Policy Evaluation of Yoon Seok-yeol's Government in One Year
Lee, Yonghwan.
Secretary General of The Hansun Foundation
Yoon Suk-yeol has marked his first year in office as the President. Over the past year, the government has been planning and implementing policies for the next four years. While the government has set the right direction for national governance and has been actively pursuing policies, there have been some difficulties in implementation.
- National Philosophy of Freedom and Solidarity and Three Major Reforms
President Yoon, Seok-yeol has presented freedom and solidarity as the national philosophy and has demonstrated efforts to implement it. Through his inauguration speech, commemorative speeches for August 15th, the UN General Assembly address, commemorative speeches for Armed Forces Day, and speech at the US Congress, he widely publicized the value of freedom by mentioning it. He has also been strengthening cooperation with countries that share the value of freedom in international relations, including the US and Japan. In particular, during his state visit to the US on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the ROK-US alliance, the joint statement made at the ROK-US summit expanded the security-centered alliance to areas such as economy, technology, information, culture, and space. Meanwhile, he realized the relocation of the presidential office from the Blue House, which had traditionally been the symbol of Korean politics, to Yongsan, ushering in a new era.
The government has embarked on market-oriented economic revitalization based on the value of freedom. It is also pushing forward with long-delayed reforms in education, labor, and pensions. Labor reform was the first to be initiated, and the public supported efforts to correct wrongful practices such as illegal strikes and lack of transparency in accounting. The public expected the government to correct even wrongful practices. However, the labor reform has since stalled due to backlash against the flexible working hours system. The flexible working hours system is a flexible system that allows workers to work more during busy times and use the additional hours for extended vacations or other purposes. It proposes flexible operation of extended work hours, which is currently allowed for up to 12 hours per week, on a monthly, quarterly, biannual, or annual basis. However, confusion arose when the proposal was perceived as extending the maximum workweek from 52 to 69 hours.
The goal of education reform is to expand school autonomy, foster digital talent, normalize public education, and provide personalized education using AI, to achieve an education system where no one is left behind. In the past, primary and secondary education moved from standardization to diversification, and currently, it is in the process of moving towards individualization based on AI utilization. Universities should move in the direction of autonomy, openness, and competition. The Ministry of Education has set a goal of fostering 30 global universities through a selective and concentrated strategy aimed at promoting co-prosperity both regions and universities. However, there are also concerns. To successfully reform the education system, more active regulatory reform is needed, along with measures that stimulate responsibility and competition in local governments and universities with reform initiatives.
The pension reform has not even taken its first steps properly. The direction of pension reform is to proceed with a plan centered on insurance premium rates, income replacement rates, and the age of eligibility for benefits while maintaining the current system. but neither the National Assembly nor the government is actively pushing for it and is putting it off.
- We have to continue our steps toward the future
If the past year was a period of preparation, the second year is a time for implementing policies in earnest. First, we must actively monitor people's lives and ensure that regulatory reforms produce visible improvements in their quality of life. Our promises to the people regarding education, labor, and pensions must be carried out without interruption. Our passion for science and technology development and enhancing competitiveness for the future must not wane. The national strategy for nurturing advanced industries, which the government announced on March 15, must be implemented smoothly. We must create an environment that allows the blossoming of future advanced industries, including future cars, space, nuclear power, and more, in 14 national industrial complexes across the country, as well as in the world's largest advanced system semiconductor cluster in the capital region.
Over the past year, we have analyzed and evaluated policy in all areas and must work to improve areas where expectations have not been met. To address low approval ratings in public opinion polls, it is important to take a comprehensive approach by identifying and addressing the root causes rather than a piecemeal response.
We should develop various communication methods, such as combating fake news and misinformation, promoting messages that resonate with the public, and conducting grassroots outreach. Additionally, we must address various crimes such as fraud, corruption, and drug abuse that have harmed society and work to build a healthy society while striving to unite a divided nation with a vision for success.
