Assemblywoman Yang Hyang-ja Delivers 'Science and Technology Policy and Pledge' Questionnaire to Presidential Candidates

Written Inquiries in 5 Areas... Responses Scheduled for Public Release to Media

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Yoon Jamin] National Assembly member Yang Hyang-ja (Gwangju Seo-gu Eul) has delivered a public inquiry letter regarding science and technology policies and pledges to presidential candidates from both ruling and opposition parties.

The public inquiry letter, jointly issued by Representative Yang and five major economic organizations?the Korea Employers Federation (Chairman Son Kyung-sik), the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Chairman Choi Tae-won), the Federation of Korean Industries (Chairman Huh Chang-soo), the Korea Federation of SMEs (Chairman Kim Ki-moon), and the Korea Association of Mid-sized Enterprises (Chairman Kang Ho-gap)?contains content aimed at assessing the major presidential candidates’ awareness and pledges related to science and technology.

This public inquiry letter, delivered in written question format, was sent to the main presidential candidate camps including Lee Jae-myung of the Democratic Party, Yoon Seok-youl of the People Power Party, Sim Sang-jung of the Justice Party, Ahn Cheol-soo of the People’s Party, and Kim Dong-yeon of the New Wave (tentative name). The responses will be made public through the media.

Representative Yang explained, “The world is currently engaged in a ‘technology hegemony war’ that could be likened to a third world war. In an era where science and technology determine the fate of nations, the candidates’ awareness and pledges regarding science and technology will be an important criterion for gauging the policy direction of the next government.”

This public inquiry was planned based on the ‘Science and Technology Awareness Survey’ conducted last October targeting domestic businesspeople by Representative Yang and three economic organizations (Korea Employers Federation, Korea Federation of SMEs, Korea Association of Mid-sized Enterprises).

It was finalized based on discussions held at the ‘National Assembly Grand Debate on Science and Technology Hegemony Nations’ co-hosted last month by Representative Yang and five economic organizations (Korea Employers Federation, Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Federation of Korean Industries, Korea Federation of SMEs, Korea Association of Mid-sized Enterprises).

The public inquiry letter was composed of five fields: ▲strategic industry development, ▲science and technology policy, ▲regional and SME coexistence, ▲regulatory reform, and ▲climate change response.

In the strategic industry development section, questions were asked about the strategic industries that future Korea should focus on in the era of the 4th Industrial Revolution and the policies being promoted to support corporate R&D.

In the science and technology policy section, the inquiry included questions about the candidates’ vision and goals for the science sector and the reorganization direction of government ministries related to science and technology. The regional and SME coexistence section covered policies for regional economic and industrial development and strategies for the advancement of local universities.

The regulatory reform section included questions on positions regarding regulations in the metropolitan area and corporate return strategies, while the climate change response section consisted of inquiries about the stance on the 2050 carbon neutrality goal and nuclear phase-out policies.

Representative Yang stated, “I have persistently advocated for the role and necessity of a Deputy Prime Minister for Science and Technology through the ‘Partial Amendment to the Government Organization Act’ as the main proposer. In line with this, I have made various efforts jointly with five economic organizations, including surveys and grand debates.” She added, “As a result, on the 19th, Democratic Party candidate Lee Jae-myung announced a government reorganization plan to elevate the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning to a Deputy Prime Minister level, and People’s Party candidate Ahn Cheol-soo mentioned a science and technology president. It is very encouraging that presidential candidates are showing interest and changes in science and technology policies.”

She continued, “This presidential election is an important turning point to select a leader who will guide Korea for the next 100 years amid the US-China technology hegemony competition. The candidates’ responses to the public inquiry will be fully disclosed to the media and will greatly assist the public in choosing the next government leader.”

Furthermore, she added, “This public inquiry letter contains the urgent demands of political and business circles wishing for the development of science, technology, and Korea. I hope that the presidential election, which has been marred by political strife, will now become a future-oriented forum for discussions aimed at a prosperous and strong nation for the people.”

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