Min Hyeong-bae, mayor of the South Jeolla-Gwangju Integrated Special City, delivers opening remarks at the city's first expanded senior staff meeting held at the Muan government complex on Wednesday. [Provided by South Jeolla-Gwangju Integrated Special City. Redistribution and DB prohibited]
Min Hyeong-bae, mayor of the South Jeolla-Gwangju Integrated Special City, delivers opening remarks at the city's first expanded senior staff meeting held at the Muan government complex on Wednesday. [Provided by South Jeolla-Gwangju Integrated Special City. Redistribution and DB prohibited]

A citizens' jury convened Saturday at the Korea Institute of Energy Technology's international conference hall in South Jeolla-Gwangju to evaluate candidates for two political deputy mayor posts in the South Jeolla-Gwangju Integrated Special City.

The city was the first in the country to select candidates through a citizen-nomination system. It held the jury review Saturday to vet the contenders.

Four candidates are vying for the portfolio covering industry, jobs, the economy, labor and advanced strategic industries: Kim Jin-myeong, a visiting professor at Seoul National University of Science and Technology; Na Myeong-hwan, dean of Chonnam National University's AI Convergence College; Baek Seung-ju, a former deputy director of the Asian Development Bank Institute; and Choi Hyeong-sik, a former governor of Damyang-gun.

Five candidates are competing for the portfolio covering civic sovereignty, youth population policy, talent development, health and welfare, and gender equality: Park Hyang, a former director of public health policy at the Ministry of Health and Welfare; Park Hyun-joo, a professor at Chosun University; Oh Mi-ran, head of the Gwangju Women and Family Foundation; Yun Nan-sil, chair of the innovation and autonomy expert committee under the Local Era Commission; and Chae Eun-ji, a former vice speaker of the Gwangju City Council.

The candidates delivered policy statements, then answered questions on administrative integration challenges, semiconductor and AI industry plans, and policies for women and youth.

The citizens' jury review was broadcast live on the "Jeonnam Gwangju TV" YouTube channel.

On Sunday, an online vote will be held among 1,013 citizens selected through proportional population representation.

The city plans to combine the jury review results and the online vote results to select three finalists per portfolio.

The mayor will then nominate one candidate from each portfolio, notify the city council, and proceed through a confirmation hearing before appointing the deputy mayors this month.


sij@heraldcorp.com