The Ministry of Industry has set regional economic growth as its top priority for next year and selected ‘5 Poles 3 Special Growth Engines’ industries for focused support.
By 2030, they plan to increase the number of AI factories nationwide to 500 and establish 15 AI leading models and 13 AI demonstration industrial complexes.
The ministry has set three policy directions for next year: regional economic growth, advanced manufacturing AI transformation, and maximizing national interests with new trade strategies.

The Ministry of SMEs and Startups will focus on fostering 10,000 youth local startups, supporting small business vouchers, and creating regional growth funds starting next year.
With the vision of restoring the growth ladder for SMEs, ventures, and small businesses, the ministry will pursue four major tasks and shift policies towards growth promotion and performance.
The ministry plans to concentrate policy resources in regions through expanded regional allocation and dedicated budgets, and establish regional innovation ecosystems through inter-ministerial collaboration.

The Ministry of Climate Energy and Environment plans to amend relevant laws and establish a special law to promote agricultural solar power, aiming to supply 100GW of renewable energy by 2030.
They will establish the 12th Basic Plan for Electricity Supply and Demand and the 2040 Coal Power Transition Roadmap to promote decarbonized energy transition.
The ministry reported next year’s major work plan to realize a decarbonized civilization in Korea.

The Ministry of Personnel Management announced the conversion of the 9th grade civil service exam to the Public Service Aptitude Test (PSAT) and the establishment of an early promotion system for the 5th grade.
Regular inspections of high-ranking officials’ stock sales and blind trusts will be conducted, and the disciplinary period for stalking and pornography distribution will be extended to 10 years.
Personnel management will be reformed to focus on competency and performance from recruitment to position management, evaluation, and rewards.

The Ministry of Interior plans to enact the ‘Citizen Participation Basic Law’ and establish the ‘Everyone’s Plaza’ communication platform next year.
The Democracy Development Merit Awards, which were suspended after 2023, will resume in June next year, and support will be provided for the establishment of a unified special city to overcome the metropolitan area dominance.
The Ministry presented three policy directions, five key tasks, and two additional tasks to achieve the goal of ‘Plus for People’s Lives, Reliable Happiness and Safety Ministry’.

President Lee Jae-myung emphasized the importance of R&D investment in his 2026 budget speech.
Next year’s government R&D budget has been set at a record 35.5 trillion won.
The Ministry of Agriculture plans to focus investments on smart agriculture and green bio industries.