This study focused on 322 regulatory policy areas during the "Policy Seminars Hosted by Members of the National Assembly" in the first half of the 21st National Assembly (2020.05.30.~2021.12.31.). Employing network analysis, the research investigated the characteristics and political interactions of 2,230 official and unofficial policy actors involved.
The analysis reveals that, due to the significant political conflicts inherent in the regulatory policy domain, expert groups—consisting of legal professionals, professors and research institutions—play crucial roles as coordinators and advocates, helping to mitigate conflicts among actors.
Additionally, robust networking activities are observed among public institutions with judicial and regulatory functions, such as the Ministry of Employment and Labor, the National Police Agency, the Fair-Trade Commission, and the Ministry of Justice. In the private sector, significant roles are played by labor interest groups such as the Federation of Korean Trade Unions, the Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, and the Public Transport Workers' Union, as well as welfare public interest groups, and economic and industrial interest/public groups.
This study is significant for the following reasons: 1) it ensures the reliability and validity of the analysis by selecting 322 regulatory policy cases through discussions with policy and administrative experts; 2) It also selected the previously underexplored area of policy seminars as a research object; 3) Moreover, by selecting numerous policy cases and utilizing network analysis, the study objectively examines political interactions from a comprehensive perspective.