Democratic Party seeks split of key agencies

The Democratic Party of Korea plans a sweeping overhaul of the government structure if it wins power. Ministries with overlapping functions, such as the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, would be divided by function, while ministries criticized for holding excessive authority, such as the Ministry of Economy and Finance and the prosecution, would be split to introduce stronger checks and balances.

Presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung first raised the idea of restructuring the Ministry of Economy and Finance after securing the party's nomination. On Monday, the Democratic Party held a forum to formally launch discussions on reorganizing the economic ministries. The party also aims to use what would be a "ruling party majority, opposition minority" scenario—the first since the Lee Myung-bak administration 17 years ago—to expedite the passage of a government reorganization bill through the National Assembly.

Within the party, there is strong momentum behind a plan to divide the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy into separate ministries for industry, trade and energy. "When our Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy travels abroad, they meet with three different ministers in the host country, creating a bizarre situation," a senior party official said. "Since trade issues became critically important during U.S. President Donald Trump's second term, there is growing consensus that a separate trade ministry is necessary."

There is also growing support for reorganizing budget and economic ministries. "(The Ministry of Economy and Finance) has been criticized for planning the economy while simultaneously controlling fiscal policy, effectively acting like a 'king,'" Lee told reporters after winning the nomination. Proposals under consideration include splitting the ministry into a Planning and Budget Ministry and a Finance and Economy Ministry, or relocating budget authority under the Presidential Office or the Prime Minister's Office. Some in the party are also calling for the creation of a new "control tower" akin to the former Economic Planning Board to oversee economic strategy.

The Democratic Party also plans to separate the prosecution’s investigative and indictment powers. "We must end the system where the prosecution holds both investigative and indictment powers," Lee said during a televised debate on Saturday. On April 15, he also said during a YouTube broadcast, "We are considering significantly strengthening the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials (CIO)."

Other proposals under discussion include establishing a dedicated agency to address population decline and creating a new deputy prime minister position for science and technology to support the AI industry.


윤다빈 기자 empty@donga.com