Yang Bunam Proposes Mandatory Creation and Disclosure of Cabinet Meeting Records

Main Sponsor of the "Government Organization Act Amendment"
"Enhancing Transparency and Accountability... Guaranteeing the Right to Know"

Nam Yangbu, member of the Democratic Party of Korea.

Yang Bunam, a member of the Democratic Party of Korea (representing Gwangju Seo-gu Eul), announced on September 12 that he has sponsored an amendment to the Government Organization Act that would mandate the creation and release of meeting minutes, verbatim records, and audio recordings for Cabinet meetings in order to enhance transparency and accountability.

The current law only stipulates the operation and deliberation procedures for Cabinet meetings, without specifying concrete obligations regarding how minutes are to be recorded, deadlines for disclosure, or whether meetings should be broadcast. As a result, minutes are often written in a simple outline format, making it difficult to understand the speaker's intent or the context of discussions. In many cases, it is unclear whether actual debates took place, as records often simply state "no objections."

In particular, during the declaration of martial law on December 3 last year, insufficient records made it difficult to verify the decision-making processes and procedures of the President and Cabinet members after the fact.

The proposed amendment requires that meeting minutes, verbatim records, and audio recordings be thoroughly produced; mandates that minutes be made public within seven days; and allows for real-time broadcasting of meetings. However, exceptions for non-disclosure are permitted in cases where there are unavoidable reasons such as national security.

Yang emphasized, "The Cabinet meeting is the highest executive decision-making body that deliberates and decides on major national policies and bills. Thorough documentation and prompt disclosure are essential to guarantee the public's right to know and to enhance transparency and accountability in government operations."

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