Photo not related to article [Getty Images Bank]
Photo not related to article [Getty Images Bank]

The central government and local authorities agreed Monday to review their cooperation framework for the first time since the launch of the ninth elected term, and to jointly pursue key policy goals including the transfer of labor inspection authority, summer water-safety management and regional tourism promotion.

The Ministry of Interior and Safety convened the sixth Central-Local Policy Council of 2026 at Government Complex Seoul on Monday, bringing together central and local government officials to discuss shared policy priorities and cooperation measures.

The Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, the Ministry of Employment and Labor and other relevant ministries attended the meeting. Participants agreed to build a "one team" cooperation framework between central and local governments to strengthen the coherence and accountability of national governance.

The government said it would move quickly to deploy local government personnel for policies closely tied to residents' daily lives — including integrated care, suicide prevention and disaster safety — to improve implementation. It also agreed to expand policy council operations, personnel exchanges and on-site visits. Officials called for tighter fiscal management to prevent improper sole-source contracts and fraudulent subsidy claims.

Preventing water-related accidents during the summer season was also a key agenda item. The Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, the Korea Coast Guard and the National Fire Agency shared plans to deploy water-safety personnel, strengthen on-site inspections and address safety blind spots, and agreed to broaden public awareness campaigns on safety rules to reduce casualties.

The Ministry of Employment and Labor asked local governments to secure the necessary personnel and budget in advance of the Dec. 8 enforcement of the Labor Inspector Duties Act, which will transfer labor inspection authority over workplaces with fewer than 30 employees to local governments. Amid continuing heat waves, officials also agreed to strengthen safety management measures — including work stoppages — to prevent heat-related illness among outdoor workers.

The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism called on local governments to actively participate in identifying regional tourism policies and in the "Tourism Saemaul Undong" and "mega tourism zone" projects. The Ministry of Education urged local authorities to conduct safety inspections of experiential facilities and expand the use of regional tourism resources to promote school field trips.

Minister of Interior and Safety Yun Ho-jung said challenges such as regional depopulation, the livelihood economy and disaster safety cannot be solved by central and local governments working separately. "Central and local governments will share the same philosophy and cooperate to build a local autonomy that belongs to everyone," he said.


adastra@heraldcorp.com