Agriculture Ministry launches 'Innovation Avengers' blending young ideas with senior experience

The Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs has launched a cross-generational reform group that combines the creativity of younger civil servants with the experience of their senior colleagues.

The ministry held a launch ceremony and workshop for the eighth cohort of its "Agri-Food Innovation Avengers" on Wednesday at the Sejong MICE Center, presided over by Park Soon-yeon, director general of the Planning and Coordination Office.

The Agri-Food Innovation Avengers is an innovation and communication body the ministry has operated since 2019 to improve workplace culture and working practices. It has focused on identifying reform ideas and driving organizational improvements, primarily among civil servants at Grade 5 and below.

The eighth cohort comprises 36 members — 28 from the MZ generation and eight senior civil servants. Since last year, the ministry has expanded participation beyond younger staff to include senior officials, combining experience and ideas across generations.

The group is divided into three teams covering organizational culture, working methods and innovation capacity. Planned activities include policy field visits, small-group innovation sessions, participation in internal and external innovation networks, and the production of innovation vlogs.

Last year's cohort contributed to the ministry winning the grand prize at the Ministry of Interior and Safety's "2025 Organizational Culture Improvement Best Practices Competition," recognized for sharing reform outcomes through webtoons and vlogs.

Wednesday's launch ceremony featured a guest lecture on the group's role, a briefing on the government's reform agenda, presentations of outstanding innovation cases and team-level activity planning discussions.

"The creative and flexible thinking of the Innovation Avengers will play a vital role in building a happy workplace grounded in mutual respect and consideration," Park said. "We will actively support fresh ideas so they translate into real improvements in organizational culture."