[2022 National Audit] Lee Jong-ho Apologizes for Absence, Science and ICT Committee Begins

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bong-su] The 2022 National Assembly Science, Technology, Information and Broadcasting Committee's audit of the Ministry of Science and ICT has begun.

On the morning of the day, the Science, Technology, Information and Broadcasting Committee held a session at the Ministry of Science and ICT building in Sejong City, starting with Minister Lee Jong-ho's greeting, work report, and introduction of key executives, followed by questions and answers beginning with Go Min-jeong, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea. However, the opening time, which was supposed to start at 10 a.m., was delayed due to controversy over Minister Lee's absence from the standing committee in August. It is known that Minister Lee did not attend the full standing committee meeting at that time, following the ruling party's urging. As a result, the meeting was held with only opposition party members present. Democratic Party lawmakers urged Minister Lee to apologize and prevent recurrence, to which he responded, "I will make efforts to ensure that such an incident does not happen again."

Earlier, Minister Lee introduced five major policy directions in his greeting: △ Innovation of the national research and development (R&D) system △ Support for future technologies leading economic and social changes △ Cultivation of talent to drive technological innovation △ Activation of digital innovation across the nation and society through strengthening digital capabilities and fostering new digital industries △ Advancement of network infrastructure in the non-face-to-face and online era.

Minister Lee emphasized, "In particular, to establish the institutional foundation for the strategic technology cultivation system, the Korean version of the semiconductor and science law, the 'National Strategic Technology Cultivation Special Act,' has been submitted, and I ask for the committee members' keen interest and support." He continued, "As shown by the rapid progress of non-face-to-face and online transformation due to the spread of digital technology during the pandemic, we are facing a technological revolution where recent technologies are leading to structural changes in the economy and society, making the importance of technological innovation greater than ever. We will listen carefully to the voices from research sites, frontline companies, and the citizens as consumers, and strive harder to implement effective policies that produce visible results."

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