Jeonbuk Province pilots live-streamed executive meetings to boost transparency

Jeonbuk Province has initiated a pilot program to live-stream its executive meetings, marking the first time such sessions are being broadcast directly to the public. Governor Lee Won-taek presided over the inaugural session on July 3, emphasizing the initiative's aim to foster transparency and allow citizens to share in the province's decision-making processes. The province plans to continue monthly trial broadcasts until November, when the program is expected to be formally implemented.

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Aren't the meeting tables too long and far apart? It seems difficult for people far away to have a discussion.

During the first broadcast, Governor Lee noted the physical layout of the meeting room, suggesting improvements for better discussion. He encouraged a more interactive format, shifting from traditional reporting-heavy sessions to a model where department heads present key issues, followed by discussions with the governor. The agenda for the initial meeting included major July priorities such as youth policy, heatwave response, cultural industry development, and the revision of the Saemangeum basic plan.

Specific directives were issued during the meeting, including a call for tailored youth policies based on actual demand, with follow-up analysis of their effectiveness. For heatwave preparedness, the governor stressed the need for time-specific safety checks considering the routines of vulnerable elderly populations and strengthening care systems for those with limited medical access. Regarding the Saemangeum basic plan, Lee urged proactive engagement to ensure Jeonbuk's needs for industrial water, power plants, and wastewater treatment facilities are incorporated.

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Since it's the first time today, let's proceed with a format where three divisions/bureaus report and then discuss.

This initiative is a key pledge of Governor Lee's administration, intended to provide citizens with a clear view of policy formulation. Other local governments, like Gochang County, are also exploring similar public engagement through live-streamed meetings. However, civil society groups caution that the broadcasts must evolve beyond mere formality into genuine platforms for diverse opinions and sustained policy discussions.

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This is a time to fully share our concerns about provincial affairs with the citizens.

An additional hurdle is the Public Official Election Act. Election authorities have indicated that live-streamed meetings could potentially violate the act if they are interpreted as indirect promotion for the provincial governor or focus excessively on their achievements. This raises concerns about the extent to which the broadcasts can truly fulfill the goal of informing the public while adhering to legal restrictions.

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Based on the actual demand of young people, prepare customized policies that distinguish between employment and entrepreneurship, and analyze the effects after implementation to improve them.