The Lee Jae Myung Administration’s Vision to Build a Nation Where Every Child Is Healthy and Happy 

- Prime Minister Kim Min-seok chairs the 19th Child Policy Coordinating Committee meeting and appoints new private-sector members -

- Committee discusses the Third Master Plan for Child Policy (2025–2029), outlining the Lee administration’s policy blueprint for children -

The government convened the 19th Child Policy Coordinating Committee meeting on Tuesday, November 25, at 3 p.m. at Government Complex Seoul, presided over by Prime Minister Kim Min-seok.

Established under the Child Welfare Act, the Child Policy Coordinating Committee is the highest decision-making body for child policy, responsible for formulating the Master Plan for Child Policy and coordinating cross-ministerial positions. Since 2015, the Committee has reviewed the master plan every five years.

This meeting was the first Child Policy Coordinating Committee meeting convened since the launch of the new administration. Members discussed the Third Master Plan for Child Policy (2025–2029) and deliberated on key agenda items, including the Composition and Operation Plan for the Adoption Policy Committee, which reflects recent reforms of the adoption system.

Before the meeting, Prime Minister Kim Min-seok presented letters of appointment to the newly appointed private-sector members of the 8th Child Policy Coordinating Committee (term: November 17, 2025 to November 16, 2027) at Government Complex Seoul.

The appointees include experts from academia, institutions, civic organizations, as well as child representatives and media professionals, who are expected to contribute to the advancement of child policy.

The main agenda items discussed at the meeting are as follows:

Agenda Item 1. Third Master Plan for Child Policy (2025–2029)

The Master Plan for Child Policy is the government’s highest-level statutory plan for child policy, established every five years under Article 7 of the Child Welfare Act. It has been developed and implemented with the participation of relevant ministries since 2015.

Through the Second Master Plan for Child Policy (2020–2024), the government made progress, including expanding infrastructure for child development and protection and strengthening the institutional foundation for safeguarding children’s rights.

However, disparities faced by children in low-income households has widened; children’s overdependence on digital devices such as smartphones persists; and several health indicators, including obesity and suicide rates, have worsened.

While the number of children requiring protection has declined, demand for tailored protection services has increased, and the volume of child-abuse reports has not decreased. Furthermore, opportunities for children to participate directly in policy processes remain limited.

Recognizing these issues, the government began preliminary studies last year, operated an advisory committee involving experts and children, and held a public hearing in August to identify and review a wide range of policy tasks.

Following discussions by the Child Policy Working Committee (chaired by the Vice Minister of Health and Welfare) on September 30, the government drafted the Third Master Plan for Child Policy (2025–2029).

Reflecting the policy vision of the Lee Jae Myung Administration, the third plan sets the goal of creating a nation where every child can grow up healthy and happy. The plan focuses on three priorities: fostering family and social environments that support children’s healthy development; strengthening the state protection system for all children in need; and advancing children’s rights and expanding their participation in policymaking.

Specific action plans will be announced separately after further refinement based on the Committee’s discussions at this meeting.

Agenda Item 2. Composition and Operation Plan for the Adoption Policy Committee

In line with the enforcement of the Special Act on Domestic Adoption (effective July 19, 2025), the Committee discussed the composition and operation plan for the Adoption Policy Committee, which will deliberate on adoption policy and review individual adoption cases.

The Adoption Policy Committee will be established to discuss major adoption policy matters, including developing a master plan for promoting domestic adoption, setting policy directions such as institutional improvements, and establishing committee operation plans.

The Committee will be chaired by the Minister of Health and Welfare and will include 15 members comprising subject-matter experts, representatives from adoption organizations, adoptee representatives, personnel from related institutions, and nominees recommended by the Minister of the National Court Administration.

In addition, the Subcommittees on Domestic Adoption and Intercountry Adoption will be established to handle decisions on adoption matching and to verify adoptive-parent eligibility for domestic and intercountry cases.

Prime Minister Kim Min-seok, who chaired the meeting, emphasized, “Ensuring that children—the future leaders of our society—can grow up safely and healthily is one of the State’s most important responsibilities.”

He added, “The government will work with empathy and understanding so that children are respected as rights-holders and their voices are reflected in policymaking. I also urge relevant ministries to provide strong support so that the Lee Jae Myung Administration’s child-policy strategies discussed today can be implemented seamlessly.”

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