What Is the 'Digital Platform Government'? A Still Ambiguous Concept That Needs Clarification

Kwon Seong-dong, Floor Leader of the People Power Party (4th from the right), Assemblyman Park Seong-jung, Assemblyman Kim Young-sik, and others are attending the seminar "The Right Direction of the Digital Platform Government" held at the National Assembly Members' Office Building in Yeouido, Seoul, on the 1st, posing for a commemorative photo.

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Hye-seon] "'What is a digital platform government?' If you ask, I couldn't explain it properly. Even now, I can't."

On the 1st, Kwon Seong-dong, floor leader of the People Power Party, made this remark to the audience at the seminar titled "The Right Direction for the Digital Platform Government," hosted by the office of Park Sung-joong, a member of the People Power Party, held at the National Assembly Members' Office Building in Yeouido, Seoul. He added, "It will take a long time, but the private sector will join forces and move forward together."

Although the Digital Platform Government Committee was launched on the 2nd, experts continue to point out that the concept of the "Digital Platform Government," a core policy task of the Yoon Seok-yeol administration, remains ambiguous. There is a lack of understanding of the term "platform," and it is difficult to define the scope and target of the policy. The new committee, which started without having resolved what the digital platform government "actually does," still has a long way to go.

The digital platform government, as defined by the government, is a government where all data is connected on a "digital platform," and citizens, businesses, and the government work together to solve social problems and create new value. It is a new model of governance that moves away from the current method where the government acts as a monopolistic supplier providing services unilaterally, toward collaboration with the private sector and becoming a partner in innovation.

Academics and experts unanimously emphasized at the "Right Direction for the Digital Platform Government" seminar that the concept must be clarified first. To move the digital platform government in the right direction, it is necessary to establish what it aims to do from the outset. Kwon Heon-young, professor at Korea University Graduate School of Information Security, said, "We need to redefine the government's role and move toward a model of government innovation where all members?private sector, public sector, academia, research, and industry?participate horizontally through platform strategies," adding, "We must first clarify what this unprecedented policy term, the digital platform government, means."

There are also voices expressing confusion due to the mixed meanings of the term platform. Lee Seong-yeop, professor at Korea University Graduate School of Technology Management, said, "A platform is a concept that mediates interactions between two or more user groups," and pointed out, "If the platform government is understood as mediating interactions between companies and citizens, excessive government intervention in the private sector could be problematic, so the concept of the platform government must be clearly defined."

Mo Jeong-hoon, professor of Industrial Engineering at Yonsei University, also said, "A platform refers to an environment that connects different heterogeneous groups to create new value," and added, "The digital platform government can be seen as an expanded concept of e-government, aiming to automate services of each ministry through artificial intelligence and big data functions, thereby achieving the government's digital transformation (DX)."

There is also an opinion that for the digital platform government to succeed, changes in the government's organizational culture are necessary, and the utilization and protection of data, a core resource, must be properly carried out. Kwon Oh-sang, director of the Media Future Research Institute, explained, "The essential elements presented by the government?openness, expansion, cooperation, and participation?are keywords that have been advocated and pursued by previous administrations," adding, "It has been difficult to achieve these with traditional government organizations and culture, resulting in superficial slogans." He further noted, "The reason why a global digital platform has not emerged in South Korea, where digital transformation is advancing rapidly, is also because it has been difficult to build an ecosystem based on these keywords."

Jung Ji-yeon, secretary general of the Korea Consumer Federation, said, "According to the government's plan, vast amounts of data from the private and public sectors will be gathered, but it is still unclear what will be done with that data," and argued, "This is inconsistent with the basic principles of personal information protection, such as minimal collection, use within the purpose, and immediate destruction of data after use." She also pointed out, "If public data is utilized through the private sector, data monopoly issues centered on specific companies could accelerate," and added, "The consent procedures of data subjects also need to be reconsidered."

Park Sung-joong, a member of the National Assembly, said, "In an era of rapid change, the government's role and operational methods must also change," adding, "The transition to a digital platform government will not only provide transparent and efficient administrative services but also increase the benefits to citizens by utilizing data accumulated in various fields."

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