District Mayor Ryu's first official approval reflects commitment to 'swift urban development residents want'; new units for redevelopment acceleration, AI administration, integrated care and commercial revitalization secure future growth engines — reorganization takes effect Thursday
Dongjak-gu will carry out an organizational restructuring Thursday to strengthen the momentum behind key projects of the 9th elected term and improve operational efficiency, the district announced.
The reorganization aims to boost the execution of campaign pledges and major projects by reassigning, adjusting or abolishing overlapping functions within the existing structure, and by creating new units to meet demands arising from shifts in government policy and the administrative environment.
The overhaul focuses particularly on rebuilding the district into a results-oriented organization capable of concentrating all administrative resources on resolving long-standing priorities that residents have sought for years.
The total number of departments — excluding neighborhood community centers — remains at 47, with one task force and two divisions to be abolished and three new task forces to be established.
The most notable change is the renaming of the Urban Transportation Bureau as the Rapid Development Bureau, which will be placed first in the departmental hierarchy in line with Dongjak-gu District Mayor Ryu Sam-young's first official approval — a directive on accelerating redevelopment and reconstruction projects.
The Rapid Development Bureau will also gain two new units — a Redevelopment Rapid Promotion Task Force and a Spatial Development Project Team — to consolidate management of redevelopment functions and strengthen dedicated support for complex development projects.
The Safety and Environment Bureau will be renamed the Safety and Transportation Bureau and will absorb the Traffic Administration Division, Parking Management Division and Road Management Division, tightening the link between disaster-safety capabilities and transportation affairs.
Within the Planning and Fiscal Bureau, the Planning and Coordination Division will be reorganized as the Planning and Budget Division, consolidating planning and budget functions under one roof for more systematic planning and fiscal management.
With the relocation to the new district office now complete, the Building Management Division will be abolished and its functions transferred to the Operations Support Division.
The Administrative Autonomy Bureau will be restructured as the Administrative Support Bureau and will establish a new AI Administration Task Force in line with the era of AI innovation. The district plans to build a foundation for AI adoption and integrate AI across its operations to raise both efficiency and the quality of administrative services.
The Welfare Bureau will be expanded and renamed the Care and Welfare Bureau. An Integrated Care Division will be created to meet growing demand for social care services, and a Family Support Division will be established to consolidate scattered family-related functions. The changes are intended to strengthen care administration covering not only senior citizens and people with disabilities but also single-person households and households in crisis.
The Future Education Bureau will absorb the Culture Policy Division to pursue culture and education in tandem, and will also take in an Environment Division to address future environmental policy as the importance of climate response grows.
The Lifestyle Economy Bureau will add a Commercial Revitalization Division dedicated to supporting traditional markets and neighborhood commercial districts, while the Economic Policy Division will be expanded and renamed the Local Economy Division to integrate business support and employment functions.
Finally, the public health center will establish a Mental Health Division. The district plans to respond proactively to mental health issues — including dementia, suicide and various addictions — that have emerged as pressing social concerns, offering specialized support from prevention through counseling and ongoing management.
The district said it intends to use the reorganization as an opportunity to sharpen the core functions of each area, accelerate project delivery and raise expertise, ultimately delivering administrative change that makes a tangible difference in residents' daily lives.
"This reorganization clearly shows where Dongjak-gu will focus its administrative energy," District Mayor Ryu said. "We will make development faster, administration smarter and care more thorough, so that residents can feel the difference in their everyday lives."
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