Presidential transition committee to fix Moon’s public petition system

President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol’s presidential transition committee announced its plan to revamp the public petition system, which was introduced by the Moon Jae-in administration by incorporating multiple channels for listening to civil complaints and suggestions run differently by South Korean presidential office Cheong Wa Dae, the administration and local municipalities into the executive office of president.

“Many citizens have little idea where and how they can submit civil complaints,” Heo Sung-woo, the head of a center for public suggestions in Yoon’s transition team, said in a briefing on Thursday. “We will unify various channels to make it easier for citizens to voice their opinions.” In this light, the transition team plans to merge Cheong Wa Dae’s public petition portal, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety’s “Gwanghwamoon 1st” and the Anti-Corruption & Civil Rights Commission’s “E-Petition” into a single petition platform under the executive office of the president.

The next administration will lower the bar on civil petitions. Talking of the process where Cheong Wa Dae replies to petitions that gain agreement from more than 200,000 citizens, Heo said, “Some petitions even below the threshold involve critical issues but go unheard.” He promised to make sure that the integrated petition platform prevents public opinions from being ignored and petitions submitted by ordinary people are fully reflected. The presidential transition committee considers getting non-governmental delegates involved to choose petitions to answer.

Heo commented that the current administration’s public petition system will not be abolished overnight, not specifying when it will be closed down.


Sung-Hwi Kang yolo@donga.com