2023 Regular National Assembly·National Audit Public Institutions’ Statuses and Issues

Published on September 14, 2023
Published by Public Institution Evaluation Division

   As of 2023, based on the figures from the 2022 budget, the combined income and expenditure of public institutions reached KRW 791.9138 trillion, amounting to 116 percent of the total government sector spending. This underscores the pivotal role that these entities play in the broader national economy. In particular, as each public institution takes on roles in providing essential services that directly impact the daily lives of citizens as well as the overall cost of living— such as the provision of electricity, gas, and water, and supplying infrastructure like railways and roads, in addition to managing housing policies and policy-based financing, a comprehensive understanding of public institutions is becoming increasingly significant.
   Nevertheless, access to detailed financial and operational information about these public institutions has fallen short in comparison to that of government ministries. While information is available through All Public Information In One (ALIO), the public institution management information disclosure system, the pertinent data of each institution and area is scattered, thus failing to provide systemic information that helps to identify recent key issues and the evolution of trends within an individual institution.
   Against this backdrop, this report aims to provide an analysis of the general statuses and challenges faced by these public institutions in their primary operations and spotlights recent issues faced by main institutions. The first volume delves into topics such as the declining financial health of institutions identified as carrying financial risk, critical debates surrounding public institution innovation plans, the necessity of ensuring a fair public fee burden through the management of government-invested companies, changes in the designation of public institutions along with agendas for their improvement, and employee welfare benefits provided by the institutions.
   The second, third, and fourth volumes confront contentious issues on a per-institution basis and offer insights into the operational health, financial stability, invested companies, public fees, employee welfare, performance-based bonuses, and disciplinary records of main public institutions, addressed according to respective standing committees.