Korea's National Agenda

The East Asia Institute (EAI) launched the Governance Research Team in April 2010 to study key issues such as the advancement of Korean politics, effective administration that meets the demands of the people, and deliberative democracy and cooperative governance within civil society to reduce conflicts in public affairs. In the election year of 2012, this research team aimed to establish Korea's national agenda by analyzing major national policies and the perceptions of key stakeholders regarding these policies. A 'national agenda' refers to specific action plans or innovative measures that the government establishes for desirable state administration. For a national agenda to be effectively realized, the prior formation of a positive national consensus on each issue is essential. Without public understanding and support for policies, the efforts of the government and parliament will inevitably be reduced to a mere listing of policies or an abstract agenda proposal.

The research team organized key issues around eight core policy areas and analyzed the survey results from the general public, members of the National Assembly, and academics to examine policy tasks and solutions for Korea's national agenda.

National Agenda 1: Political System and Governance

The core of the debate surrounding political system reform in our society can be seen as the direction of institutional reform and constitutional amendment. Following these discussions, issues related to the power structure, such as the presidential system versus the parliamentary system, a unitary state versus a federal state, the nomination system, and presidential term limits, along with electoral district adjustments and the expansion of proportional representation, have become major points of contention. However, the survey results on the priorities of each group for core policy tasks revealed a weakening of interest in the importance of political reform across all groups. To raise societal awareness of the importance of political reform and restore the diminished role of citizens, a transition to deliberative democracy should be actively considered.

National Agenda 2: Administrative District Reorganization and Decentralization

The most critical national tasks in administrative district reorganization and decentralization are the reform of the local administrative system and the expansion of local finances. However, the priority of administration and decentralization as core policy tasks was evaluated very low, with the general public showing the most passive attitude towards expanding local autonomy among the three groups. In this context, the political sphere should cautiously explore ways to meet the convenience of residents and administrative efficiency by first informing the public about the necessity of reorganization, rather than hastily pursuing local administrative system reform. Furthermore, it is necessary to resolve the financial deterioration of local governments and strengthen local self-reliance and autonomy so that local residents can resolve public issues themselves along with decentralization.

National Agenda 3: National Competitiveness and Regulation

Regulatory reform is one of Korea's major national tasks to achieve a desirable and just social order and secure national competitiveness. Overall, the public, academics, and the National Assembly supported market-oriented regulatory reform rather than strengthened regulation for issues such as online regulation and science and technology ethics. However, they strongly supported government oversight for real estate regulation. Conversely, regarding public enterprises with issues such as inefficient management, the public supported expanded privatization, while the National Assembly and academics supported strengthened government oversight, showing opposing stances. Therefore, regulatory reforms that can lead to national consensus should be pursued for issues with such significant gaps in perception.

National Agenda 4: Labor and Job Creation

Job creation is recognized as a core policy area not only by the general public but also by the political and academic communities. From the Kim Dae-jung administration to the Lee Myung-bak administration, it has been treated as a priority policy task. Therefore, the issue is not a "lack of policy" but rather how to manage the various conflicts arising from differing values, ideologies, and interests surrounding the resolution of employment problems. The national agenda for Korea's labor sector lies in establishing policies that encompass the significant differences observed between generations, social classes, and ideological orientations, despite the general consensus on the importance of job creation.

National Agenda 5: Welfare

In today's era of widening gaps between social strata due to polarization of income and assets, welfare-related issues concern the appropriateness of the welfare budget, universal versus selective welfare regarding welfare recipients, and the financing required for increasing the welfare budget. The aforementioned debates are often presented in a simplistic dichotomy, and significant differences in responses to each issue were observed among the three groups. Therefore, to address welfare issues, a conservative approach to tax increases should be pursued, supplemented by the provision of community-based welfare services. Additionally, measures such as livelihood support for the lower-income bracket and educational support for their children, childcare support for working women to address the low birth rate, job creation for the elderly to address the aging population, and reform of the national pension system with the introduction of alternative systems are necessary.

National Agenda 6: Education

Education is one of Korea's core policy areas, intricately entangled with various interests, including the dual values of universality and individuality, and the two axes of normalizing public education and marketizing education. Conflicting stances clash over key educational issues such as maintaining the high school equalization system, expanding specialized high schools and vocational high schools, university student selection rights, opening the education market, and the balance between student rights and teacher authority. Synthesizing the analysis results, it can be concluded that while maintaining the minimum safety net of public education through high school equalization, it is necessary to strengthen educational autonomy and promote competition.

National Agenda 7: Multiculturalism and Human Rights

Today, the majority of society members agree on the transition to a multicultural society, the necessity of foreign immigration, and coexistence with them; however, exclusionary attitudes towards foreigners still persist. The perception survey results on specific policy issues related to multiculturalism revealed a significantly dualistic attitude, indicating that the embrace of cultural diversity is still greatly insufficient. Perceptions of human rights among Koreans also proved to be complex, necessitating the development of multicultural indices and human rights indices to measure and policy-wise review the settlement of a multicultural society and the advancement of human rights.

National Agenda 8: Environment

We are living in an era of complex risks where the world collectively experiences economic, environmental, and resource crises that transcend national borders. Despite this, our society still treats the environment as a secondary issue rather than a top priority, and environmental discussions across society are confined to rhetoric and symbolism. While the public shows considerable interest in the environment, they still seem to be under the illusion of rapid growth, seeking to achieve it alongside economic growth. Furthermore, the interest of academics and the National Assembly in environmental issues is lower than that of the public, indicating that the active role of civil society is required to realize a 'green welfare state'.

Table of Contents

Introduction: What is Korea's National Agenda?

National Agenda 1: Political System and Governance

National Agenda 2: Administrative District Reorganization and Decentralization

National Agenda 3: National Competitiveness and Regulation

National Agenda 4: Labor and Job Creation

National Agenda 5: Welfare

National Agenda 6: Education

National Agenda 7: Multiculturalism and Human Rights

National Agenda 8: Environment Conclusion: Towards Setting Korea's National Agenda

Towards Setting Korea's National Agenda

Appendix: Survey Overview and Results of the "Perception Survey on Korea's National Agenda"

Contributors

Gong Seok-ki, Institute for Asian Studies, Seoul National University

Goo Jeong-woo, Department of Sociology, Sungkyunkwan University

Kim Nam-gook, Department of Political Science and International Relations, Korea University

Moon Myung-jae, Department of Public Administration, Yonsei University

Park Hyung-joon, Department of Public Administration, Sungkyunkwan University

Lee Gon-soo, EAI Governance Research Team

Lee Sook-jong, Department of Public Administration, Sungkyunkwan University / EAI President

Jang Yong-seok, Department of Public Administration, Yonsei University

Chung Won-chil, EAI Public Opinion Analysis Center