![Son Ji-hyeon, a Silla University professor appointed Tuesday as head of the Busan Social Service Agency [Busan city government]](https://wimg.heraldcorp.com/news/cms/2026/08/18/news-p.v1.20260818.b258156142a3433c8ff0d8b7eed98ed7_P1.png)
Busan Mayor Jeon Jae-soo has made his first appointment of a public institution head since taking office, tapping a figure from his transition committee. The city announced Tuesday that Son Ji-hyeon, a professor in the counseling, treatment and welfare department at Silla University, will lead the Busan Social Service Agency, a city-funded public body.
Son brings more than a decade of teaching and research at Silla University, along with experience in social welfare policy and administration, including work on community integrated care and local social security councils.
She also served on Jeon's transition committee, "Busan Ready to Run Again," as head of the healthy citizens and happiness subcommittee, overseeing policy design and campaign pledge implementation across healthcare, social welfare, care services, and culture and sports.
Over the next three years, Son will work to develop locally tailored care systems and support related facilities, with the goal of growing the agency — now entering its fourth year of operation — into a specialized social services institution for the region.
"I will establish an integrated social service delivery system that every resident can feel in their daily lives, and will continuously develop a Busan-style social service model by drawing on welfare big data analysis and the voices of citizens and frontline workers," Son said in her inaugural remarks.
Beyond Son, others who assisted Jeon's campaign or participated in the transition committee have been placed in affiliated agencies or political advisory roles. The city said Tuesday that Kim Byeong-geon, Son Ga-yeon and Kim Seung-yong have recently been appointed as senior advisers for future strategy, social welfare and institutional reform, respectively.
Kim Byeong-geon, a lawyer by training, served as spokesperson for Jeon's election campaign and as an advisory member on the transition committee's special committee on AI transformation. Son Ga-yeon, a lecturer in social welfare at Dongseo University, was an advisory member on the transition committee's healthy citizens and happiness subcommittee. Kim Seung-yong served as a secretary to Jeon during his time as a National Assembly member and handled policy matters for the campaign.
Earlier appointees include Moon Na-yeong, a communications planning adviser and former Geumjeong-gu council member, and Kim Gi-tak, a protocol secretary and former Yeongdo-gu council member, both of whom handled messaging and candidate protocol during the campaign. Kim Byeong-jin, former head of the Busan Institute for Science and Technology Higher Education, was named head of the Busan Anchor Center on Aug. 11 and had served as head of the planning and coordination subcommittee on the transition committee.
kaf2002@heraldcorp.com
