Presidential office to create position of political affairs minister

The office of President Yoon Suk Yeol will create the position of political affairs minister at the top office in an effort to strengthen communication with the National Assembly, Yoon's chief of staff said Monday.

Presidential Chief of Staff Chung Jin-suk made the remark during a parliamentary steering committee meeting amid calls for Yoon's office to make greater efforts to reach out to the opposition-controlled parliament to better take care of state affairs and move its agenda forward.

"We will create the position of political affairs minister so as to strengthen effective and practical communication between the government and the National Assembly," Chung said. "We will heed sufficiently to the opinions of lawmakers, offer sufficient explanations and conduct consultations continuously."

The government plans to propose a revision to the Government Organization Act to create the new post.

During the session, Chung vowed to work with the National Assembly to establish a new ministry tasked with tackling the country's low birth rate, tentatively named the Ministry of Population Strategy Planning.

"We will closely communicate with the National Assembly in the course of discussions on legislation and budget aimed at reversing the low birth rate trend to address the issue at the pangovernment level," he said.

The latest move comes as rival parties are expected to engage in debates in the coming weeks, with opposition parties considering reintroducing contentious bills that Yoon had vetoed.

The main opposition Democratic Party, which holds 171 seats out of the 300-member National Assembly, is preparing to propose a bill calling for a special counsel probe into alleged state interference in a Marine Corps investigation into the cause of a young Marine's death during a rescue operation last year.

Additionally, bills concerning media boardrooms and the impeachment of the chief of the broadcasting watchdog, Korea Communications Commission, are likely to be put to a vote. (Yonhap)