawyer at Jeil Joint Law Office, will head Social Division 1. Lee is a Judicial Research and Training Institute classmate of President Lee and worked together with him in the Labor Law Society. He also served as defense counsel in President Lee's "Ssangbangwool North Korea Remittance Allegation" trial. Minhee Choi, a Democratic Party lawmaker, has been named head of Social Division 2. Choi served as a member (Economic Division 2) of the National Policy Planning Advisory Committee during the Moon Jaein administration, later chaired the Korea Communications Commission, and is currently serving as chairperson of the Science, ICT, Broadcasting, and Communications Committee in the 21st National Assembly.
Haesik Lee, a Democratic Party lawmaker, has been appointed head of the Political and Administrative Division. Lee served as Chief of Staff for President Lee during the 21st presidential election and is considered a candidate for Minister of the Interior and Safety in the new administration. Hyunik Hong, former President of the Korea National Diplomatic Academy, has been named head of the Foreign Affairs and Security Division. Hong is known to have assisted in designing President Lee's foreign affairs, security, and unification policies. There is also speculation that both Lee and Hong may be appointed to cabinet positions in the new administration.
This National Policy Planning Committee is both larger and will operate for a longer period than the "National Policy Planning Advisory Committee" during the Moon Jaein administration. First, the division of the social field into two has increased the total number of divisions by one. The number of division members will increase to 55, which is 21 more than the 34 members during the Moon Jaein administration. Accordingly, the number of expert advisors and support staff is also expected to increase proportionally. During the Moon Jaein administration, 68 expert advisors from both the private sector and government participated. The committee's duration has also been extended from 50 days to 60 days.
A source from the ruling party explained, "We have assigned individuals with a high level of understanding of current issues in each field as practical division heads," adding, "The number of expert advisors, who serve in an advisory role, may increase by more than 50% compared to the Moon Jaein administration." The source continued, "Once ministry-by-ministry briefings are completed and each division's tasks are finalized, the Planning Division will consolidate them, and after a plenary meeting, the final report will be presented to the public."
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