Lee Calls for Bold Regulatory Reform to Accelerate Advanced Industries

President Lee Jae Myung called for rapid and far-reaching reform of regulations that hold back new technologies and advanced industries, placing deregulation at the center of South Korea’s effort to strengthen its global industrial position.

Lee delivered the message Friday while presiding over the second plenary meeting of the presidential regulation rationalization committee at Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul. The committee is examining how rules can be adjusted to support cutting-edge industries and promote more balanced growth across the country.

The president said regulatory reform is essential to building a country with a distinctive and competitive role in the global economy. He urged officials to move promptly against outdated or inconvenient requirements that impede the development of emerging technologies and industries.

At the same time, Lee drew a clear distinction between unnecessary barriers and protections that serve the public interest. He said South Korea may need new or stronger regulations where they are required to protect lives and safety or to uphold social fairness and transparency. His remarks framed the initiative as an effort to make regulation more rational rather than to weaken oversight across the board.

The policy push also has a regional development component. Lee pointed to large projects involving a semiconductor cluster and artificial intelligence-related facilities outside the capital region as potential engines of more evenly distributed growth. He said the government should pursue its balanced development strategy boldly, linking regulatory changes to investment and industrial expansion in regional areas.

The committee’s agenda spans several sectors identified by the government as future growth engines, including robotics, semiconductors, AI data centers, autonomous vehicles and biotechnology. Ministries and private-sector experts were expected to examine practical obstacles affecting those fields and consider ways to streamline administrative processes.

Lee also called for the removal of administrative rules that make it harder to launch venture businesses. He argued that encouraging startups and venture creation can generate jobs and provide additional momentum for economic growth.

The meeting advances two of the administration’s stated priorities: strengthening South Korea’s competitiveness in advanced industries and spreading investment beyond the Seoul metropolitan area. The next test will be whether the government can translate the president’s call into specific rule changes while maintaining the safety, fairness and transparency standards he said must remain protected.