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 pushing to designate December 3 as "National Sovereignty Day." This measure is intended to honor the spirit of the people who defended martial law and protected constitutional order. The government is also accelerating the launch of the Serious Crime Investigation Agency, scheduled for October next year. The aim is to complete the vision of a "nation of the people" based on just social integration.
On the afternoon of December 17, 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 and Happy Ministry of 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 of national sovereignty and restoring the livelihoods of the people," adding, "We have done our best to establish a framework for tackling the challenges faced by central and local governments in a rapidly changing environment, including the AI transformation, the crisis of local extinction, and climate change."
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 Major Policies and Five Key Tasks Focused on the 'People'
The three main policy directions are: ▲Developing and promoting multi-layered policies spanning the nation, government, local governments, communities, and individuals (safety and life) as a central government ministry; ▲Embedding the values of participation, solidarity, and innovation throughout all policies to address the challenges of the times; ▲Establishing robust measures to protect the socially vulnerable and safeguard the lives of the people.
The five key tasks are: ▲Achieving a "nation of the people" through just social integration; ▲Building an "AI democratic government" that earns public trust and innovates rapidly; ▲Fostering "vibrant local regions" through genuine autonomy and balanced growth; ▲Creating a "warm community" that thrives on solidarity and cooperation; ▲Ensuring "safety and life for all," where every individual is valued.
Additionally, the ministry selected two "plus" tasks in areas of high public interest-economy and winter safety: ▲A "robust economy" where livelihood and innovation are harmonized; ▲A "safe winter" achieved through thorough prevention and preparedness, both of which will be prioritized for focused implementation.
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.
Designation of 'National Sovereignty Day' to Protect Constitutional Order... Including Certificate Issuance
The five key tasks are built on the foundation of "just social integration." To this end, the government is promoting the designation of "National Sovereignty Day" to honor the spirit of the people who defended martial law and protected constitutional order. Additional measures, such as issuing certificates, are also under consideration, and will be pursued after gathering public opinion.
The government will also resume the Democracy Advancement Merit Awards, which have been suspended since 2023, in June next year. For past human rights abuses at collective detention facilities such as Seongam Academy, a joint government apology and legislative support for victim recovery will be pursued. In particular, the ministry will actively support the seamless launch of the Serious Crime 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 Law on Citizen Participation." A national communication platform will be established to systematically collect public opinions and suggestions. The introduction of "AI National Secretary" and "AI Government 24" is also under discussion. These will be utilized in the currently piloted pan-government AI common infrastructure and intelligent work management platform. The plan is to expand these systems to all central and local governments to improve work efficiency and policy quality throughout the civil service.
To ensure uninterrupted administrative services, the ministry will establish a dual-operation administrative system. Thirteen core systems will be converted to an Active-Active disaster recovery (DR) system.
One of the ministry's major tasks is supporting the development of local governments. To overcome the concentration of power in the capital region, the ministry will support the launch of integrated special cities with high levels of autonomy. These cities will be granted a status equivalent to Seoul and will be delegated related administrative functions preemptively and comprehensively to respond to regional core industries and metropolitan administrative demands.
Customized special provisions will be expanded for the three major special self-governing provinces: Gangwon, North Jeolla, and Jeju. In addition, with the third round of local government function transfers, a pan-government task force will be established to concretize fiscal decentralization measures, such as improving the national tax-to-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 on enacting the "Basic Law on the Social Solidarity Economy." The goal is to establish a framework for systematically and comprehensively implementing social solidarity economy policies at the pan-government level, which are currently dispersed across ministries under separate laws. The ministry will provide integrated support packages-such as financial, tax, and market development assistance-to social solidarity economy organizations, apply "preferential clauses for private consignment," and foster them as key providers of public services like care and environmental maintenance, as well as drivers of the regional economy.
Additionally, the ministry will codify the right to safety as a legal right for all citizens through the enactment of the "Basic Law on Life and Safety." This will be linked to the "Comprehensive Plan for Life and Safety" to enhance implementation. 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 reported on additional "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 demand companies through the "Corporate Public Data Problem-Solving Support Center." The ministry will also promote the disaster safety industry by creating a 10 billion won fund and establishing a "Disaster Safety Industry Promotion Institute."
To ensure that citizens have a "safe winter," the ministry will establish prevention and preparedness systems. Preemptive monitoring will be strengthened to prepare for heavy snow and cold waves, and snow removal equipment will be prioritized for vulnerable areas. To prevent incidents similar to the recent high-rise apartment fire in Hong Kong, the ministry will conduct comprehensive fire safety inspections of high-rise buildings and operate a special period for reporting fire hazards.
Minister Yoon stated, "2026 will mark the second year since the launch of the government of national sovereignty, established by the people as a beacon of light, and it is a crucial period for creating a new turning point across society." He emphasized, "The Ministry of the Interior and Safety will make every effort to embed the values of participation, solidarity, and innovation throughout all policies as the central ministry in national governance."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
