Lee Jun-hyung, a Democratic Party of Korea lawmaker representing Gangdong-gu (Gangdong 3), has been elected chair of the Planning and Economy Committee of the 12th Seoul Metropolitan Council for the first half of its term.
At the 338th extraordinary session held Tuesday, Lee won the post with the overwhelming support of 109 fellow council members.
The Planning and Economy Committee is one of the Seoul Metropolitan Council's core standing committees. It oversees the Planning and Coordination Office — which handles the city's organizational structure, budget and fiscal affairs — the Economy Bureau, which covers industrial development, business support and employment policy, and the Livelihood and Labor Bureau, which manages support for small merchants and labor policy.
Lee has built extensive experience across local administration and legislative affairs, having served as chief of staff to the Gangdong-gu district chief, a Gangdong-gu council member, a Seoul Metropolitan Council member and a National Assembly lawmaker's aide. He is regarded as a hands-on politician with strong communication skills and policy-coordination capabilities.
During his tenure on the 10th Seoul Metropolitan Council, Lee chaired the Special Committee on Jobs, where he reviewed the performance of the city's public employment programs to strengthen policy effectiveness and spearheaded efforts to lay the groundwork for emerging industries, including by enacting an ordinance to foster the insect industry.
He also took an active role in policy advocacy aimed at reducing polarization and promoting the social economy, including sponsoring a resolution calling for the enactment of three social economy-related laws.
In remarks after his election, Lee thanked his sunbae and fellow council members for their support. "Export indicators are improving on the back of a semiconductor industry boom, but the K-shaped polarization — where everyday livelihoods remain mired in hardship — is deepening, and I feel the weight of that responsibility as chair of the Planning and Economy Committee," he said.
Lee outlined his vision for the committee, saying he would draw on experience gained serving on the Planning and Economy Committee during both halves of the 10th Seoul Metropolitan Council term. "I will work closely with fellow council members to build a sustainable growth foundation for Seoul, nurture future growth engines, and do my utmost to advance policies that small and medium-sized enterprises and small merchants can actually feel," he said.
The Planning and Economy Committee for the first half of the 12th term comprises Chair Lee Jun-hyung along with Kim Mi-ju, Park Gyu-nam, Yu Ju-dong, Lee Young-suk, Ju Mu-yeol, Chae Yu-mi, Choi Hyeong-gyu and Heo Yun-jeong of the Democratic Party of Korea, and Kim Gil-yeong, Son Jeong-hwa, Lee Mun-jae and Lee Hyo-jin of the People Power Party.
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