Lee Hyung-il holds first inter-agency meeting since taking office, says 'all decisions must start with the people'

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy and Finance Lee Hyung-il met with the heads of affiliated agencies for the first time since taking office, calling on them to deliver policy results that citizens can feel in their daily lives.

The Ministry of Economy and Finance said Lee chaired the meeting Thursday at Government Complex Seoul, with the deputy commissioner of the National Tax Service, the commissioner of Korea Customs Service, the commissioner of the Public Procurement Service, the president of Korea Investment Corporation and the vice president of Korea Asset Management Corporation (Kamco) in attendance.

Lee said the economy has maintained its growth momentum in recent months but that the recovery has yet to translate into improvement that citizens can actually feel. He said each agency's work must produce tangible benefits for the public, particularly as the country navigates structural shifts including the AI transformation.

"Let the starting point of every decision be the people and the field," he said, urging officials to step away from a supplier-centered mindset and entrenched practices, listen directly to the difficulties faced by citizens and businesses, and deliver concrete change — however small.

He added that once a policy decision is made, it must be carried out swiftly and seen through to the end. He asked agencies to cut unnecessary reporting and redundant measures, and to keep implementing core tasks until citizens can feel the results.

Lee also stressed the use of AI to improve administrative efficiency, calling on each agency to actively adopt AI tools suited to its specific functions in order to reduce processing times and improve the accuracy and convenience of services provided to the public.

Participants agreed that price stability is the most pressing priority. They reviewed tasks directly tied to public welfare, including cracking down on tax evasion, preventing abuse of tariff rate quotas and addressing unfair practices in the public procurement market.

Debt restructuring for financially vulnerable groups and support for export companies were also on the agenda. Participants exchanged views on expanding export financing for AI and advanced industries as well as the defense and nuclear power sectors, easing difficulties at export sites, advancing investment projects in the United States and introducing a strategic sovereign wealth fund.

Regarding the upcoming national audit, Lee asked agencies to fully explain their policy achievements and future plans based on objective facts. He also requested that reasonable criticism raised during the audit process be actively reflected in future policy and agency operations.