Jo Seung-rae: "Yoon Government, Proclaiming Science and Technology Powerhouse but Enforcing Forced Restructuring"

National Research Council of Science & Technology Requests 25 Government-Funded Research Institutes to Submit Staff Reduction Plans Following Ministry of Economy and Finance's Directive

On the 30th, Cho Seung-rae, a member of the National Assembly's Science, Technology, Information and Broadcasting Communications Committee from the Democratic Party of Korea, held a press conference at the National Assembly with five science and technology labor unions, claiming that the government has devised a restructuring plan for government-funded research institutes.

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bong-su] Allegations have been raised that the Yoon Seok-yeol administration is pressuring government-funded research institutes (GFRIs) in the science and technology sector to reduce their staff quotas and has even hinted at forced restructuring. Immediate opposition voices have emerged from the research field against the 'uniform staff reduction.'

On the 30th, Assemblyman Cho Seung-rae (Daejeon Yuseong-gu Gap), a member of the National Assembly's Science, Technology, Information and Broadcasting Committee, held an emergency meeting jointly with five labor unions in the science and technology sector at the National Assembly Members' Office Building to disclose these facts.

According to Assemblyman Cho, the National Science and Technology Research Council (NST), which oversees the GFRIs, recently instructed the 25 affiliated research institutes to submit staff reduction plans under the Ministry of Economy and Finance's directive, warning that failure to submit could lead to forced restructuring. The NST judged that the functional adjustment and staff adjustment plans within each institute's innovation plan were insufficient compared to other public institutions and requested revised submissions regarding these adjustments. It is also known that if no self-rescue plan is submitted by the institutes, the Ministry of Economy and Finance-led functional and staff adjustments may be implemented. Previously, public institutions including GFRIs submitted their respective 'innovation plans' to the Ministry of Economy and Finance by the end of August, following the Ministry's 'New Government Public Institution Innovation Guidelines.' These guidelines demanded from GFRIs ▲function and staff reductions ▲budget cuts in personnel expenses and operating costs ▲asset sales ▲reduction of welfare benefits.

Assemblyman Cho stated, "Since most of the staff at GFRIs are researchers, it is difficult to submit uniform staff reduction plans. In fact, the majority of GFRIs did not propose large-scale staff reduction measures in their 'innovation plans' submitted to the Ministry of Economy and Finance." He added, "In response, the Ministry of Economy and Finance has repeatedly pressured for staff reductions and even hinted at the possibility of forced restructuring if plans are not submitted."

He further criticized, "The Ministry of Economy and Finance-led 'Public Institution Innovation Plan' is being pushed forward as a 'speed race' with the guideline issued at the end of July, submission of individual institution plans by the end of August, and approval and confirmation by the Public Institution Management Committee from October to December. While reforms for the development of GFRIs are necessary, restructuring should not be carried out hastily within just a few months without sufficient discussion considering the characteristics of research institutions. The Yoon Seok-yeol administration only verbally proclaims a strong science and technology nation but is actually shaking the future of science and technology to its roots."

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