South Korea’s government finalized key regional leadership appointments on the 28th, moving to fill vacant senior administrative posts across three provincial and metropolitan regions alongside a major joint municipal office, according to reports from Seoul Shinmun. The appointments address administrative vacancies that had persisted for more than three months following the launch of the 9th popularly elected local governments, which had raised concerns over potential governance gaps across 7 of the country’s 16 major local authorities.
Ministry Officials Fill Longstanding Regional Vacancies
The Ministry of the Interior and Safety executed the personnel appointments, placing senior ministry officials into key local government leadership roles. Ha Jong-mok, who previously served as the head of the Prevention Policy Bureau within the ministry’s Safety and Prevention Policy Office, was appointed as the administrative vice governor of Gyeonggi Province.
Sejong City and North Jeolla Receive New Leadership
Bae Il-kwon, formerly the head of the Artificial Intelligence Government Infrastructure Bureau under the Artificial Intelligence Government Office, took office as the administrative vice mayor of Sejong City. Meanwhile, Lee Ji-sung, who served as the policy planning officer in the ministry’s Planning and Coordination Office, was named the administrative vice governor of North Jeolla Province. An additional appointment was made for the planning and coordination office of the Jeonnam-Gwangju Unified Special City.
Presidential Authorization Issued During Overseas Tour
Despite currently being on an overseas tour, President Lee Jae-myung officially authorized the high-ranking civil service personnel appointments.
Related reading