President's First Direct Committee 'Gukmin Tonghap Wiwonhoe' Officially Launched

President Yoon Suk-yeol is listening to Kim Han-gil, Chairman of the National Unity Committee, introducing the vision of the National Unity Committee at the launch ceremony held at the Yongsan Presidential Office building in Seoul on the afternoon of the 27th. [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwan-joo] The National Integration Committee, the first presidential advisory committee, officially launched on the 27th.

President Yoon Suk-yeol attended the National Integration Committee inauguration ceremony held at the Yongsan Presidential Office building in the afternoon, appointed 24 civilian members including Chairman Kim Han-gil, and discussed the direction of the national integration strategy.

The committee is divided into four subcommittees: Planning, Politics & Region, Economy & Class, and Society & Culture. The Planning Subcommittee, responsible for overall planning and coordination of the National Integration Committee’s operations, consists of former lawmaker Choi Jae-chun (subcommittee chair), Woo Seok-hoon, CEO of The Country I Dream Of, Professor Lee Woo-young of Seoul National University Law School, and former National Assembly Women and Family Committee senior expert Cha In-soon.

The Politics & Region Subcommittee, chaired by Professor Kim Min-jeon of Kyung Hee University, includes former lawmakers Kim Young-woo and Choi Myung-gil, Professor Lee Hyun-chul of Konkuk University, and Professor Jung Hoe-ok of Myongji University, who discuss the realization of a cooperative political culture. The Economy & Class Subcommittee, chaired by former Secretary-General of the Office for Government Policy Coordination Lee Seok-jun, includes Honorary Professor Han Jeong-hwa of Hanyang University, Professor Lee Soo-hyung of Seoul National University Graduate School of International Studies, Kim Hee-jung, CEO of the startup 'Jjaekak Ak-eo', and former lawmaker Choi Won-sik. The Society & Culture Subcommittee is composed of Chair Professor Yoon Jeong-ro of Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), Director Bang Moon-seok of the National Rehabilitation Hospital for Traffic Accidents, Kang Soo-jin, Director of the National Ballet Company, former lawmaker Lee Ja-seum-in, and actor Yoo Dong-geun.

The Presidential Office explained, "The establishment of a presidential advisory committee to advise on national integration policy reflects the government's recognition that national integration is the most important value in state governance and the president’s strong will toward social integration." It also introduced the appointed members as "figures with high symbolic significance for national integration, combining expertise and field experience on conflict issues."

The National Integration Committee reported plans to sequentially activate special committees with expertise on urgent and impactful tasks starting from the second half of this year. Earlier, on May 25, at the '2022 Korea Small and Medium Business Conference' attended by President Yoon, reflecting the proposal of the Korea Federation of SMEs, it announced plans to establish a special committee for cooperation between large and small-medium enterprises under the National Integration Committee, along with a policy to establish a 'National Integration National Strategy.'

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