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President Lee Jae Myung began receiving briefings from all government ministries and agencies on Wednesday to review progress in the implementation of their policy tasks, according to Yonhap News. The sessions mark the second round of extensive policy briefings since Lee took office in June last year, following the first round in late 2025.

The briefings are being held under the theme "An Irreplaceable Republic of Korea Felt in Everyday Life," as reported by Yonhap. A total of 140 government ministries and agencies will report to the president over nine sessions scheduled through early August.

Coverage Comparison

All four reports from Yonhap News provide consistent details about the briefings. The first day's session included updates from the finance ministry, the National Tax Service, the Korea Customs Service, the state financial watchdog and other agencies, according to the reports.

The reports differ slightly on the number of public observers attending each session. Two reports state that each session will be attended by a group of about 20 "public observers," who will be allowed to ask questions and make proposals about policy implementation. Another report, however, says the sessions will be attended by groups of up to 200 public observers, who will also be allowed to ask questions.

Additionally, one report indicates that the briefings will be livestreamed online, while other reports do not mention this detail.

Key Claims

  • President Lee Jae Myung began receiving briefings from government ministries and agencies to review progress in the implementation of their policy tasks.
  • A total of 140 government ministries and agencies will report to the president over nine sessions.
  • The theme of the briefings is "An Irreplaceable Republic of Korea Felt in Everyday Life."
  • The sessions mark the second round of policy briefings since Lee took office in June last year.
  • The president stressed the need for reform and innovation in carrying out policy tasks.
  • The president called for bold measures to address the issue of overdue taxes.
  • The briefings will be livestreamed online.
  • Each session will be attended by a group of about 20 public observers (or up to 200, as reported in one instance).
  • The sessions will focus on reviewing progress in implementing policy tasks and goals presented in previous briefing sessions.

Remarks by the President

During the first day's briefing, Lee emphasized that the remainder of his five-year term may be more important in achieving his policy goals. "Overall, many achievements have been made over the last year ... (but) the remaining period is more important," he said, referring to the remaining three years and 11 months of his term.

The president also called for bold measures to address overdue taxes, noting that overdue national taxes and other state revenues in arrears exceed 100 trillion won (US$67.1 billion). He suggested that increasing the tax collection workforce would help expedite the recovery of delinquent taxes while also easing the job shortage.

In a Facebook message earlier in the day, Lee described the briefings as an opportunity to review policy outcomes and discuss future directions with the public. "Based on past achievements and tasks, (I) will firmly set up the course for South Korea's future," he wrote.