Seoul Expands Private-Sector Expert Participation in Deregulation... Zero-Based Review Initiated

The Seoul Metropolitan Government, which is focusing on deregulation to revitalize the real economy, is launching an advisory body comprised of private-sector experts. This process aims to ensure that both public officials and citizens thoroughly review deregulation proposals from the ground up.

According to the Seoul Metropolitan Government on January 23, an eight-member "Expert Committee on Deregulation," consisting of specialists in fields such as economics, public welfare, safety, and construction, will begin operations. The committee will review regulatory proposals submitted through various channels, especially those that are difficult to abolish immediately or are subject to differing opinions. Its role is to meticulously analyze the necessity of deregulation and its potential impact on other sectors, and to provide comprehensive recommendations.

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Since January 4, Seoul has been operating a 100-day intensive reporting system through April 12, inviting suggestions for unnecessary regulations. Any citizen can report regulations that hinder economic activities or cause inconvenience through the Regulatory Reform Report Center. The relevant departments in the city government will then re-examine the necessity of these regulations from scratch. Additionally, throughout January, all city departments and employees are being encouraged to actively identify ideas for regulatory abolition and improvement.

The "Expert Committee" will review deregulation proposals submitted by citizens and public officials, taking into account feedback from the Regulatory Innovation Research Team at the Seoul Institute and the relevant city departments. The committee will assess the necessity of deregulation and its impact on other sectors. For each agenda item, a chief reviewer will be designated, and a dedicated researcher will be assigned to provide one-on-one support.

The recommendations formulated by the committee will be submitted to the "Public-Private Governance for Deregulation," which includes the participation of the Mayor of Seoul. This body will conduct a final comprehensive review and make decisions on whether to proceed with deregulation. The "Public-Private Governance for Deregulation" serves as a decision-making body for reviewing and coordinating deregulation matters, with participation from the Mayor, private-sector experts, and heads of relevant city departments. Members of the Expert Committee include: Kwak Noseong, Professor at Yonsei University Global Leaders College; Kim Jinwook, CEO of Yejihak Architects & Engineers; Oh Kyun, President of the Seoul Institute; Yoon Myungo, Professor at the University of Seoul College of Urban Sciences; Lee Ryeonju, former Director-General for Regulatory Coordination at the Office for Government Policy Coordination; Lee Boknam, Professor at Seoul National University Institute of Construction and Environmental Engineering; Lee Jeonghee, Professor at Chung-Ang University Department of Economics; and Choi Taejin, CEO of Hyeondo General Construction Co., Ltd.

The appointment ceremony for the committee members will be held at 2 p.m. today at Seoul City Hall. The members are expected to freely discuss areas where deregulation should be pursued intensively and swiftly, as well as ways to enhance the effectiveness of implementation in relation to the city's ongoing deregulation initiatives.

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