Assemblywoman Yang Hyang-ja Proposes the 'Minister of Industry and Technology Act'

Lack of Leadership to Guide Overall Industry Perspective... Need for Long-term and Mid-term Policies

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Yoon Jamin] Attention is focused on whether an Industry and Technology Deputy Prime Minister who will lead the Korean New Deal and the Fourth Industrial Revolution can be born.

Yang Hyang-ja, a member of the National Assembly (Democratic Party of Korea, Gwangju Seo-gu Eul), announced on the 15th that she had introduced the "Industry and Technology Deputy Prime Minister Act" (Partial Amendment to the Government Organization Act), which mainly stipulates that the Minister of Science and ICT concurrently serve as the Industry and Technology Deputy Prime Minister (hereinafter referred to as the Industry and Technology Deputy PM), on the 13th.

If the Industry and Technology Deputy PM is established, it is expected to create synergy with the Korean New Deal promoted by the government. Furthermore, it is anticipated to efficiently lead the industrial restructuring brought about by the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

The Korean New Deal aims largely to restructure the foundation of South Korea's industrial structure after COVID-19 based on advanced industries such as AI, big data, bio, future cars, and carbon neutrality.

However, there has been concern about the efficiency of policy formulation and execution due to the absence of a command tower to comprehensively lead this from an overall industrial perspective.

In particular, the demands from the industrial field were significant. National support for technology and science must be carried out from a long-term perspective. However, since policy executors have focused on short-term achievements, fragmented support has actually been provided.

Accordingly, the need for a government organization that comprehensively oversees and sustainably leads the fields of industry, technology, and science has been raised.

In fact, Jin Dae-je, a former Minister of Information and Communication during the Participatory Government, said in a column, "It is important to have a fine industrial policy that understands technological development and does not chase exaggerated publicity and trends," adding, "It is time to consider the 'Industry Deputy Prime Minister' system that will lead the entire industry in a balanced and sustainable way."

Assembly member Yang has also long advocated for a three-deputy prime minister system.

In June, she argued for the necessity of a Science and Technology Deputy Prime Minister to prepare for the massive changes in the technological paradigm through Facebook. Additionally, at the Democratic Party convention in July, she proposed the revival of the Science and Technology Deputy Prime Minister as a pledge in the Supreme Council election.

Yang emphasized, "Although industrial restructuring is inevitable due to the COVID-19 economic crisis and the Korean New Deal, there is no command tower to comprehensively lead this from an overall industrial perspective," adding, "An Industry and Technology Deputy Prime Minister who will establish and execute industrial, technology, and science policies from a long-term and comprehensive viewpoint, rather than a fragmented and short-term one, is absolutely necessary."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.