[Reporter’s Notebook] Policy Timetables Accelerated Ahead of the General Election

Government Ministries Overwhelmed by Directives
Policies Rushed Forward Ahead of General Election
Need to Set Feasible Scale and Deadlines

As the April 10th 22nd general election approaches in about a month, sighs can be heard everywhere when passing through various government ministries these days. Earlier this year, ministry officials who were said to be in a 'business suspension' state now complain that their workload has increased due to the government’s relentless implementation of various policies.

It is a good thing that policies that had been difficult to implement, such as increasing medical school admissions and Neulbom School, have gained momentum thanks to the general election. The problem arises when tasks that require time and preparation are forcibly moved to before April 10th. In fact, unstable points can be detected in the policies of each ministry.

A representative example is the 'Neulbom School.' Originally, the Ministry of Education planned to implement Neulbom School starting in 2025, but it was advanced to this year as a flagship government pledge ahead of the general election. The Ministry of Education hastily prepared an implementation plan, and local education offices also presented execution plans. Without finalizing detailed budgets and scale, some education offices that could not meet their 'quota' immediately disclosed the schools that had been recruited. Whether each school has sufficient management personnel and space has not been reviewed.

Other policies announced this year, such as increasing medical school admissions (Ministry of Health and Welfare, Ministry of Education) and the lump-sum child support payment system (Ministry of Gender Equality and Family), are similar. The increase in medical school admissions is being implemented from this year, requiring universities to revise and announce their admission guidelines by the end of May. Parents and examinees in the private education sector are confused, saying things like 'We have no idea at all' and 'The cutoff scores will change.'

[Image source=Yonhap News]

Universities must recruit students starting next year and quickly prepare the personnel and facilities to accommodate the increased number of students within the second half of the year. The lump-sum child support payment system is also actively being promoted by the government, but various reviews such as budget and recovery rates are needed.

In policy implementation, detail is more important than speed. This is because hundreds or thousands of lives depend on each policy and each clause. If these preparations were made with the mindset of 'just winning this election first,' it will be difficult to handle the aftershocks once the election is over.

Even now, the scale and deadlines should be set within feasible limits. Implementation plans including necessary personnel, space, and budget should also be announced together to minimize confusion on the ground. It should be kept in mind that a government’s report card is evaluated not by its agenda but by its outcomes.

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