Profile: Park Jeong-hyeon Appointed Chair of the Local Era Committee

On October 1, President Lee Jae-myung appointed Park Jeong-hyeon as the new chair of the Presidential Local Era Committee. Park is a local administration expert who previously served as the Deputy Governor of Chungnam and was elected twice as the mayor of Buyeo.

Born in 1964 in Buyeo, Chungnam, Park graduated from Buyeo High School and majored in political science and diplomacy at Dongguk University.

After serving as a special policy advisor to former Chungnam Governor Ahn Hee-jung, he was appointed as the Deputy Governor of Chungnam in 2013. He was elected mayor of Buyeo in the 2018 local elections and successfully won re-election in 2022, leading the 7th and 8th terms of the local government. His career is characterized by experience in coordinating policies at the metropolitan level and hands-on administration at the local level.

During his tenure as mayor, he promoted the introduction of the community-based local currency 'Goodtrae Pay' and farmer subsidies. Goodtrae Pay is a local currency that can be used in traditional markets and small businesses in Buyeo, aimed at boosting local consumption and revitalizing the community economy.

Park also served as the spokesperson for the Basic Income Local Government Council, participating in discussions on basic income policies among local governments. He continued collaborative efforts surrounding local basic income policies, attending regular meetings of the council as a spokesperson while Lee was serving as the governor of Gyeonggi Province in 2021.

The Blue House highlighted Park's experience in directly addressing local extinction and regional imbalances as a key reason for his appointment. They expressed expectations that he would support a transition to a national balanced development where regions can become their own growth engines.

△June 1964, Buyeo, Chungnam △Buyeo High School △Dongguk University, Political Science and Diplomacy △Special Policy Advisor to the Governor of Chungnam △Deputy Governor of Chungnam △Mayor of Buyeo, 7th and 8th terms △Spokesperson for the Basic Income Local Government Council △Chair of the Presidential Local Era Committee