The tripartite consultative body of labor, management and government expanded its organization by inviting representatives from small and medium-sized companies, as well as youth and women.

The expansion of the Economic and Social Development Commission comes as it takes on a broader role and seeks to provide a platform for dialogue among more diverse economic players to solve labor-related problems, including the government’s goal to achieve 70 percent employment by 2017.

The overhaul will increase the number of commission members from 11 to 20.

The presidential advisory panel, formerly called the Tripartite Commission, also plans to abolish its standing committee to simplify the discussion process.

The change was approved Monday at the panel’s general meeting which was its first gathering since President Park Geun-hye’s administration was launched and its chairman Kim Dae-hwan took office in June.

The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions, meanwhile, has still not returned to the table since it left the commission over frequent disagreements with the government in 1999.

By Suk Gee-hyun (monicasuk@heraldcorp.com)