Moon Seong-yo was appointed as the head of the Saemangeum Development Agency on May 15.
Moon, who hails from Jeju and graduated from Jeju High School and Korea University with a degree in English literature, also holds a master's degree in economics from the University of Illinois in the United States.
He entered public service in 1994 after passing the 37th National Civil Service Examination and has held various positions, including Director of Housing Welfare Planning at the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, Head of the Public Housing Promotion Division, Director of the Infrastructure Bureau at the Administrative City Construction Agency, and Head of the Urban Regeneration Planning Division at the Ministry of Land. He later served as Deputy Director and Director of the Ministry's Urban Affairs Office and Planning and Coordination Office, retiring in December of last year as an expert in urban planning.
During a briefing, Lee Gyu-yeon, Senior Secretary for Public Relations and Communication at the Blue House, described Moon as a seasoned bureaucrat in the field of land and urban development, noting his leadership in establishing infrastructure for the Administrative City and developing the Busan-Ulsan-Gyeongnam master plan. Lee expressed expectations that Saemangeum will play a significant role in becoming a hub for future advanced industries such as robotics, hydrogen, and AI.
Moon's appointment comes amid a prolonged leadership vacancy that has stalled internal development projects in Saemangeum and key issues in the Jeonbuk region.
A Ministry of Land official stated, "The decision to appoint a proven practical bureaucrat aims to quickly stabilize the organization following a long vacancy and to transform Saemangeum into a hub for future advanced industries like AI and robotics."
Additionally, the Blue House announced other appointments at the vice-ministerial level and chairpersons of various committees.
Hyun Soo-yeop, the current spokesperson for the Ministry of Health and Welfare, was appointed as the First Vice Minister, while Lee Jong-wook, the current Deputy Commissioner of the Korea Customs Service, was promoted to Commissioner. Hong Mi-young, Chairperson of 'People Opening a New Daily Life,' was appointed as the chair of the National Sustainable Development Commission, and Baek Jong-woo, a professor at Kyung Hee University College of Medicine, was named Vice Chair of the National Life Safety Commission. Additionally, Kim Ki-young, a professor at Yonsei University, was appointed as the chair of the National Library Committee.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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