Assembly approves government reorganization

By Kim Hyo-jin

The National Assembly approved a government reorganization plan, including the creation of a new ministry covering small- and mid-sized enterprises (SMEs) as well as startup companies, Thursday.

Under the plan, the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning will be renamed, roughly translated, the Ministry of Science, Technology and ICT. The Ministry of the Interior will also be renamed the Ministry of Government Administration and Safety.

The official English names of the ministries will be decided soon.

The reorganization bill was passed at a plenary Assembly Session following a prior agreement by vice floor leaders of the ruling and opposition parties.

The parties ended a dispute over the bill after they agreed to renegotiate a contentious plan to have the environment ministry manage water resources. The remaining organizational plans have been approved as originally proposed.

Following passage of the bill, the Small and Medium Business Administration will be converted to a ministry handing SMEs, venture startups and micro-businesses. Its launch is part of efforts to spur and prop up startups and create jobs, which were President Moon Jae-in’s key campaign pledges.

The Coast Guard and the National Emergency Management under the ex-safety ministry have been separated as independent bodies.

The Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning, previously Park Geun-hye’s signature ministry, has been given a new name, the Ministry of Science, Technology and ICT. A vice-ministerial science innovation headquarters will be installed under the renamed ministry.

A vice-ministerial trade negotiations bureau will be established under the current Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy to better respond to free trade deals.

Meanwhile, the current chief of the patriots and veterans affairs ministry, whose chief had vice-ministerial status, has been raised to minister status and the presidential security office has been raised to vice-minister status.

The parties, however, did not see eye-to-eye on streamlining water-related operations by having the environment ministry take full control of water management. Currently the land ministry is in charge of river maintenance and the environment ministry oversees water quality.

The main opposition Liberty Korea Party (LKP) has strongly opposed the government proposal, saying allowing the environment ministry full control will hamper efficient operation of water resources.

The parties agreed to set up a special committee to narrow differences of opinions, setting a deadline of the end of September.

Budget bill still in air

The parties were also poles apart over an 11.2 trillion won ($9.74 billion) supplementary budget bill aimed at job creation, failing to table it for a vote.

The opposition has particularly opposed the allocation of 8 billion won to create public service jobs, insisting it would pose a long-term financial burden.

During the negotiation process, tensions between the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK) and the minor opposition People’s Party were particularly noticeable.

The DPK leadership criticized the rival party for suddenly turning cold on the budget bill, saying its opposition was only aimed at holding back the Moon administration.

Rep. Park Hong-geun, DPK vice floor leader, said the party will make all-out efforts to persuade the opposition parties before the end of the parliamentary session scheduled for Aug. 2.