SEOUL, South Korea – The State Affairs Planning Committee (SAPC), tasked with meticulously crafting the Lee Jae-myung administration's agenda for the next five years, officially commenced its operations on June 16th. This crucial body, functioning as a de facto presidential transition committee due to the accelerated election timeline, is expected to finalize key national policy initiatives and a comprehensive government restructuring plan within approximately two months. A pivotal step in this process will be the series of work briefings from government ministries, commencing on June 18th.
The SAPC inaugurated its activities with an opening ceremony at the Changseong-dong Annex of the Seoul Government Complex. Following the unveiling of its signboard, committee members received their letters of appointment. The inaugural session also featured a special lecture by former National Assembly Speaker Kim Jin-pyo, who previously chaired the Presidential Advisory Committee on State Affairs during the Moon Jae-in administration. Kim reportedly shared insights and lessons learned from his past experience, emphasizing strategies to prevent policy confusion. The first plenary meeting of the SAPC then immediately followed.
During the first meeting, SAPC Chairman Lee Han-joo, also the head of the Democratic Research Institute, underscored the urgency and significance of their mandate. He remarked, "We have come this far through a very difficult struggle, following internal turmoil. Now, we must begin anew what should have started three years ago in the previous government." Lee vividly described the current situation, stating, "The government has already been launched, and the President is working. This is like a train running without even a roof, not just opening the door while running." He stressed the imperative to "quickly formulate plans to support the government's work."
The SAPC's primary objective is to lay out the direction of national governance for the upcoming five years, encompassing the formulation of state tasks and proposals for government reorganization. The committee's leadership includes Chairman Lee Han-joo, with Vice-Chairpersons Kim Yong-bum (Presidential Chief of Staff for Policy), Jin Sung-joon (Democratic Party of Korea Policy Committee Chairman), and Bang Ki-sun (Minister for Government Policy Coordination).
Under the Chairman's leadership, seven subcommittees have been established, each headed by a prominent figure: Park Hong-keun (Democratic Party of Korea, Planning), Jung Tae-ho (Democratic Party of Korea, Economy 1), Lee Chun-seok (Democratic Party of Korea, Economy 2), Lee Chan-jin (Chairman of People's Solidarity for Participatory Democracy Policy Advisory Committee, Society 1), Hong Chang-nam (Busan National University Vice President, Society 2), Lee Hae-sik (Democratic Party of Korea, Political Administration), and Hong Hyun-ik (Democratic Research Institute Vice President, Foreign Affairs and Security).
Notably, Heo Eun-ah, former leader of the Reform Party, who declared support for President Lee Jae-myung during the election campaign, has joined as a member of the Planning Subcommittee. For the Political Administration Subcommittee, which handles state affairs in the administrative and legal fields, Lim Eun-jung, a senior prosecutor from the Daejeon District Prosecutors' Office's Serious Economic Crimes Investigation Division, has been appointed as a specialized committee member. Furthermore, Kim Gyu-hyun, the lawyer for former Marine Corps Investigation Unit Chief Park Jeong-hoon, is reported to have been appointed as a specialized committee member for the Foreign Affairs and Security Subcommittee.
Following the first meeting, Cho Seung-rae, spokesperson for the SAPC, briefed the press, affirming the committee's commitment to "clearly present a five-year blueprint for the new government, encompassing the priorities of national tasks reflecting the President's philosophy and concrete action plans." He further emphasized, "We will prioritize organizational reform to rectify inefficient practices and strengthen government capabilities." Cho added, "Before national governance fully gets on track, we will stably establish the government organizational system so that key tasks can be swiftly promoted simultaneously with the formation of the first cabinet."
The committee's main activities will revolve around the seven subcommittees, an operational committee, and plenary meetings. Each subcommittee is scheduled to hold two meetings daily to review sector-specific national tasks. Discussions from the subcommittees will undergo coordination in the daily operational committee meetings and be finalized through resolutions in plenary sessions. Subcommittee meetings were expected to commence after the conclusion of the initial plenary session, with the operational committee becoming fully active from the morning of June 17th. Ministerial work reports will be received over three days, from June 18th to 20th, near the Sejong Government Complex.
Beyond the core committee structure, the SAPC also plans to operate a Special Committee for Balanced Regional Development and separate task forces for organizational reform and tax reform. Additionally, it intends to establish a National Sovereignty Committee and a National Advisory Group to actively gather public opinion. According to spokesperson Cho, the National Sovereignty Committee is envisioned to comprise around ten members.
[Copyright (c) Global Economic Times. All Rights Reserved.]
