Ministry of Planning and Budget Enters ‘Building 5 Era’... Minister Park Honggeun Vows, “We Will Be Judged by Performance”

Official Opening and National Pledge Ceremony Held on May 11
Minister Honggeun Park Stresses Performance and Long-Term Solutions

The Ministry of Planning and Budget held its official opening ceremony at Government Complex Sejong Building 5-1 on May 11, marking the start of its full-scale operations. The ministry has consolidated previously dispersed departments in Sejong into a single location, thereby establishing a unified presence as the nation’s fiscal control tower.

Yonhap News Agency

Honggeun Park, Minister of Planning and Budget, attended the "Opening Ceremony and National Pledge Ceremony of the Ministry of Planning and Budget" in the morning with key senior officials. During the event, they participated in a handprinting ceremony on a plaque engraved with the words "A New Future, Robust Finances, Happy Citizens," as part of their national pledge.

In his welcoming remarks, Minister Park stated, "The foundation has been laid for us to unite our capabilities as one, moving beyond previously fragmented working conditions." He further emphasized, "From now on, we must be evaluated based on the results we deliver as an organization." He also identified the presentation of concrete solutions to mid- to long-term structural challenges, such as demographic changes and the climate crisis, as the ministry’s foremost mission.

During the 5th expanded senior officials’ meeting, held immediately after the opening ceremony, the ministry conducted a rigorous review of pressing fiscal issues. Minister Park specifically directed that the results of the "Integrated Fiscal Project Performance Evaluation," scheduled for completion by mid-May, be strictly reflected in the process of formulating the next year’s budget proposal and restructuring expenditures. This underscores the ministry’s commitment to firmly establishing performance-oriented fiscal management principles in practice.

Additionally, as the process of preparing the 2027 budget proposal intensifies with each ministry set to submit its budget request by the end of May, Minister Park urged strict adherence to the principles of autonomy and accountability in fiscal management. With local elections approaching in June, he also issued special instructions to strengthen discipline among public officials and maintain political neutrality.

Minister Park encouraged his staff by stating, "As moving into the Sejong Government Complex marks a new starting point for the Ministry of Planning and Budget, I urge everyone to make every effort to fulfill our mission as the nation’s fiscal control tower."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.