OECD Regulatory Policy Outlook 2025

Korea has incorporated several changes in its regulatory policy system since 2021. Consultations are conducted for all regulations initiated by the executive, and early-stage consultation to identify different policy options has been enhanced with the People's Idea Box, a citizen-led initiative utilising surveys or forums to identify regulatory issues. Korea continues e-consultations through the Regulatory Reform Sinmungo to receive public feedback.

Two research centres, the Korea Development Institute and the Korea Institute of Public Administration recently piloted economic and social ex post evaluations, with forthcoming evaluations publicly announced to allow stakeholder input. Evaluations are now required to consider if underlying policy goals are being fulfilled, and if they align with international standards.

Regulatory oversight is conducted by the Regulatory Reform Committee (RRC), co-chaired by the Prime Minister and a non-government sector representative. The Office for Government Policy Coordination (OGPC), through the Regulatory Reform Office, acts as the RRC’s secretariat, playing an oversight and steering role across central agencies. The OGPC conducts an annual evaluation of its own units which involves various performance indicators, such as the level of satisfaction with the improvement of public procurement regulations, the level of regulatory improvement, and the level of compliance with RRC recommendations.

Indicators presented on RIA and stakeholder engagement only cover processes carried out by the executive, which initiates approximately 6% of primary laws in Korea. Primary laws initiated by parliament are not accompanied by RIA and not always supported by stakeholder engagement. Since 2021, there were three separate attempts to subject the development of laws made by the National Assembly to RIA, but none were successful.