Ministry of the Interior and Safety Reports Major Work Plan
Promoting a "Nation of the People" and "AI Democratic Government"
"Embedding the Values of Participation, Solidarity, and Innovation in Policy"
The government is moving forward with a plan to designate December 3 as "National Sovereignty Day." This measure aims to honor the spirit of the people who defended martial law and protected constitutional order. The government is also accelerating preparations for the launch of the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency, scheduled for October next year. The intention is to build a "nation of the people" based on just social integration.
On the afternoon of the 17th, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety reported the "Major Work Promotion Plan" to President Lee Jae-myung at the Government Sejong Convention Center, outlining these key initiatives.
During the work briefing, the Ministry presented three main policy directions, five key tasks, and two additional "plus" tasks under the goal of "Adding Value to People's Lives, a Reliable Ministry of Happiness and Safety." Minister Yoon Hojung stated, "Since the launch of the new administration, we have focused all efforts on laying the foundation for a successful government based on national sovereignty and on restoring the livelihoods of the people." He added, "In the face of rapidly changing circumstances such as the AI transformation, the crisis of local extinction, and climate change, we have done our utmost to lay the groundwork for central and local governments to address pressing challenges."
Yoon Hojung, Minister of the Interior and Safety, is reporting to President Lee Jae-myung at the Government Sejong Convention Center on the 17th. Photo by Yonhap News
Three Main Policies and Five Key Tasks Focused on 'the People'
The three main policy directions are: ▲Developing and implementing multi-layered policies covering the nation, government, localities, communities, and individuals (safety and life) as the core ministry of state administration ▲Embedding the values of participation, solidarity, and innovation throughout policy to find solutions to contemporary challenges ▲Establishing robust measures to protect the socially vulnerable and safeguard the lives of the people.
The five key tasks are: ▲Establishing a "nation of the people" through just social integration ▲Building an "AI democratic government" that earns public trust and innovates rapidly ▲Fostering "vibrant localities" through genuine autonomy and balanced growth ▲Creating "warm communities" that thrive through solidarity and cooperation ▲Ensuring "the safety and life of everyone" by valuing each individual.
Additionally, in response to high public interest in economic and winter safety issues, the ministry selected two "plus+" tasks to focus on: ▲A "robust economy" that balances livelihoods and innovation ▲A "safe winter" achieved through thorough prevention and preparedness.
On the 17th, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety reported the "Ministry of the Interior and Safety Major Work Promotion Plan" to President Lee Jae-myung. Ministry of the Interior and Safety.
Designating 'National Sovereignty Day' to Protect Constitutional Order... Including Issuance of Certificates
The five key tasks are grounded in "just social integration." To this end, the government is pursuing the designation of "National Sovereignty Day" to honor the spirit of the people who defended against martial law and protected constitutional order. Additional measures, such as issuing certificates, are also under consideration and will be implemented following public consultation.
The government will also resume the Democracy Development Merit Awards, which have been suspended since 2023, in June next year. For past human rights violations at collective facilities such as Seongam Academy, the government will pursue a joint inter-ministerial apology and legislative support for victim restitution. In particular, the ministry will actively support the seamless launch of the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency, scheduled for October next year, to complete prosecution reform.
The "AI Democratic Government" initiative will be promoted alongside the enactment of the "Basic Act on Citizen Participation." A citizen communication platform will be established to systematically collect public opinions and suggestions. The introduction of the "AI National Assistant" and "AI Government24" is also under discussion. These will be utilized in the government-wide AI common infrastructure and the intelligent work management platform currently in pilot operation. The plan is to expand these systems to all central and local governments to improve work efficiency and policy quality in the public sector.
To ensure uninterrupted administrative services, the ministry proposed establishing a dual-operation administrative system. Thirteen core systems will be converted to an Active-Active disaster recovery (DR) system.
Another key area is support for fostering local regions, a major responsibility of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety. To overcome the concentration of power in the capital region, the government will support the establishment of integrated special cities with high levels of autonomy. These cities will be granted status equivalent to Seoul and will be proactively and comprehensively delegated related administrative functions to respond to local key industries and metropolitan administrative demands.
Customized special provisions will be expanded for the three major special self-governing provinces of Gangwon, North Jeolla, and Jeju. In addition, with the third round of local function transfers, a government-wide task force will be established to detail fiscal decentralization measures, such as improving the national tax-local tax ratio and gradually increasing the local grant tax rate.
As the lead ministry for the social solidarity economy, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety will also focus administrative efforts on enacting the "Basic Act on the Social Solidarity Economy." The goal is to establish a framework for systematically and comprehensively implementing social solidarity economy policies at the government level, which are currently managed separately by each ministry under individual laws. The ministry will provide integrated packages to social solidarity economy organizations, including financial, tax, and market development support, and will apply "preferential outsourcing provisions" to foster them as key providers of public services such as care and environmental management, as well as drivers of the local economy.
Furthermore, by enacting the "Basic Act on Life and Safety," the government will codify the right to safety as a legal right for the people. This will be linked to the "Comprehensive Plan for Life and Safety" to enhance its effectiveness. The ministry will also begin strengthening the social disaster management system by enacting the "Social Disaster Countermeasures Act" and establishing special preventive measures for high-risk areas and facilities.
On the 17th, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety reported the "Ministry of the Interior and Safety Major Work Promotion Plan" to President Lee Jae-myung. Ministry of the Interior and Safety.
Promoting Economic Growth Based on AI and Data Industries
In addition to the key tasks, the ministry also reported on the selected "plus+" tasks. To foster a "robust economy," the AI and data industries will be promoted by selecting and opening the "Top 100 AI and High-Value Public Data," and by matching data-holding institutions with companies in need through the "Corporate Public Data Problem-Solving Support Center." To promote the disaster safety industry, the government will establish a 10 billion won fund and push for the creation of the "Disaster Safety Industry Promotion Agency."
To ensure that the public can enjoy a "safe winter," the ministry will establish prevention and preparedness systems. Preemptive monitoring will be strengthened for heavy snow and cold waves, and snow removal equipment will be deployed first to vulnerable areas. In response to recent incidents such as the high-rise apartment fire in Hong Kong, the government will conduct comprehensive fire safety inspections of high-rise buildings and designate a period for intensive reporting of fire hazards.
Minister Yoon stated, "The year 2026 marks the second year since the launch of the government established by the people as a beacon of sovereignty, and it is a crucial time to create a turning point for a new leap across society." He emphasized, "As the core ministry of state administration, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety will devote all efforts to embedding the values of participation, solidarity, and innovation throughout policy."
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