Three weeks after the launch of the National Planning Committee in 2025, an overview of the current progress and the process of policy formation through a briefing.

Introduction: The Door to 'The Time of Policy'

On July 7, 2025, the regular briefing conducted by the spokesperson of the National Planning and Coordination Committee, Cho Seung-rae, at the Government Seoul Office was more than just a simple policy explanation it was a snapshot of how policy formation is currently taking place. It provided an opportunity to glimpse how citizen proposals are integrated into policies and how party pledges are reflected in the national plans. Notably, this briefing occurred three weeks after the initiation of the National Planning and Coordination Committee, marking a transition from initial task categorization and field listening to a phase of substantive policy establishment and coordination. Policy is no longer the exclusive domain of a small group of experts or bureaucrats. It is a living practice where citizens, political parties, and the government are intertwined, negotiating and coordinating in a multi-layered manner. This article aims to examine the functions of the National Planning and Coordination Committee, the structure of citizen participation, the relationship with party politics, and the direction of future institutionalization, starting from the briefing on July 7.

The structure and functions of the National Planning Committee

Spokesperson Cho Seung-rae explained the progress during a briefing, stating, "It has been three weeks since the launch of the National Planning Committee." The initial three weeks focused on categorizing national tasks and listening to voices from the field, while the transition to practical policy formulation began in the fourth week. This emphasizes that the committee operates based on a three-stage governance framework of planning, listening, and designing. The National Planning Committee operates around various subcommittees and task forces. Notably, the 'Government Organization Task Force' is responsible for coordinating the plans for government reorganization, and the 'National Governance Task Force' is working on adjusting the list of national tasks, drafting implementation plans, and financial investment plans simultaneously. Additionally, a framework for discussions and decisions among subcommittees is established through 14 operational committee meetings and three plenary sessions. Each subcommittee is planning discussions and themed forums with relevant institutions, adhering to the principle that policy formulation should be based on substantial communication from the field, not merely documentation. For example, Subcommittee 1 on the economy held the first meeting of the 'Social Economy Task Force' to discuss measures for revitalizing the social economy, while Subcommittee 2 on the economy is holding meetings with agricultural groups. Subcommittees 1 and 2 on social issues are planning discussions with the welfare and science and technology committees of the National Assembly. These activities demonstrate that the National Planning Committee functions not just as a control tower for organizing policies, but as an intermediary hub connecting the context of the field with legal and institutional demands.

"Everyone's Plaza" and the National Participation Model

The space that is gaining attention as a new experiment in policy formulation is 'Everyone's Plaza.' This is a government-operated national suggestion platform where anyone can register policy ideas or complaints. According to spokesperson Cho Seung-rae, as of July 7, the cumulative number of visitors has reached 470,000, with over 700,000 policy proposals and complaints received. On weekends, approximately 22,000 people visit the platform in a single day, and among the submitted proposals are specific policy requests such as "reducing the number of children per daycare teacher," "reducing vehicle ownership tax," and "automatic claim system for health insurance." These proposals are not merely received they are distributed to various committees for review reports, and some are actually reflected in national agenda items. The National Planning Commission has transmitted a total of 71 proposals to each committee, and responses to 10 of them have been received. Among these, it has been confirmed that 4 proposals are currently under review for inclusion in the national agenda. A representative example is the proposal to "reduce the burden of delivery fees," which has been linked to national agenda items aimed at alleviating the burden on citizens. Additionally, the government is meeting directly with citizens to gather suggestions through the "Bus Tour to Everyone's Plaza." Last week, they visited the Gangwon region and received 156 proposals, and this week they plan to continue on-site communication in the Honam region, including Mokpo, Suncheon, Gurye, and Gunsan. This system demonstrates that citizen participation is not just a one-off event but is institutionalized as part of policy formulation. However, questions about the actual reflection rate of proposals and the transparency of the process still remain. While participation is the beginning, responsible incorporation can be said to be the true completion of 'participatory administration.'

The Intersection of Political Promises and National Policies

The National Planning Commission is not just a policy coordination body of the executive branch it is also collaborating with political parties. Spokesperson Cho Seung-rae stated that they are organizing 146 common pledges from both ruling and opposition parties to adjust their reflection in national tasks. To this end, parties that nominated candidates for the presidential election submitted pledges, while parties that did not nominate candidates submitted policy proposals, and based on these materials, they are analyzing the possibility of reflecting them in the national plan. In particular, questions were raised about the overlap between bills proposed by ruling party lawmakers and national tasks regarding economic pledges such as achieving a KOSPI of 5000 and amending the Commercial Act. In response, Spokesperson Cho explained that "the amendment of the Commercial Act is one legislative means among various practical tasks to realize the pledges, and it is included in the national tasks separately from the bill proposals." Discussions regarding constitutional amendments also continued. It was revealed that the National Planning Commission is holding meetings with civic groups to review the necessary matters for constitutional amendments based on the 'constitutional amendment for national integration' proposed by the president on May 18. Currently, there are no plans to form a constitutional amendment task force, but meetings will continue if there are demands. This trend demonstrates that policy formation is not solely a discussion of the executive branch, but rather a multi-layered structure shaped by political party pledges, legislative bills, civic proposals, and presidential pledges interlinking.

Conclusion: For an Open Door Between Policy and the People

The national governance design of 2025 operates on a more open structure than ever before. The circuit of policy formation is wide and complex, involving task forces, divisions, consultations among ministries, meetings with the National Assembly’s standing committees, and even the ‘Public Square.’ Rather than chaos, this can be seen as a transitional process where participatory democracy is becoming embedded within the system. Of course, there are still areas that need improvement. The proportion of citizen proposals reflected in actual national tasks is very small, and there is a need to strengthen the explanation and transparency of that process. The future task of the National Planning Commission will be to sustainably maintain these participation channels and establish a reflection mechanism that the citizens can perceive. Policy is not a document but a process, and that process is completed through interaction with the citizens. The briefing on July 7 was a vivid scene that transparently showcased that very process. Today, policy is slowly but surely moving between participation and reflection, between ideals and reality.