[Second Half Work Report] Ministry of the Interior and Safety: "Restoring Public Trust in Investigation System... Promoting 7:3 Fiscal Decentralization"

Advancing Public Administrative Services and Disaster Response with AI

Expanding the Social Solidarity Economy... Reforming the Resident Recall System

Increasing Local Gift Certificate Issuance to 31.2 Trillion Won by 2030

The Ministry of the Interior and Safety is set to enhance the convenience of administrative services with artificial intelligence (AI) technologies in the second half of this year and is promoting a plan to adjust the ratio of national taxes to local taxes to 70 to 30 in order to achieve fiscal decentralization. The ministry is also preparing thoroughly for the launch of the Serious Crime Investigation Agency (SCIA) and is working to establish an investigation system that will restore public trust.

On August 5, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety announced during a work report at the Blue House that it will begin actively pursuing key tasks in the second half of the year aimed at delivering tangible changes that people can experience in their daily lives.

Yoon Hojung, Minister of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, is reporting on measures to strengthen the fairness of police investigations at the Cabinet meeting presided over by President Lee Jae-myung. Photo by Yonhap News, August 4, 2026.

AI-Based 'Automatic Benefits Application Service' Pilot Launch... Expansion of Resident Participation

To radically reduce the inconveniences citizens experience in accessing administrative services, the ministry will pilot the 'Automatic Benefits Application Service' within the year. This service automatically applies for various benefits using AI whenever eligibility conditions are met, greatly streamlining complex administrative procedures.

In addition, a 'One-Stop Service for Composite Civil Complaints' will be introduced to allow citizens to handle matters that previously required visits to multiple agencies in a single process, and the number of dedicated staff for civil complaints will be increased.

The ministry will also implement public forums—'Everyone's Dialogue' and 'Everyone’s Square'—to realize popular sovereignty in the policymaking process, and will expedite the enactment of the Basic Law on Citizen Participation.

Furthermore, the ministry plans to enhance the efficiency of government organizations through joint public-private organizational reviews and to expand the intelligent work management platform, 'OnAI,' to 47 central administrative agencies. By 2030, it aims to train 20,000 civil service AI experts, thereby strengthening the foundation for a competent government.

To enable local governments under the ninth popularly elected administration to drive local growth together with residents, the ministry will expand the Resident Proposal Project to a scale of 3 trillion won by 2030. It will operate a 'Local Administration Monitoring Group,' where residents directly oversee and participate in local governance and policymaking, and strengthen both the resident recall system and support for resident-initiated ordinances.

Pursuing the Enactment of Social Solidarity Economy and Basic Society Acts... Strengthening Disaster Safety Nets

To promote the social solidarity economy, the ministry will expedite the finalization of the 'Basic Law on the Social Solidarity Economy,' and aims to increase the share of the social solidarity economy to 7% by 2030 by advancing youth work-experience programs, youth village initiatives, and the spread of solar-income villages.

The ministry is also accelerating efforts to pass the 'Basic Society Act' to guarantee a minimum quality of life—housing, transportation, welfare, and finance—for all citizens in their daily lives.

To strengthen safety nets and protect lives, the ministry will outline the direction for the 'First Comprehensive Life Safety Plan,' focusing on advancing AI-based safety systems and disaster management that is closely integrated with the field.

Additionally, by training AI with 150,000 weather disaster data points to develop highly accurate predictive models, the ministry aims to advance the scientific disaster safety management system.

Preparation for SCIA Launch in October... Promoting Fiscal Decentralization with 7:3 Ratio

The ministry plans to ensure a stable launch of the Serious Crime Investigation Agency in October by securing a sufficient number of capable investigators and external experts and preparing related facilities and systems.

The ministry aims to disperse the oversized powers of the prosecution, introduce democratic control measures, and establish an investigative system for serious crimes that prioritizes human rights protection and effective remedies.

To enhance public trust in police investigations, the ministry will strengthen fairness and build a system of mutual checks and balances among investigative agencies, including the SCIA. By reinforcing the National Police Commission, the government intends to expand democratic oversight of police investigations and complete an investigation system that the public can trust.

Kim Minjae, Vice Minister of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, is giving a briefing related to the opening of the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency at the Government Complex Seoul in Jongno-gu, Seoul, on August 4, 2026. Photo by Jo Yongjun

The ministry is promoting fiscal decentralization to strengthen local governments’ own revenue bases by adjusting the ratio of national to local taxes to 70 to 30. As of the 2024 settlement, national taxes accounted for 74.7%, and local taxes for 25.3%, amounting to 336.5 trillion won and 114.1 trillion won, respectively. To achieve fiscal decentralization, a pan-government task force will be activated and fully operational in the second half of the year.

To revitalize regional economies, the scale of local currency issuance will be expanded from 24 trillion won this year to 31.2 trillion won by 2030. Additionally, requirements for designating special autonomous cities outside the Seoul metropolitan area will be relaxed, and 'Population Vitality+Regions' will be designated to provide a springboard for further local development.

The nationwide rollout of the local tax arrears management team will continue, and the ministry will prevent fiscal leakages and unfair contracts by inspecting for unjust local subsidy claims and eradicating paper companies. Comprehensive inspections of aging bridges and other infrastructure will be carried out to end unsafe construction practices.

Yoon Hojung, Minister of the Interior and Safety, emphasized, "In the second half of the year, we will deliver concrete results in realizing an AI-powered democratic government, promoting the social solidarity economy, laying the foundation for a basic society, and launching the Serious Crime Investigation Agency, thereby firmly supporting an 'irreplaceable Republic of Korea' centered on sovereign citizenship."

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