Deputy Mayor Ko Gwang-wan to resign effective Sept. 30

South Jeolla-Gwangju Special City Mayor Min Hyeong-bae speaks at a Cabinet meeting chaired by President Lee Jae Myung at Cheong Wa Dae. [Cheong Wa Dae Press Photographers Pool] <Yonhap>
South Jeolla-Gwangju Special City Mayor Min Hyeong-bae speaks at a Cabinet meeting chaired by President Lee Jae Myung at Cheong Wa Dae. [Cheong Wa Dae Press Photographers Pool]

South Jeolla-Gwangju Special City has carried out its first round of promotions at Grade 4 and above since its launch, advancing 34 officials — 18 from the former South Jeolla Province administration and 16 from the former Gwangju city government. Lee Byeong-cheol, director of the participatory innovation bureau at the Ministry of Interior and Safety, has been appointed director general of the planning and coordination office, a national civil service post.

The city's personnel committee approved the promotions Tuesday — three at Grade 2, seven at Grade 3 and 24 at Grade 4.

The three Grade 2 promotions went to Kang Hyo-seok, head of the administrative integration task force; Kim Gi-hong, head of the South Jeolla-Gwangju Semiconductor Industry Support Agency; and Lee Sang-bae, director of the climate and environment bureau. Kang and Kim came from the former South Jeolla Province administration, while Lee came from the former Gwangju city government.

Among the seven Grade 3 promotions, five came from the former South Jeolla Province: Kim Seung-hui, head of the administrative support division; Bae Yong-seok, on secondment to the administrative support division; Lee Gil-yong, cultural policy officer; Lee Byeong-cheol, head of the strategic industries department at the Gwangyang Bay Free Economic Zone Authority; and Jeon Chang-u, head of the eco-friendly fisheries division. The two from the former Gwangju city government are Kang Eun-sun, head of the democratic veterans affairs division, and Yun Mi-ra, head of the strategic promotion team.

At Grade 4, 11 officials from the former South Jeolla Province and 13 from the former Gwangju city government were promoted.

A senior national civil service appointment will also follow. Lee Byeong-cheol, director of the participatory innovation bureau at the Ministry of Interior and Safety, will be appointed director general of the planning and coordination office of South Jeolla-Gwangju Special City, effective Monday.

Ko Gwang-wan, the current deputy mayor for safety and public welfare, will resign effective Sept. 30.

The city has deferred some senior Grade 2 and Grade 3 appointments to January, saying it will monitor how the newly merged organization operates before making additional personnel moves to maintain flexibility in staffing.

Follow-up personnel changes will proceed in line with an organizational restructuring set to take effect Oct. 7. The city plans to complete reassignments and transfers at Grade 4 and above, followed by promotions and transfers at Grade 5 and below, and will allocate staff across its three office buildings based on regional administrative demand, residential zones and job expertise.

"This personnel reshuffle is the first real step in administrative integration," Mayor Min Hyeong-bae said. "We sought to build a system capable of properly addressing the city's key priorities while fully respecting the experience and perspectives the organization has accumulated."


sij@heraldcorp.com