Lim Gwanghyun: "Housing, Jobs, and Finance Top Priorities; Ensure Early Establishment of Public Prosecution Office and Serious Crimes Investigation Agency"

Outlined government plans at National Assembly Steering Committee audit
"The fruits of growth must improve the lives of everyone"

Lim Kwanghyun, the President's Chief of Staff, said on the 29th that the government would make housing, jobs, and finance—the three key social policy areas closely tied to people's lives—its top priorities and pay even closer attention to them. He also stressed that the government would accelerate follow-up measures to ensure the stable establishment of the newly launched Public Prosecution Office and Serious Crimes Investigation Agency. As the administration enters its second year, it aims to translate economic recovery and the normalization of national systems into tangible improvements in people's livelihoods.

Lim Kwanghyun, the President's Chief of Staff, delivers opening remarks during a parliamentary audit of the Presidential Office, the National Security Office and the Presidential Security Service at the National Assembly's Steering Committee on Oct. 29, 2026. Yonhap News Agency

Appearing before the National Assembly's Steering Committee on the same day for a parliamentary audit of the Presidential Secretariat, the National Security Office, and the Presidential Security Service, Lim reported on the agencies' current work and the government's policy direction going forward.

"Thanks to our efforts so far, the country has been normalized and its standing restored. But we are well aware that people continue to face significant difficulties in their daily lives," Lim said. "We will strengthen policy implementation so that the results reach each and every citizen."

He outlined the government's plan to extend the results of its efforts to revive the economy and pursue reforms into "growth for all," which everyone can benefit from. "We will achieve growth for all, with the fruits of growth extending beyond a select few and reaching the lives of all our people," Lim stressed.

He named the early establishment of the newly launched investigative and prosecutorial agencies following prosecution reform as another key priority. "We will carefully review the staffing, facilities, and operational systems of the Public Prosecution Office and the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency so they can meet the public's expectations, and promptly establish a stable investigative system," Lim said.

Lim described the separation of investigation and prosecution and the transition to a system centered on the Public Prosecution Office and the Serious Crimes Investigation Agency, 78 years after the Prosecutors' Office was established, as a major reform achievement. He also said the introduction of the crime of distorting the law and a system allowing constitutional complaints against court rulings would strengthen accountability in judicial proceedings and safeguard people's fundamental rights.

He reaffirmed the government's commitment to fostering the artificial intelligence (AI) industry to secure future growth engines. "We are committed to making this year the starting point for an 'irreplaceable Korea' that no other country in the world can stand in for," Lim said. "We will fully launch three major megaprojects focused on semiconductors, AI data centers, and physical AI."

He added that the government would move away from a growth model centered on the capital region, establish a foundation for regions to grow on their own, and ensure that everyone can benefit from AI in their daily lives.

Reflecting on the achievements made during the roughly one year and four months since the government took office, Lim highlighted the restoration of constitutional order and the normalization of the economy and foreign relations. "We have worked tirelessly to restore the constitutional order damaged by the December 3 emergency martial law, put the fundamentals of state governance back on track, revitalize people's livelihoods and the economy, and rebuild shaken confidence abroad," he said.

In the economic sector, he expressed confidence that exports would reach $1 trillion this year. He also cited record-high investment in research and development (R&D) and the acquisition of 260,000 graphics processing units (GPUs), a key infrastructure component for the AI era, as major achievements. He also mentioned support for small business owners and self-employed people through two supplementary budgets, assistance for victims of rental deposit fraud, and measures to ease the burden of high oil prices.

On expanding the social safety net, he highlighted integrated community care, plans to introduce a basic income for farming and fishing communities, and support for young people in building assets. He also praised the enactment of the Life Safety Basic Act, which codified people's right to live safely and the state's duty to protect them. Lim said that the number of deaths from industrial accidents in the first half of this year had fallen to a record low, while the number of suicides had reached its lowest level since 2017.

Lim Gwanghyun, chief of staff to the president (front row, far left), and other officials from the Presidential Secretariat, the National Security Office, and the Presidential Security Service take an oath as witnesses at a parliamentary audit held at the National Assembly on the 29th. Oct. 29, 2026. Yonhap News

In foreign affairs, he said that South Korea had restored its credibility and standing in the international community through the resumption of summit diplomacy with major countries, including the United States, China, and Japan, and by hosting the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit.

He also cited greater transparency in government operations as an achievement. Referring to the real-time disclosure of policy-making processes, including Cabinet meetings, as well as the disclosure of special activity expenses and work promotion expenses, Lim said, "We have increased transparency and accountability more than any previous government."

"The People's Sovereignty government seeks to turn the achievements of recovery and normalization into a new leap forward for the people," Lim said. "We will follow through to the end to ensure that the issues raised by the National Assembly lead to substantive institutional improvements and greater convenience for the public."

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