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On January 27, Dr. Kim Man Heum, Chief of the National Assembly Research Service, selected and published a special report on ‘NARS Issues of the Year 2021’.
The COVID-19 pandemic has led to wide-ranging and far-reaching changes across the political, economic, social, and cultural spheres, causing new social problems. COVID-19 has disrupted industrial structures, impacted world order, and influenced our thinking, values, and lifestyles. As we navigate toward a ‘new normal’, with ‘contact-free’ becoming a customary practice, drastic changes are expected in the year ahead.
In this regard, NARS has been flooded with demands in and outside the National Assembly to explore political and legislative tasks that will help us discover and respond to our changing needs. To meet the demands, NARS has been carefully examining current issues and selecting national tasks in order to describe legislative implications and challenges facing the National Assembly. The publishing of ‘NARS Issues of the Year 2021’ is one outcome of our ongoing effort.
This report identifies coexistence—through unity and solidarity—and national development as basic values, and outlines 20 current national issues which NARS has selected for the year 2021.
The report comprises five main sections—‘Political Reform in the New Normal Era,’ ‘The Post COVID-19 World and South Korea,’ ‘The Economy’s New Equilibrium,’ ‘The Power of Social Solidarity,’ and ‘Safe Society and Individual’—each containing four specific topics—expounding on 20 current issues in total. (For example, ‘Political Reform in the New Normal Era’ covers four specific issues: ① Time for Politics Again, By-election and 20th Presidential Primary Election, ② National Unity and System Reform, ③ Checks and Balances of Authorities in Power, and ④ Autonomy and Decentralization and Shift towards Multipolarity. Please see the attached for the Issues of the Year selected by NARS.)
By summarizing the background, concerns, relevant laws, and legislative tasks of each issue, this report functions to support the National Assembly members’ parliamentary activities. These 20 issues constitute this year’s key research, which we will further develop through discussion and, if needed, publish such contents through a ‘Current Issues and Analysis’ report.
The COVID-19 pandemic has led to wide-ranging and far-reaching changes across the political, economic, social, and cultural spheres, causing new social problems. COVID-19 has disrupted industrial structures, impacted world order, and influenced our thinking, values, and lifestyles. As we navigate toward a ‘new normal’, with ‘contact-free’ becoming a customary practice, drastic changes are expected in the year ahead.
In this regard, NARS has been flooded with demands in and outside the National Assembly to explore political and legislative tasks that will help us discover and respond to our changing needs. To meet the demands, NARS has been carefully examining current issues and selecting national tasks in order to describe legislative implications and challenges facing the National Assembly. The publishing of ‘NARS Issues of the Year 2021’ is one outcome of our ongoing effort.
This report identifies coexistence—through unity and solidarity—and national development as basic values, and outlines 20 current national issues which NARS has selected for the year 2021.
The report comprises five main sections—‘Political Reform in the New Normal Era,’ ‘The Post COVID-19 World and South Korea,’ ‘The Economy’s New Equilibrium,’ ‘The Power of Social Solidarity,’ and ‘Safe Society and Individual’—each containing four specific topics—expounding on 20 current issues in total. (For example, ‘Political Reform in the New Normal Era’ covers four specific issues: ① Time for Politics Again, By-election and 20th Presidential Primary Election, ② National Unity and System Reform, ③ Checks and Balances of Authorities in Power, and ④ Autonomy and Decentralization and Shift towards Multipolarity. Please see the attached for the Issues of the Year selected by NARS.)
By summarizing the background, concerns, relevant laws, and legislative tasks of each issue, this report functions to support the National Assembly members’ parliamentary activities. These 20 issues constitute this year’s key research, which we will further develop through discussion and, if needed, publish such contents through a ‘Current Issues and Analysis’ report.
NARS Issues of the Year 2021
| Main Tasks | Issues by Field | Prospects |
|---|---|---|
| Political Reform in the New Normal Era | Time for Politics Again, By-election and 20th Presidential Primary Election | April by-elections, along with the following presidential election, are the biggest political agenda items of this year, and the 2021 election is expected to be the watershed for estimating political realignment since the 2017 presidential impeachment |
| National Unity and System Reform | National unity is an imperative task as it is the most talked about issue by both the president and the speaker of the National Assembly; reform of the political power structures accompanied by amending the Constitution, reform of the election system which still has a long way to go, are the system reforms which will likely be the key to national unity | |
| Checks and Balances of Authorities in Power | Discussions on the reorganization of authorities in power will likely continue in the year 2021, including the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials’(CIO), the prosecution, the police, and the court | |
| Autonomy and Decentralization and Shift toward Multipolarity | As a part of balanced national development, discussions on the establishment of administrative district consolidation between adjacent administrative divisions and consolidation of metropolitan area are likely to accelerate | |
| The Post COVID-19 World and South Korea | Response to COVID-19 and the Future of Democracy | While COVID-19 pandemic has fueled a crisis for democracy, to overcome this pandemic public participation became necessary, therefore new ways of promoting democracy including ‘digital democracy’ and ‘contact-free democracy’ are likely to be more dynamic |
| Biden Administration and Peace Process on the Korean Peninsula | To maintain the momentum of the US-North Korea dialogue and resume the peace process on the Korean Peninsula, keeping a close communication with the Biden administration and preparing domestic institutions are necessary | |
| Taking a Giant Leap to become a Content Powerhouse | In this pandemic era, to transform potential into a competitive edge, it is necessary to predict the future of the content, innovate, and strengthen global and digital competitiveness | |
| Journey to the New Trade Order | To prepare for the economic nationalism and US-China competition, a legal ground to minimize unnecessary friction while maintaining a consistent manner and conforming to international norms is needed | |
| The Economy’s New Equilibrium | Opportunities and Risks of the K-New Deal Economy | In order to transform into a leading and sustainable economy, legal and institutional efforts are necessary; actively spread the opportunities of the K-New Deal, respond to the risks posed by changes, and establish a general management system |
| The Beginning of the Data Economy Era | As data economy—where data are used as a catalyst for industrial development and creating new value—is in full swing, legislative and policy measures are essential to prepare for the transition | |
| Consumption Shift and Platform Business | The Fair Trade Commission has pre-announced the legislation of ‘The Fairness of Online Platform Intermediary Transactions Act,’ and to ensure fairness and transparency in the transaction relationship between the platform providers and the suppliers, the National Assembly needs to discuss relative measures | |
| Entering into a Low-carbon, Eco-friendly Society | As South Korea vowed to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, in 2021 discussions on carbon-neutral legislative tasks will intensify | |
| The Power of Social Solidarity | Tax System Helping Each Other, Special Solidarity Tax | To address the widening income gap and an increase in government spending caused by COVID-19, it is necessary to discuss effectuation of a special solidarity tax to promote social solidarity |
| A Lifeline, the Essential Workers | To help essential workers dealing with infection risk, overwork, and workload-fluctuation-induced job instability, relative measures need to be taken | |
| Supporting Arts and Culture Playing to No Audience | Effective policy measures are needed to establish a crisis and disaster response system and to build a non-face-to-face/digital content industry | |
| Searching for Alternatives to Address Residential Anxiety | To support middle-class residential stability, measures on public self-owned homes, a new housing supply alternative, and so forth, should be explored/developed via the National Assembly | |
| Safe Society and Individual | Creating a Digital Social Safety Net | It is necessary to respond to various social dysfunctions caused in the process of transformation toward a digital society |
| Practical Education Policy in the New Era of Blended Learning | For effective operation of ‘blended learning’, legislative and policy measures along with education support policies to close the learning gap are required | |
| Pension Reforms in the Era of Population Decline | As early depletion of the National Pension Fund is expected, public discussions on raising the replacement rate and insurance premium rate, and restructuring the old-age income security system will arise once again | |
| Supporting the Isolated Victims of Domestic Violence | Public intervention measures are required to help victims of domestic violence now isolated due to pandemic-related ‘stay-at-home’ orders |
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