Prime Minister Kim Min-seok (L) talks with Finance Minister Koo Yun-cheol (C), who serves concurrently as deputy prime minister for economic affairs, and Science and ICT Minister Bae Kyung-hoon, who doubles as deputy prime minister for science affairs, during their meeting at Kim's office in Seoul on Thursday. (Yonhap)
Prime Minister Kim Min-seok (L) talks with Finance Minister Koo Yun-cheol (C), who serves concurrently as deputy prime minister for economic affairs, and Science and ICT Minister Bae Kyung-hoon, who doubles as deputy prime minister for science affairs, during their meeting at Kim's office in Seoul on Thursday. (Yonhap)

Prime Minister Kim Min-seok launched a new regular meeting Thursday with the two deputy prime ministers to help coordinate state affairs, his office said.

The gathering -- dubbed "3-plus-alpha" -- was led by Kim and attended by Finance Minister Koo Yun-cheol and

Science Minister Bae Kyung-hoon, both of whom double as deputy prime ministers under a government reorganization scheme implemented Wednesday.

Also present was Government Policy Coordination Minister Yoon Chang-yul.

During the meeting, the three sides discussed ways to overhaul various state consultative bodies and how best to use the new meeting to oversee the Cabinet.

The aim of the 3-plus-alpha is to support the prime minister's oversight of the Cabinet as an upgraded version of a past prime minister-deputy prime minister meeting, according to his office.

The meetings will be held every other week to discuss one or two key selected issues. In addition to those in attendance at Thursday's meeting, the gatherings will be attended by the minister in charge of the selected issue and, if necessary, the future minister of a new office for planning and budget to be installed under the prime minister in January. (Yonhap)