Min Hyeong-bae, mayor of the South Jeolla-Gwangju Integrated Special City, delivers a policy address at the second extraordinary session of the city council's South Jeolla chamber on Monday. [Provided by South Jeolla-Gwangju Integrated Special City]
Min Hyeong-bae, mayor of the South Jeolla-Gwangju Integrated Special City, delivers a policy address at the second extraordinary session of the city council's South Jeolla chamber on Monday. [Provided by South Jeolla-Gwangju Integrated Special City]

Min Hyeong-bae, mayor of the South Jeolla-Gwangju Integrated Special City, will attend a Cabinet meeting at Cheong Wa Dae for the first time Tuesday.

Min is scheduled to join the Cabinet meeting at 10 a.m. at the main building of Cheong Wa Dae.

The Cabinet meeting is the government's highest policy deliberation body, chaired by the president with the prime minister as vice chair, where major policies, bills and budget proposals are reviewed and approved.

Min's attendance became possible after the Cabinet approved an amendment to the Cabinet meeting regulations on July 7.

Previously, those permitted to attend Cabinet meetings were limited to the presidential chief of staff, the policy chief, the national security adviser, the Ministry of Personnel Management minister, the FSC chairman and the Seoul mayor. The amended regulation adds the mayor of the South Jeolla-Gwangju Integrated Special City to that list. It also establishes grounds for attendees to speak on Cabinet affairs when the chair deems it necessary.

Min is now expected to directly convey regional issues at Cabinet meetings and serve as a direct channel to the central government.

As mayor of the integrated special city, Min receives ministerial-level protocol — a step up from the vice-ministerial-level treatment previously accorded to the Gwangju mayor and South Jeolla governor.


sij@heraldcorp.com