The Ministry of Strategy and Finance has organized a forum to discuss the future vision and development direction of South Korea over the next 20 years, engaging citizens in addressing structural challenges such as artificial intelligence (AI) transformation, polarization, and regional decline.
On June 24, the ministry held a town hall meeting titled "2045: A Preview of the Future" at the Jeongdong 1928 Art Center in Seoul.
This event marked the first opportunity for the public to share their opinions since the establishment of the "South Korea 2045 Strategy Establishment Committee" on May 27. Approximately 80 participants attended, including Minister Park Hong-keun, citizens, youth, private experts, officials from relevant ministries, and local government representatives from the Five Regions and Three Special Areas.
The meeting was designed not merely as a policy briefing but as a platform for citizens to propose future agendas and engage in discussions. The aim is to move away from a one-sided government strategy presentation and to actively involve the public in shaping national strategies.
Participants reflected on South Korea's development over the past 80 years and discussed keywords related to recent issues, as well as words they hope will emerge or disappear by 2045.
Following this, experts presented on future growth drivers and the vision for future communities, leading to discussions among citizens. The final session included interactive programs like a policy balance game, allowing participants to intuitively share their visions for the future.
The ministry recognizes that complex structural challenges such as AI transformation, polarization, and regional decline cannot be addressed by individual ministries or short-term plans alone. Therefore, it plans to expand discussions involving citizens, experts, ministries, and local governments to find solutions over the long term.
Minister Park stated, "Strategies cannot be completed solely by the government's thoughts. The concerns of youth, the burdens of parents, regional difficulties, voices from businesses and the field, worries of the elderly, and expectations of the next generation must all be included to create strategies that resonate with the lives of the people."
He emphasized the importance of establishing a long-term national development strategy, saying, "Just as railway tracks determine the direction of a train, formulating a long-term national development strategy is about setting the course for South Korea 20 years from now."
The ministry plans to use this town hall meeting as a foundation to establish a citizen participation-based policy design approach and to continuously expand an open discussion structure that includes diverse generations and social groups.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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