Im Gwang-hyeon: “We expect exports to reach $1 trillion this year... Housing, jobs and finance are top priorities”

[Financial News] Presidential Chief of Staff Im Gwang-hyeon attended his first parliamentary audit on the 29th and said, “We expect exports to reach $1 trillion this year.” He also stressed, “I will make the three key social policy areas most closely tied to people’s lives—housing, jobs and finance—our top priorities and give them even closer attention.”
At the House Steering Committee’s audit of the Presidential Office that day, Chief of Staff Im cited the fact that exports exceeded $700 billion for the first time ever last year as the basis for this economic outlook. He went on to say, “Through the largest R&D (research and development) investment in history, we have restored the research ecosystem and steadily laid the groundwork for future growth, including by securing 260,000 GPUs, a key piece of infrastructure in the AI era.”
Chief of Staff Im said, “I am well aware that although the country has been normalized and its standing restored through our efforts so far, the real difficulties people are experiencing remain significant.” He added, “We will achieve growth for everyone, with the benefits of growth reaching the lives of all people rather than remaining concentrated among a few.”
On the growth strategy for the administration’s second year in office, he said, “We are working with the determination to make this year the first year of an irreplaceable Korea that no country in the world can stand in for.” He added, “We will fully launch three major projects focused on developing semiconductors, AI data centers and physical AI, and make AI a new growth engine for Korea.”
On regional growth, he said, “We will move beyond growth centered on the Seoul metropolitan area, create the foundations for regions to grow on their own and establish a locally led growth system,” adding, “We will build a Korea where everyone can enjoy the benefits of AI in their daily lives.”
He also identified ensuring the Public Prosecution Office and Serious Crimes Investigation Agency system takes root following the separation of investigation and prosecution as a key task. Chief of Staff Im said, “We will carefully review staffing, facilities and work systems to establish a stable investigation system as soon as possible,” adding, “We will also carry out reforms without disruption to protect people’s rights and strengthen trust in the national system.”
He said, “We have also pursued reforms to the prosecution and judicial systems so that state power is used to protect people’s rights,” citing the separation of investigation and prosecution 78 years after the establishment of the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office of the Republic of Korea, as well as the introduction of a system for constitutional complaints against court rulings. He explained that these measures established institutional safeguards to strengthen accountability in judicial proceedings and protect fundamental rights.
On public safety, he stressed, “We have made people’s lives and safety our top priority, established an institutional foundation and brought together the capabilities of the entire government,” adding, “We enacted the Basic Act on Life Safety, codifying the right to live safely and clarifying the state’s duty to protect.”
In discussing the restoration of summit diplomacy with major countries and the hosting of the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting (APEC Summit), he said, “We have restored Korea’s diplomatic standing and credibility and broadened the scope of its international role and cooperation.”
On the way the government is run, he said, “Policy-making processes, including Cabinet meetings, have been communicated to the public in real time, and special activity expenses and official business expenses have also been disclosed, raising transparency and accountability above the levels of any previous government.”
Regarding findings from parliamentary audits, he said, “We have worked to ensure that the National Assembly’s findings lead to improvements in institutions and policies, including by reviewing and addressing recurring issues raised in audits over the past five years.” He added, “We will continue to follow through on the implementation of these findings to the end, so that the National Assembly’s oversight leads to tangible improvements and benefits for the public.”
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