|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Korean Politics - Main Page
Korea's
Main Page
Korean Ministries
Currently there are seventeen executive ministries, the heads of which are designated as members of the State Council. These ministries are responsible for the formulation and implementation of government policies in their respective policy areas. Ministers are appointed by the President with the recommendation of the Prime Minister. They have the right to lead and supervise the executive ministries under their management, to deliberate major state affairs, to act on behalf of the President and appear in the National Assembly, and to issue Ministry orders as delegated by Presidential orders. Ministers are collectively and individually responsible to the President.
Besides the executive ministries, there are seventeen functionally independent agencies and administrations whose scope of activities is relatively narrow and specific. Each agency/administration is typically headed by Vice-ministerial level administrators (three of them are headed by Assistant-minister level officials) appointed by the President with the recommendation of the Prime Minister. They are allied with specific ministries as well as the Prime Minister, and function under the supervision of the affiliated ministers. The seventeen agencies/administrations are: the Office of National Budget, the National Tax Administration, the Korea Customs Office, the National Statistical Office, the Supreme Public Prosecutor's Office, the Military Manpower Administration, the National Police Agency, the Korea Meteorological Administration, the Office of Cultural Properties, the Rural Development Administration, the Forestry Administration, the Small and Medium Business Administration, the Korean Industrial Property Office, the Korea Food and Drug Administration, the National Railroad Administration, the Supply Administration, and the National Maritime Police Agency.
Ministry of Finance and Economy
The Ministry of Finance and Economy is in charge of policies concerning the formation and execution of government budgets, mobilization of resources, investment, technical development, and economic cooperation with foreign countries and international organizations. This ministry is also responsible for the central government's financial affairs, including financial bills, currency, national bonds, accounts, taxation, customs, foreign exchange, and control of state-owned and vested properties. The Minister of Finance and Economy is responsible for coordinating all transactions between ministries related to economy and finance.
The Ministry undertakes these responsibilities through its Office of Tax and Customs (under which are three bureau-level officers: Internal Revenue and Tax Affairs; Property, Consumption and International Tax Affairs; and Customs and Tariffs) as well as through the Bureaus of Economic Policy, Treasury, Financial Policy, International Finance, Economic Cooperation, and Welfare and Price Policy. The Ministry's jurisdiction extends over the National Tax College and National Tax Tribunal. Finally, the Ministry controls and supervises five independent agencies: Office of National Budget, National Tax Administration, Korea Customs Office, and National Statistical Office.
Ministry of Unification
The Ministry of Unification undertakes policy planning, information analysis, public education and public information on issues concerning national unification. These responsibilities are carried out by the Unification Policy Office, the Information Analysis Office, the Inter-Korean Interchange and Cooperation Bureau, and the Humanitarian Affairs Bureau. It also runs the Institute of Political Education for National Unification, the Office of South-North Dialogue, and the Secretariat Office of Advisory Council on Democratic and Peaceful Unification.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade has jurisdiction over all matters concerning diplomacy, trade and treaties with foreign countries. It formulates and implements diplomatic policies; formulates, implements, integrates and coordinates diplomatic policies related to trade, trade talks and international economy; provides overseas information; conducts surveys of international environs; and handles matters concerning treaties and other international agreements, cultural cooperation, immigration, and protection and assistance to Korean nationals abroad. The Ministry is responsible for Korean missions to other countries which are headed by ambassadors, consul-generals or consuls, and maintains relations with the diplomatic and consular representatives of foreign nations in Korea. The Ministry is also responsible for matters concerning economic and financial relations with other countries.
The Ministry carries out these functions through the Office of Policy Planning; and the Bureaus of Asian and Pacific Affairs, North American Affairs, Latin American and Caribbean Affairs, European Affairs, Middle East and African Affairs, Treaties, International Economic Affairs, Cultural Cooperation, and Overseas Residents and Consular Affairs; and three trade-related bureaus (Trade Promotion, Bilateral Trade, Multilateral Trade) which are supervised by the recently established Office of Minister of State for Trade. The Minister of State for Trade serves as the trade representative under the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade. The Ministry also controls and supervises the Institute of Foreign Affairs and National Security, the Korea International Coopera-tion Agency, the Korea Foundation, and the Overseas Koreans Foundation.
Ministry of Justice
The Ministry of Justice is responsible for the prosecution, probation and security observation, penal administration, protection of juveniles, rehabilitation, control of crossborder exit/entry, protection of human rights, naturalization, notary, and other legal affairs of government. It is further responsible for the prison system, immigration, and the supervision of prosecutors. All criminal justice and prison systems are national functions.
The policies and programs of Justice Ministry are carried out through the Office of Legal Affairs, the Prosecution Bureau, the Immigration Bureau, the Correction Bureau, and the Social Protection & Rehabilitation Bureau. The Ministry controls and supervises the Supreme Public Prosecutor's Office.
Ministry of National Defense
The Ministry of National Defense (MND) deals with policies, rules and orders related to national defense, and all other military affairs. The Armed Forces - Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, and Reserve Forces - are placed under the control of this ministry.
The MND undertakes its functions through Deputy Ministers for Policy, Human Resources, and Aquisition and Technology. These have 17 offices and bureaus as sub-institutions. They are: the Troop Information and Public Affairs Office, the Legal Affairs Management Offices, the Inspector General, the Office of Organization and Manpower Management, the Health and Environment Offiice, the Arms Control Office, the Planning and Coordination Office, the Force Improvement Programming Office, the Project Coordination Office, the Aquisition and Development Office, the Policy and Planning Bureau, the Personnel and Welfare Bureau, the Mobilization Bureau, the Budget and Finance Bureau, the Logistics Bureau, the Installations Bureau, and the Information Systems Bureau.
Ministry of Government Administration and Home Affairs
The Ministry of Government Administ-ration and Home Affairs (which represents the merging of two differnt organization, the Ministry of Government Administration and the Ministry of Home Affairs) undertakes virtually all service and management functions related to the operation of central and local governments.
Its responsibilities are carried out through the Bureaus of Protocol and State Council, Personnel, Administrative Management, Local Autonomy Support, Local Finance and Economy, and Local Tax. Under the Headquarters of Civil Defense and Disaster Management are three additional bureaus: Civil Defense and Disaster Management, Disaster Prevention and Preparedness, and Fire Administration.
The Ministry has under its jurisdiction an array of institutions, including the Central Officials Training Institute, the Appeals Commission, the Government Buildings Supply and Management Service, the Government Archives and Records Service, the Government Computer Center, the Local Administration Training Institute, the National Institute for Disaster Prevention, the National Fire Service Academy, the National Institute of Scientific Investigation, National 119 Rescue Services, and Five Provinces of Northern Korea. The National Police Agency is also under the direction and supervision of this ministry.
Ministry of Education
The Ministry of Education is responsible for issues and concerns pertaining to both formal and non-formal education. The Ministry consists of two offices, the Office of Planning and Management, and the School Policy Offices, and four bureaus, the Life-long Education Bureau, the Academic Research Policy Bureau, the Education Environment Improvement Bureau and the Cyber Education Bureau. These bureaus, in working in coordination with one another, fulfill their various duties and wide-ranging tasks.
The Ministry also oversees the National History Compilation Committee, the National Institute for International Education Development, the National Institute for Training of Educational Administrators, the Appeal Commission for Teachers, the Korean Institute for Special Education, and the National Academy of Sciences.
Ministry of Science and Technology
The Ministry of Science and Technolo-gy is responsible for overseeing national S & T policy, administering affairs related to S & T policy-making, and coordinating national R & D programs. It carries out these tasks through the Planning & Management Office, the R & D Policy Office, and Atomic Energy Office, the S & T Policy Bureau, the Basic Science & Manpower Bureau, and the S & T Cooperation Bureau. This ministry also operates the National Science Museum and supervises the Meteorological Administration.
Ministry of Culture and Tourism
The Ministry of Culture and Tourism is responsible for the formulation and implementation of policies concerning culture, arts, broadcasting management, publications, printed matter, sports, youth, overseas cultural information services, and tourism. These functions are undertaken by the Office of Religious Affairs; and the Bureaus of Cultural Policy, Arts, Culture Industry, Tourism, Sports, and Youth.
This ministry operates, controls and supervises the largest number of agencies of all the ministries. This list includes the Office of Cultural Properties, the Korean National University of Arts, the National Academy of Arts, the National Museums, the National Academy of Korean Language, the National Library, the National Theater, the National Museum of Contemporary Art, the National Center for Korean Traditional Performing Arts, the National Film Production Center, the Government Publishing Office and the National Folk Museum. It also supervises the Korean Overseas Culture and Information Service.
In addition, the Ministry is in charge of supporting and guiding the following specialized groups. In the field of art and culture, these include the Korean Culture and Arts Foundation, the Seoul Arts Center, the Korean Motion Picture Promotion Corporation, and the Independence Hall. In the field of sports, the Ministry supports the Korea Sports Council, the Korean Olympic Committee, and the Seoul Olympic Sports Foundation. Finally, in the field of youth and well-being, the Ministry oversees the Korea Institute for Youth Development.
Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry
The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry is responsible for policies concerning agricultural industry, rural development, food, farmland, irrigation, marketing of agricultural products, and livestock. The Ministry is also responsible for veterinary matters, land registration and agrarian rights.
Included in the Ministry are: the Bureaus of Agricultural Policy, Food Grain Policy, International Agriculture, Rural Development, Marketing Policy, Agricultural Production and Horticulture, and Livestock, and the Agricultural Information and Statistics Office. The Ministry operates the National Agricultural Product Inspection Service, the National Veterinary Research Service, and the National Plant Inspection Service. The Ministry also controls and supervises the Rural Development Administration and the Forestry Administra-tion.
Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Energy
The Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Energy is responsible for commerce, foreign trade, trade promotion, manufacturing industry, industrial zones, energy, underground resources, electricity, fuel, and thermal resource management. It also handles patents and standards. In addition, the Ministry is in charge of trademarks, brands, cases of unfair competition, and import and export regulations.
These functions are carried out through the Office of Trade Policy (with two bureau-level Offices of Trade Policy, and Inter-national Trade Promotion); the Office of Energy and Resources Policy (with four bureau-level Officers of Energy and Resources Policy, Energy Efficiency and Conservation, Petroleum and Gas Policy, and Electric Power Policy) as well as the Bureaus of Industrial Policy, Technology Policy, Capital Goods Industries, and Electronics, Textile and Chemical Industries.
The Ministry operates the Mine Registration Office, the Mine Safety Office, and the Free Export Zone Management Office. The Korean Trade Commission, the Small and Medium Business Administration, and the Korean Industrial Property Office are all under the control and supervision of the Ministry.
Ministry of Information and Communications
The Ministry of Information and Communications handles all matters concerning information and communications, including informatization, radio wave control, postal service, postal cheque transfers and exchange, and postal banking and insurance.
It carries out these functions through the Planning & Management Office, the Information & Communications Policy Office, the Information Planning Office, the Information & Communications Promotion Bureau, the Radio & Broadcasting Bureau, the Post Bureau, the Postal Savings, the Insurance & Finance Bureau, and the International Cooperation Office.
The Ministry also operates the Information & Communications Officials Training Institute, the Radio Research Laboratory, the Electronic Data Management Center, the Central Radio Monitoring Office, the Regional Communications Office, and the Secretariat of the Korea Communications Commission.
Ministry of Health and Welfare
The Ministry of Health and Welfare deals with all matters related to public health, epidemiology, public hygiene and sanitation, medical and pharmaceutical policies, public assistance, self-support care, support for women, children and disabled persons, and all other social welfare and human services programs.
The Ministry undertakes these functions through the Department of Social Welfare Policy (with three Director-Generals of Social Welfare, Family Welfare, and Disabled Persons Welfare); and the Bureaus of Health Policy, Health Promotion, Health Resource Management, and Pension and Health Insurance.
This ministry operates the National Medical Center, the National Institute of Health, the National Institute of Social Welfare Training, the National Mental Hospital, the National Sorokto Hospital, the National Rehabilitation Center, the National Tuberculosis Hospital, and the Central Epidemic Inspection Service. It also controls and supervises the Korea Food and Drug Administration.
Ministry of Environment
The Ministry of Environment is in charge of policies and programs for improving living environments, preserving natural eco-systems, reducing and recycling wastes, safely managing hazardous substances, and promoting environmental technologies, environmental education and public awareness, of environmental issues, and international environmental cooperation.
The Ministry undertakes these functions through the Office of Environmental Policy (with a bureau-level Office of International Cooperation); through the Bureaus of Nature Conservation, Air Quality Management, Water Quality Management, Water Supply and Sewage Treatment, Waste Management and Recycling; and through Regional Environmental Management Offices.
The Ministry supervises the Central Environmental Disputes Coordination Commission, the National Institute of Environmental Research, the Environmental Management Corporation, and the Korean Resources Recovery and Reutilization Corporation.
Ministry of Labor
The Ministry of Labor is responsible for labor-related issues such as labor standards, industrial relations, industrial safety and health, employment policy and employment insurance, vocational training, and so on.
It carries out these functions through the Office of Employment Policy (with three Bureau-level Offices for Employment Policy Coordination, Employment Insurance, and Human Resources Development); and the Bureaus of Labor Policy, Labor Standards, Industrial Safety and Health, and Working Women. Under its direct control are: the Labor Training Institute, the Central Employment Information Office, and the Regional Administrations. Other related institutions are the Central Labor Relations Commission (and seven Local Labor Relations Commissions), the Minimum Wage Council, and the Industrial Accident Deliberation Committee.
Ministry of Construction and Transportation
The Ministry of Construction and Transportation is responsible for the formulation of a national comprehensive land development plan and the coordination of a national construction plan. Also within the Ministry's gambit are policies and programs concerning conservation, utilization, development and renovation of land and water resources, construction of cities, roads, and houses, management of rivers. The Ministry also controls policies and programs concerning land transportation and air transportation.
These functions are undertaken through the Offices of Construction Affairs and Transport Policy; the Bureaus of National Development Planning, Land, Housing and Urban Affairs, Surface Transportation, and Civil Aviation; and through the Corps of the Highspeed Rail Construction Project, the Corps of the New International Airport Construction Project, and the Metropolitan Transportation Planning Corps.
The Ministry oversees the National Geography Institute, the National Construc-tion Research Institute, the Central Equipment Management Office, the Regional Construction and Management Office, the Regional Aviation Office, the Cheju Development and the Construction Office, the Flood Control Office, the Air Traffic Control Center, and the Central Land Tribunal. It also supervises the National Railroads Administration.
Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries
The Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Fisheries, established in 1996, is the youngest ministry. It has jurisdiction over fisheries, marine transportation, construction and operation of harbors, marine research, management of vessels and seamen, conservation of marine environment, marine science and technology, marine resources, and marine accidents.
Its constituent bureaus are: Marine Policy, Maritime Transport and Seafarers, Port Policy, Port Construction, Fisheries Policy and Fishery Promotion.
Under its jurisdiction, the Ministry runs the National Fisheries Promotion Institute, the National Marine Research Institute, the National Marine Product Inspection Service, the Regional Maritime and Fisheries Administration, and the Central and Regional Marine Accident Courts. It also supervises the National Maritime Police Agency.
Information provided by the Korean Embassy