Ruling Party Moves to Form Key Committees for Economic and Livelihood Legislation; Yoo Dong-soo Tipped for National Policy Committee Chair

As negotiations over the National Assembly's committee lineup for the second half of its 22nd term enter the final stretch, the ruling Democratic Party of Korea is focusing on securing key standing committees that will drive legislation on economic growth and livelihood recovery. Rumors are also circulating over possible committee chairs. With the Lee Jae Myung administration entering its second year, the party appears to be aiming for visible results before the 2028 general election by backing major state agendas through legislation, including a leap into the global top three in artificial intelligence (AI), the nurturing of advanced industries, capital market advancement, and pension and care reform.
According to political sources on the 14th, the DPK is making every effort to secure the chairmanships of key standing committees directly tied to economic and livelihood policies, including the Trade, Industry, Energy, SMEs and Startups Committee, the National Policy Committee, the Finance, Economy and Planning Committee, and the Health and Welfare Committee.
Yoo Dong-soo, a three-term lawmaker, is widely seen as the leading candidate for the National Policy Committee chair. Yoo, who currently serves as the chief deputy head for economic affairs on the Policy Committee of the Democratic Party of Korea, has led the party's economic policy efforts as head of the Middle East crisis economic response task force and chair of the MBK Partners (MBK) and Homeplus task force. The committee oversees the Financial Services Commission (FSC), the Financial Supervisory Service (FSS), and the Korea Fair Trade Commission (KFTC). It is also expected to provide legislative support for the Lee Jae Myung administration's economic reform agenda, including capital market advancement, improved corporate governance, and financial reform.
Lee Eon-ju is among those being mentioned as a candidate for the Trade, Industry, Energy, SMEs and Startups Committee chair. Lee has led the party's Future Economic Growth Strategy Committee, where she has explored growth strategies across a range of sectors, including defense, bio, and financial innovation. She has also served as senior vice chair of the AI Power Nation Committee, reviewing policies to expand infrastructure such as AI semiconductors and data centers and to promote industrial development. She is seen as a strong fit to support, through legislation, the government's push to foster advanced industries and strengthen the country's AI competitiveness. Lee is also being considered as a possible candidate for the Science, ICT, Broadcasting, and Communications Committee of the National Assembly of South Korea.
Jiwon Song