Min Hyungbae: "Gwangju, Muan, and Eastern Complexes All Serve as Main Government Buildings... Deputy Mayors to Be Selected by Citizens"

Functions of Government Complexes to Be Discussed at Town Hall on July 9
Two Local Deputy Mayors to Be Selected Through Citizen Recruitment, One Will Be a Woman
Organizational Restructuring and Personnel Appointments Planned for August 1

Min Hyungbae, the Special Mayor of Jeonnam Gwangju Unified Special City, reaffirmed that there is no concept of a main government complex and stated that the functions of the government buildings and organizational arrangements will be determined based on citizen input. He also announced that out of the four deputy mayors, two local government deputy mayors will be selected through a citizen recruitment process, and that the organizational restructuring is targeted for August 1.

At the first press briefing held at the Gwangju Government Complex on July 1, Mayor Min stated, "Gwangju and Jeonnam no longer exist separately. Only Jeonnam Gwangju Unified Special City remains. It has been politically agreed that all three locations are government complexes, and I have repeatedly emphasized this. There is no concept of a main complex."

Min Hyungbae, former special mayor of integrated Jeonnam and Gwangju (center), is explaining the building operation, deputy mayor citizen recruitment, and organizational restructuring plans at the first press briefing held at the Gwangju Government Complex on the afternoon of the 1st. Photo by Song Bohyun

After touring all three government buildings—Gwangju, Muan, and the Eastern Complex—on the same day, Mayor Min commented, "There should be no issue working from all three locations," and added, "While this situation may not occur frequently going forward, it is entirely feasible."

Mayor Min also presented his vision for the operation of each building. The Muan Government Complex will be operated as a 'citizen sovereignty government complex,' housing the city council and two deputy mayors, and will be responsible for major policy decisions and citizen participation functions. The Gwangju Government Complex, centered on the Deputy Mayor for Autonomy and Innovation, will be responsible for institution operations and political affairs. For the Eastern Complex, he explained that there are plans to increase the number of departments by two to three, expand office space to strengthen administrative functions in the eastern region, and consider operating it as the main address of the Unified Special City.

However, he clarified that these plans are not yet finalized. Mayor Min said, "We will hold a town hall meeting on the 9th to broadly gather citizen opinions on how to assign functions and arrange the organization for the government complexes. If necessary, we may even hold a vote regarding the assignment of functions and organizational arrangements," he added.

He also revealed the plan for appointing deputy mayors. Mayor Min announced that, out of the four deputy mayors, two local government deputy mayors—excluding the two national government deputy mayors appointed by the President—will be selected through an open citizen recruitment process. Of these two, one will be a woman. The final selections are scheduled to be completed within July after the recruitment procedures. Mayor Min said, "Even if someone is nominated, they must go through a confirmation hearing, but we will make the decision as quickly as possible."

He further stated that the current title 'Administrative Deputy Mayor' will not be used, and instead, the position will be renamed 'Deputy Mayor for Autonomy and Innovation.' This deputy mayor will be based at the Gwangju Government Complex and will oversee administration and operations for the Gwangju region.

Mayor Min also announced organizational restructuring. He said, "Although I had intended to reorganize and make personnel appointments simultaneously with the launch, there were limitations while I was in the status of mayor-elect. However, as preparations have been made, we plan to carry out organizational restructuring and personnel appointments effective August 1, in consultation with the city council."

Mayor Min stated that, for the time being, his main work will likely be based in Gwangju. He explained, "Recently, new developments such as attracting the semiconductor industry have arisen. The most important tasks now are to ensure the successful settlement of the semiconductor industry and to support the stable establishment of the integration." He added, "Considering these factors, I believe I will need to spend most of my time in Gwangju for now."

Former Mayor Min Hyungbae of the integrated special city of Gwangju Jeonnam (center) and Kim Daejung, Superintendent of Education for the special city of Gwangju Jeonnam, are moving with city and education office executives on the 1st to pay respects at the National 5.18 Democratic Cemetery in Buk-gu, Gwangju. Photo by Bohyun Song

On the first day of the launch of Jeonnam Gwangju Unified Special City, Mayor Min and Superintendent of Education Kim Daejung reaffirmed their commitment to carrying on the spirit of the May movement by visiting the National 5·18 Democratic Cemetery together. That afternoon, they visited the National 5·18 Democratic Cemetery in Unjeong-dong, Buk-gu, Gwangju, along with approximately 90 city and education office executives and members of the transition committee, where they laid flowers, offered incense, and officially announced the launch of the Unified Special City. In the guestbook, Mayor Min wrote, "Honoring the spirit of May, we will build Jeonnam Gwangju Unified Special City as a world of great unity."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.