Gwangju Mayor Min Hyung-bae has been in office for two months and ten days, but the city's organizational restructuring is delayed.
The restructuring plan is currently under review by the city council. However, conflicts among council members raise doubts about when the review will be completed, particularly before the Chuseok holiday.
During the review on September 9, council members from the western region strongly opposed the placement of the national deputy mayor at the eastern office.
Concerns have emerged that the opinions of the council chair and the chair of the council's operations committee, both from the eastern region, may influence the decision on the deputy mayor's placement, making the passage of the restructuring plan uncertain.
The Gwangju City Council's Planning and Finance Committee summoned Deputy Mayor Hwang Gi-yeon and others to discuss the complete revision of the administrative organization installation ordinance and the amendment of the public servant personnel ordinance.
The core of the restructuring plan is to reorganize the deputy mayor system into four areas: administrative culture, balanced development, citizen sovereignty, and industrial economy, while expanding the main office's organization from the current four divisions, seven headquarters, and 24 departments to four divisions, seven headquarters, and 28 departments.
Council member Kim Moon-soo (Sinan 1) pressed for clarification on why the national deputy mayor, initially expected to be placed at the Jeonnam office in Muan, was instead assigned to the eastern office as the industrial economy deputy mayor.
When it was explained that internal discussions had taken place and that the council had been consulted, Kim raised his voice, questioning, "Did you consult because the chair and the operations committee chair are from the eastern region? Are you trying to divide the east and west like this?"
Kim added, "Do you want to turn the Jeonnam provincial office into an empty shell? I will not allow this to pass through the committee, even if it means overturning tables."
Council member Choi Seon-guk (Mokpo 1) also pointed out, "The theory of neglecting the western region continues to arise. Is the status of the Jeonnam office deserving of such treatment?" He emphasized that the mayor's presence is always perceived to be at the Gwangju office and requested an account of the mayor's office attendance since the city's merger.
Council member Shim Cheol-ui (Seo-gu 4) remarked, "We are all working separately. If personnel and budgets are divided, it undermines the meaning of integration."
Deputy Mayor Hwang explained, "We have redistributed functions considering the administrative needs and characteristics of each office and the surrounding areas. We also considered where each deputy mayor can best utilize their capabilities and contribute to the development of the office."
He added, "The principle of utilizing the three offices in a balanced manner remains unchanged. While this organizational restructuring is not 100% perfect, we will faithfully reflect changes in administrative situations, demands, and citizen needs, and conduct in-depth organizational assessments if necessary."
As the first organizational restructuring plan undergoes review, there are growing concerns that strong opposition from council members may hinder its passage through the standing committee.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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