The National Unity Committee Gaining Attention for the 'Kim Han-gil Role Theory'... President Yoon's First Direct Subordinate

Kim Han-gil, Chairman of the National Integration Committee, Advocates Role for Ruling Party
Yoon Administration's First Presidential Direct Committee... Policy Proposals
President Yoon Empowers Integration Committee... Kim "Not Going Anywhere"

As the 'Kim Han-gil role theory' rises within the ruling party, the National Integration Committee led by him is gaining attention. President Yoon Suk-yeol has recently been supporting Kim Han-gil, chairman of the National Integration Committee, and the committee is continuing its active activities. Although Chairman Kim repeatedly denies any 'role theory' for next year's general election, there is considerable speculation that he will play a pivotal role in the future political realignment process as movements to form a new party emerge, centered around the non-Yoon (anti-Yoon Suk-yeol) faction of the People Power Party.

Yoon Administration's First Presidential Commission... Focused on Policy Proposals Centered on Special Committees

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The National Integration Committee was established as the first presidential commission of the Yoon Suk-yeol administration on July 27 last year, after the 'Regulations on the Establishment and Operation of the National Integration Committee' were promulgated as a presidential decree following approval at the Cabinet meeting held on May 30, just 20 days after the Yoon administration took office.

Originally, the National Integration Committee was set up in April last year during the operation of the Presidential Transition Committee after President Yoon's election. Although President Yoon stated after his inauguration that he would reduce overlapping or minimally active committees to prevent financial waste, he decided to maintain the activities of the National Integration Committee as a presidential commission to address social conflicts occurring in various fields.

The National Integration Committee is composed of an advisory group, an operations committee, an advisory committee, and various subcommittees under the chairman. The subcommittees include the Planning Subcommittee (Chairman Lee Hae-seon, advisor at Coway), Political and Regional Subcommittee (Kim Min-jeon, professor at Kyung Hee University), Economic and Class Subcommittee (Yoo Byung-jun, professor at Seoul National University), and Social and Cultural Subcommittee (Kim Seok-ho, professor at Seoul National University). Each subcommittee has formed special committees by inviting experts and journalists in relevant fields as needed to discover and propose policies, then disbanding the special committees after their work.

So far, special committees such as the Suicide Crisis Overcoming Special Committee and Youth Gender Empathy Special Committee (Planning Subcommittee), Youth Political Era Special Committee, National Integration and Media Special Committee, Fandom and Democracy Special Committee (Political and Regional Subcommittee), Healthy Workplace Creation Special Committee, Eradication of Livelihood Fraud Special Committee, Win-Win Cooperation between Large and Small Businesses Special Committee (Economic and Class Subcommittee), and Disability Mobility Convenience Promotion Special Committee, Youth Preparing for Independence Special Committee, Migrants Accompaniment Special Committee (Social and Cultural Subcommittee) have been active. Currently, special committees such as the Small Business Self-Reliance Enhancement Special Committee and Society Where the Role of the Elderly is Alive Special Committee are established to develop policies for small business owners and the elderly, respectively.

Recently, the committee proposed a plan to integrate and operate the multiple dispersed suicide prevention counseling numbers, which the government accepted and announced it will unify them under '109' starting January next year, marking a significant achievement.

Yoon Empowers the Integration Committee, Elevating Kim Han-gil's Role Theory... Kim Denies

President Yoon has recently been frequently mentioning the National Integration Committee, lending it support. After the ruling party lost the by-election for the Gangseo District Office on the 12th, known as a mini general election, on the 17th, he hosted a dinner with Chairman Kim, members of the National Integration Committee, and the People Power Party leadership, urging them to actively reflect the committee's policy proposals. Especially, he sent a letter to this year's annual workshop, stating, "The National Integration Committee has presented policy alternatives reflecting the vivid voices of the people," and "The government will continue to do its best to realize your policy proposals for national integration," encouraging active participation.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

In political circles, there is speculation that since it is difficult to win the general election under the leadership of People Power Party Chairman Kim Ki-hyun, Kim Han-gil, known as an expert in political realignment, might play a role in forming a new party. Most of his political career has been with the Democratic Party faction, and he has advocated centrist pragmatism, with a high possibility of expanding the centrist base as he has been a central figure in several past political realignments.

During the presidential election campaign, President Yoon sought political advice from Chairman Kim, and he was appointed as the chairman of the New Era Committee in the campaign and as chairman of the National Integration Committee in the government, showing continued trust. Since the National Integration Committee is the first presidential commission, it was regarded as a 'high position, though not conspicuous' at its inception.

In fact, ex officio members of the National Integration Committee include the Minister of Economy and Finance and Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Education and Deputy Prime Minister for Social Affairs, Minister of Justice, Minister of the Interior and Safety, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Minister of Health and Welfare, Minister of Employment and Labor, Minister of Gender Equality and Family, Minister of SMEs and Startups, and the Director of the Office for Government Policy Coordination, leading to remarks within the ruling party that Chairman Kim is treated at the level of a Prime Minister.

However, Chairman Kim denies the role theory related to political realignment for the general election. On the 23rd, after announcing the 'Suicide Prevention Counseling Integration Number' at the Government Seoul Office, he told reporters, "I am someone who has left politics and am currently focusing on my work at the National Integration Committee." At the workshop on the 25th, he said, "I feel sorry that the National Integration Committee has been frequently appearing in the media not because of its original work but because of me," adding, "I think we should not interfere with our committee. As I have said before, 'I am not going anywhere,'" firmly stating his position.

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