Basic Society Control Tower to Be Established... Installation Regulations Approved by Cabinet

Functions Include Setting National Vision and Legal Reforms
President Lee to Serve Directly as Committee Chair

The establishment of the "Basic Society Committee," a control tower to oversee the pan-government Basic Society policy, is moving forward in earnest. The Basic Society initiative, a universal welfare package promoted by the Lee Jaemyung administration, is expected to be rapidly translated into policy.

On January 20, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety announced that the draft regulation on the "Establishment and Operation of the Basic Society Committee" had been approved at a Cabinet meeting. The draft outlines the composition and functions of the Basic Society Committee, which serves as the implementation framework for realizing a Basic Society.

The Basic Society is both a campaign pledge and a key policy initiative of President Lee Jaemyung, aiming to strengthen the safety net for all citizens to ensure a basic standard of living. Its main components include the enhancement of the Basic Livelihood Security System, integrated care, and the strengthening of public healthcare.

Going forward, the Basic Society Committee will be responsible for setting the national vision and basic direction for realizing the Basic Society, as well as improving laws and systems, and promoting public communication and outreach. To underscore that guaranteeing citizens’ basic standard of living is a core national agenda, the President will serve directly as the chairperson. The heads of 16 central government agencies and the representatives of the four major local government consultative bodies will participate as ex officio committee members. After inter-ministerial consultations and a legislative notice process, the Minister of SMEs and Startups and the Minister of Budget and Planning were also added as ex officio members.

A working-level committee will also be established to review and coordinate agenda items in advance, with the Minister of the Interior and Safety serving as its chairperson. The working-level committee will allow not only central government agencies but also local governments, academia, and the general public to propose agenda items to the main committee.

The Ministry of the Interior and Safety plans to hold an inter-ministerial meeting on January 21, chaired by Vice Minister Kim Minjae, to ensure the smooth launch of the Basic Society Committee. The meeting will discuss and further specify the direction of Basic Society-related policies being pursued by relevant ministries such as the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.