This file photo shows a group of Southeast Asian tourists waiting for a train at Seoul Station in central Seoul on Feb. 21, 2020. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, April 8 (Korea Bizwire) — Not only South Koreans but also foreigners residing in the country will be able to file proposals that include ideas to improve the government’s policies.
The Ministry of Interior and Safety said that the “Revised Ordinance on Proposal Regulations for Citizens and Public Officials,” which calls for such details, passed a Cabinet meeting Tuesday and will be promulgated and implemented within this month.
A national proposal is a system in which people come up with creative and concrete measures to improve government affairs.
It is intended to improve unreasonable regulations or procedures by collecting various opinions related to government policies, most of which are received through the “e-People,” the government portal that allows citizens to file complaints online.
The revised ordinance expanded the scope of participation to allow foreigners residing in Korea to submit proposals that were only allowed to be submitted by the public.
As a result, foreigners living in South Korea for employment and academic purposes will also be allowed to officially propose their opinions on policy improvement to the central or local governments.
Foreigners who want to make policy proposals can freely suggest ways to improve policies after entering a foreign registration number that is issued if they reside in Korea for more than 90 days.
M. H. Lee (mhlee@koreabizwire.com)
