Chief Secretary Kang Hoonshik: "Stake Everything on Achieving Results for Korea's Five Major Transformation Goals"

Senior Aides' Meeting Led by Chief Presidential Secretary
Kang Hoonshik: "Time to Prove with Results, Not Slogans"

Yonhap News Agency

On January 5, Kang Hoonshik, Chief Presidential Secretary, stated that regarding President Lee Jaemyung's New Year's address outlining the goal of the "Great Transformation of Korea in 2026," it is now time to prove this not with slogans, but with tangible results.

Jeon Eunsu, Deputy Spokesperson for the Presidential Office, announced in a written briefing on the same day that Chief Secretary Kang made these remarks during the senior aides' meeting.

Chief Secretary Kang emphasized that the five major goals of Korea's great transformation must lead to outcomes that the public can genuinely feel. He called on the Presidential Office, government ministries, and relevant public institutions to devote their full capabilities to establishing concrete action plans, setting up monitoring systems, and producing results.

In his New Year's address, President Lee outlined five major transformation goals: growth led by regions outside the Seoul metropolitan area, inclusive growth that shares the benefits broadly, sustainable growth where safety is ensured, attractive growth driven by culture, and stable growth underpinned by peace.

Deputy Spokesperson Jeon further explained that Chief Secretary Kang also pointed out the reality that, despite Korean companies' products being recognized for their global competitiveness, domestic consumers are often forced to purchase these products under relatively unfavorable conditions.

Chief Secretary Kang stated that it is not normal for consumers to have no other choice but to use overseas direct purchasing to buy the same products at lower prices. He requested that the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and other relevant agencies review the overall distribution structure, market order, and pricing policies, and report on improvement measures to ensure domestic consumers can purchase products at reasonable prices.

Meanwhile, Chief Secretary Kang also addressed the ongoing blind spots and user inconvenience issues in the youth sanitary product support program, calling for a fundamental review of market structure improvements. Additionally, he urged the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family to simplify application procedures and improve delivery systems, and instructed the Fair Trade Commission to investigate whether the prices of major essential goods are being formed under unfair structures.