Busan City Hall is seen in this file photo. Busan has drawn up a reorganization plan reflecting the administrative philosophy of its ninth elected-term leadership. [Busan City]
Busan City Hall is seen in this file photo. Busan has drawn up a reorganization plan reflecting the administrative philosophy of its ninth elected-term leadership. [Busan City]

Busan said Wednesday it has drawn up an organizational restructuring plan that includes creating a new Ocean Capital Strategy Office, reshaping city government into an action-oriented administrative system capable of pursuing both economic recovery and future growth simultaneously.

The city will open a legislative notice period Wednesday through Aug. 11 for a proposed amendment to the city ordinance governing administrative agencies and staffing. After consulting with the city council and other stakeholders, the city plans to submit the revised ordinance to the council Aug. 14 for deliberation and a vote at the 339th session, with the reorganization set to take effect in September.

The restructuring plan reflects the governing philosophy of the ninth elected term — completing Busan's vision as an ocean capital, keeping young people from leaving, promoting cooperative governance and civic communication, and delivering immediate results on livelihoods while securing the city's future. The plan focuses on producing tangible outcomes that residents can feel in their daily lives as early as possible.

The city will establish four new agencies, concentrating organizational capacity on the ocean capital, youth, livelihoods and economic sectors. A new Ocean Capital Strategy Office will be created and elevated in rank to advance Busan's vision as an ocean capital. Within the office, two new divisions will be set up: an Arctic Route Promotion Division and an Ocean Capital Sales Division. The Arctic Route Promotion Division will develop a comprehensive plan for pioneering Arctic shipping routes, collaborate with the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, and support trial voyages to position Busan at the forefront of the emerging Arctic route era. The Ocean Capital Sales Division will conduct one-on-one sales diplomacy with international maritime cities, build investment attraction networks, and develop strategies to secure international events in the maritime sector.

A new Population and Youth Policy Bureau will be established as a dedicated agency to link youth and population policy more efficiently. In addition to existing youth policy and population policy divisions, a new Youth Projects Division will be created to expand quality employment by connecting local universities with relocated companies, laying a practical foundation for keeping young people in Busan.

A new Civic Life Bureau will be established to advance policies on cooperative governance, civic communication, conflict mediation, investigation of livelihood-related economic crimes and universal animal welfare. It will house a new Civic Sovereignty and Cooperative Governance Division alongside an integrated civil affairs division, a special judicial police division and an animal welfare policy division, providing residents with integrated administrative services for everyday needs. The Civic Sovereignty and Cooperative Governance Division will serve as a cooperative governance control tower, proactively managing public conflicts and gathering citizen input through two-way communication.

A new Civic Economy Bureau will be established to build a support system for stabilizing livelihoods through the promotion of the social solidarity economy, commercial district revitalization and specialized labor policy. New divisions covering small business support, social solidarity economy and labor policy will oversee the recovery of the local economy and build a safety net spanning small business owners to workers.

Mayor Jeon Jae-soo said the city would "build an organization that lays out a new blueprint for Busan as an ocean capital, takes full responsibility for the 100-day emergency measures for people's livelihoods to the very end, and transforms Busan through AI — and we will prove that change through results that citizens can feel." He added that "the direction of the reorganization will be shaped through communication and cooperative governance with the city council."


kaf2002@heraldcorp.com