President Yoon Suk Yeol will invite members of the public and experts to take part in annual policy briefings that each ministry plans to provide starting this week so that participants can hold policy debates, his office said Wednesday.

Presidents have typically started a new year by receiving briefings from each ministry on their plans for the coming year.

This year, however, Yoon will hold the sessions by themes related to the public’s livelihood issues and invite members of the public and experts to take part in debates with relevant ministries, his office said in a press release.

Around 10 sessions will be held starting Thursday, with the first one titled “A vibrant economy for the people.”

Other themes will include housing, jobs, small and medium-sized enterprises, public safety, caregiving, transportation, medical reform, media policy, tackling the low birth rate and energy policy.

The sessions will be held in locations closely connected to the theme, such as the site of a planned redevelopment p
roject for the second debate on housing next Wednesday.

Other venues under consideration are an industrial complex, a youth startup space, a university and a military base.

The sessions are also aimed at promoting cooperation across ministries, with the session on people’s livelihood and job diplomacy set to bring together officials from the foreign, industry and culture ministries, as well as the Defense Acquisition Program Administration, the state defense procurement agency.

The new format is part of the government’s efforts to implement Yoon’s vision for an “action-oriented, problem-solving government,” not a government that “just carries out reviews,” which he outlined in his New Year’s Day address.

Source: Yonhap News Agency