South Korean government and the ruling Democratic Party agreed to reinstate a trade representative office headed by a separate trade chief under the trade, industry, and energy ministry and promote the vice-ministerial level administration dedicated to promote small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to a ministerial rank in the reorganized administration of new President Moon Jae-in.

Under the reorganization plan, the administration will be enlarged to 18 ministries and 22 vice-ministerial level administrations from the current 17 ministries and 21 vice-ministerial level agencies.

Kim Tae-nyeon, head of policy committee of the Democratic Party said that they agreed to restore the trade representative office to better deal with the rapidly changing global trade environment and risks from increasing protectionism. Unlike the previous plan suggested by the policy planning advisory committee to shift the trade negotiating role from the trade ministry to the foreign ministry, the government decided to keep the trade office under the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.

The trade office will be led by a vice ministerial-level chief, but will be addressed as a trade minister.

The government and the ruling party also agreed to promote the Small and Medium Business Administration (SMBA) to ministerial level and centralize policies on startups and venture enterprises spread out in the industry ministry and ICT ministry under the enlarged ministry.

A third vice minister will be created under the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning to be fully devoted to science, technology, and innovation policy. The chief of the new division will be invited to regular cabinet meetings.

The fire-fighting agency and coast guard will be separated into independent agencies. The current Ministry of the Interior will be reformed into a ministry of administration and public safety by taking roles of the Ministry of Public Safety and Security. The new ministry will have a vice ministerial-level disaster managing agency.

Water-related, flood and river, and as well as the public authority Korea Waters Resources under the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport will be shifted to the Ministry of Environment.

The Ministry of Patriots & Veterans Affairs will be promoted as a ministerial-level office.

By Kim Gi-chul

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