Starting Today, 'National Work Report'... Yoon Chooses Direct Communication Over DOS

-Yoon "Prepare so that the people can well understand the philosophy of state administration"
-Ministry work report... Public participation instead of private meetings, continuous communication with the people

President Yoon Suk-yeol is presiding over the 12th Emergency Economic and Livelihood Meeting and the 1st National Economic Advisory Meeting at the Blue House State Guesthouse on the 21st. / [Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Baek Kyunghwan] President Yoon Suk-yeol has once again engaged in a ‘National Report.’ Considering the previous schedules such as the government task review meeting on the 15th and the reform task discussion on the 20th, this marks the third direct communication with the public within six days. Starting from the 21st, the work reports from each ministry have shifted from private meetings to public participation, and President Yoon seated advisory committee members who will convey the voices of the people closer instead of government officials. After the cessation of doorstepping on the way to work, the presidential office aims to increase communication opportunities and directly explain the achievements and work plans to the public as the Yoon administration enters its second year.

According to the presidential office and government ministries, the ministries starting work reports from this day are preparing their presentations in line with the presidential office’s request to "prepare so that the public can easily understand." A senior government official stated, "There were no specific instructions regarding the details of the work reports such as the tasks being promoted, but there was a request to prepare so that the public can fully understand the philosophy of national governance," adding, "Criticisms and opinions arising on site will also be actively reflected in future government tasks and work plans."

On this day, President Yoon received a report from the Ministry of Economy and Finance on next year’s macroeconomic outlook and key economic policies, covering the overall economic policy direction. This meeting was held concurrently as the 12th Emergency Economic and Livelihood Meeting and the 1st National Economic Advisory Council, a presidential advisory body. Following the report, in-depth discussions took place among participants regarding stable macroeconomic management to overcome the current crisis and measures to restore the livelihood economy. Regarding post-crisis re-leaping, private participants and government officials also discussed fostering new industries and structural reforms.

As the work reports changed to a public participation format, changes in the reporting method and seating arrangements also drew attention. Advisory committee members spoke first in each session, followed by responses from ministry officials. The seating arrangement, organized in two concentric circles, had advisory committee members seated inside and ministry officials outside. The presidential office explained that this signifies the president’s intention to focus more on the voices of the private sector and the public.

The New Year work reports scheduled until mid-next month target 18 ministries, 4 offices, 4 committees, and some agency-level institutions such as the National Tax Service. Work reports from economic-related ministries such as the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, and the Ministry of Science and ICT are expected to be completed by the end of this month as much as possible. This is based on the judgment that related ministries and agencies must quickly adjust government tasks and work plans and immediately begin action amid the ongoing economic crisis. The grouping of 2 to 3 related ministries for this work report to proceed swiftly is also in the same context.

The presidential office plans to continue creating opportunities for the public and experts to participate in the Emergency Economic and Livelihood Meetings, government task reports, and ministry work reports in the first half of next year. Instead of unrefined answers like doorstepping, they intend to provide opportunities to directly convey prepared governance philosophies to the public, thereby maximizing the reduced communication time.

Since the live broadcast of the Emergency Economic and Livelihood Meeting in October, the three occasions of direct communication between President Yoon and the public over the past six days have also received favorable reviews both internally and externally. On the 15th, President Yoon engaged in a 156-minute live broadcast dialogue with 100 public panelists on various national issues, and the day before, he invited about 200 young people to hear their opinions on three reform tasks including labor, education, and pensions. A presidential office official said, "Although the government’s New Year message and governance direction were sufficiently conveyed through previous occasions, considering the ongoing economic crisis and variables, we will continue to create opportunities to directly hear the voices of the public on various issues, big and small."

However, concerns have been raised that the opportunity to hear the president’s stance on sensitive issues has been blocked for a month, which could lead to one-sided communication in the long term. The presidential office’s consideration of postponing the New Year press conference is in the same vein. Traditionally, the president’s New Year press conference conveyed the direction of national governance but also involved uncomfortable questions about sharp political and social issues as well as the state of national affairs.

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