Small working-level team to replace transition committee; four outside members begin drafting campaign pledge implementation plans

South Gyeongsang Province government headquarters [South Gyeongsang Province]
South Gyeongsang Province government headquarters [South Gyeongsang Province]

South Gyeongsang Province has launched the "Gyeongnam Great Leap Preparation Team" to establish a governing vision and campaign pledge implementation plans ahead of the ninth elected administration's launch in July. The province said Tuesday the team will operate out of the Gyeongnam Research Institute for about 20 days, reviewing the policy direction and pledge execution strategies for the incoming administration.

The 28-member team comprises four outside members, 18 working-level civil servants and six researchers from the Gyeongnam Research Institute. Rather than forming a large-scale transition committee, the province said it will run a compact, operations-focused body aimed at ensuring policy continuity and execution capacity. The four outside members — Lee Yeong-il, Yu Hae-nam, Jin Jeong-won and Kang Seok — participated in drafting campaign pledges for South Gyeongsang Governor Park Wan-su during the recent election.

"Since the eighth and ninth elected administrations are on a continuum, we judged that a working-level review was more appropriate than forming a new transition committee," a provincial official said. The team will operate by having outside members set the intent and direction of each pledge, while provincial civil servants and research institute staff conduct administrative reviews to flesh out implementation plans.

Key areas under review include the feasibility of campaign pledges, fiscal conditions, relevant laws and regulations, and implementation timelines. Projects from the eighth administration that still require continued pursuit — due to funding gaps or regulatory hurdles — will also be examined. Because the eighth administration's term is still under way, the full picture of which projects will carry over is expected to emerge once the review is complete.

The team will assess policy tasks related to emerging industries, including physical AI, small modular reactors and the development of an aerospace complex city. It will also address plans to extend the benefits of growth in core industries into welfare and livelihood programs, balanced development across the province's 18 cities and counties, and improvements to living conditions to stem the outflow of the youth population.

"We will ensure that key policies can be pursued without disruption from the moment the ninth elected administration launches," a team official said. "We will do our utmost to lay the groundwork for securing future growth engines for South Gyeongsang and improving the quality of life for its residents."


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