The Ministry of SMEs and Startups is navigating a busy schedule amid a leadership vacuum. As it prepares for President Lee Jae-myung's second round of departmental work reports, the ministry is also attentive to the upcoming appointment of a new minister.
According to the Blue House and industry sources on July 14, President Lee will receive work reports from various ministries nine times from July 15 to next month. This series of meetings aims to review the implementation status of key tasks outlined in last year's initial work report and discuss future plans.
The upcoming work reports, the first in seven months, will take place at the Blue House's guesthouse and will be broadcast live, similar to last year. The reports will involve 19 ministries, six offices, 18 agencies, seven committees, and 140 public institutions.
The work report for the Ministry of SMEs and Startups is scheduled for early next month. The ministry is making thorough preparations as the president will directly assess the progress and effectiveness of various policies, and for the first time, a public participation group will be present to engage in a Q&A session.
In line with the theme of the work report, 'An Irreplaceable Republic of Korea Experienced in Life,' the Blue House has selected 200 members for the public participation group. The Blue House stated, "The public participation group will attend the ministry's work report with the president and will have the opportunity to ask questions or make suggestions from a grassroots perspective."
Alongside the work reports, the Ministry of SMEs and Startups is also accelerating preparations for welcoming a new minister. The position has been vacant since former Minister Han Seong-sook was appointed as the Prime Minister of the Lee Jae-myung administration on June 7. Following her official inauguration as Prime Minister on July 1, the ministry has been operating under the acting leadership of First Vice Minister Noh Yong-seok.
In government circles, there are expectations that a cabinet reshuffle, including the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, may occur as early as this week to kickstart the second year of the administration's agenda. However, since the new minister must undergo a National Assembly confirmation hearing, the appointment is anticipated to take place after the president's work reports.
Once the next minister is nominated, the ministry will promptly establish a preparation team for the confirmation hearing and will also conduct departmental reports to share the direction of national agenda initiatives based on the president's work report content and directives.
As the ministry prepares for the president's work reports and the appointment of a new minister simultaneously, it is reported that senior officials and key departments are postponing summer vacations to focus on related tasks.
A ministry official stated, "In anticipation of the next minister's appointment and the president's work reports, both senior officials and staff are concentrating on reviewing relevant materials and preparing reports."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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