Priority setting for 2050 future images and policy agendas of the Republic of Korea: engaging the national assembly

Purpose This study aims to identify and prioritize preferable 2050 future images and the policy agendas of the Republic of Korea using a bottom-up approach, involving legislative staff of the National Assembly as well as experts from various fields. Design/methodology/approach The authors derived three future images from the future policy agendas selected by experts: society for growth of smart generations (GS), society for sustainability and safety (SS) and society for coexistence and diversity (CD). The survey conducted among legislative staff (n = 189) shows that the most preferred future image was SS. Then, the authors prioritized the policy agendas that aligned with future images using priority calculating methods. Findings The most prioritized policy agenda was “Social system for coexistence to resolve social conflict,” followed by “Social sustainability through tackling low birth rate.” The next was “Social integration policies to embrace diverse family composition” and “Responding to social change and knowledge transformation caused by artificial intelligence.” Among the top five rankings, two agendas from each SS and CD were selected. Practical implications To achieve the preferred future images, implementing policies related to sustainability, human rights and coexistence are necessary for continuous collaboration among stakeholders, especially those from the legislature. Originality/value This study presents a method of involving the National Assembly, which is a representative institution of the people and composed of various political parties, to set the national’s future vision and agenda from a long-term perspective.