Seoul City Implements Organizational Restructuring, Establishes "Livelihood Economy Headquarters" to Oversee Future Industries

Mayor Oh Se-hoon Announces 9th Elected Government’s Reorganization Plan

Establishment of "Livelihood Economy Headquarters" Overseeing Small Businesses and Future Industries

Strengthened Citizen Health Headquarters for Enhanced Health and Disaster Response

Creation of International Exchange Office to Realize "Global Seoul"

Strengthened Population and Labor Organizations
Implementing "Seoul for Quality of Life"

The Seoul Metropolitan Government has carried out an organizational restructuring focused on enhancing future competitiveness and improving the lives of citizens. The city established the "Livelihood Economy Headquarters" as a new control tower overseeing the economy, and created the Employment and Labor Bureau to strengthen the employment system. In addition, a "Rapid Supply Policy Officer" has been assigned to ensure the early provision of 310,000 housing units.

On September 17, the Seoul Metropolitan Government announced its "9th Popularly Elected Seoul Organizational Restructuring Plan," stating that it would submit the plan to the Seoul Metropolitan Council in October after legislative notification.

This organizational restructuring aligns with the implementation of core projects under the "G3 Seoul Plan," announced on September 10. The city first reorganized the departments responsible for the key tasks of the 9th elected government—economy, welfare, transportation, and housing—into headquarters-level divisions. In areas where administrative demand has increased or stabilized due to internal and external environmental changes, adjustments were made, focusing on enhancing operational efficiency.

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon is announcing the G3 Seoul Plan at Seoul City Hall in Jung-gu, Seoul on September 10, 2026. Photo by Hyunmin Kim

Revitalizing the Economy—From Jobs to Future Strategic Industries

The most significant change in the economic sector is the creation of the "Livelihood Economy Headquarters," which will oversee everything from supporting small businesses and reviving commercial districts to fostering next-generation industries. This new headquarters will serve to organically connect the revitalization of the everyday economy with the development of future strategic industries, thereby boosting both Seoul’s economic fundamentals and long-term competitiveness. In addition, an "Economic Vitality Policy Officer" position is being established to implement the "24-hour vibrant economic city Seoul" initiative, and the role of "Creative Industry Planner" will be reorganized as "Strategic Industry Policy Officer" to strengthen the execution of policies for nurturing advanced and strategic industries.

To build a virtuous cycle employment system covering job creation through to post-employment protection of labor rights and interests, the city will also establish the Employment and Labor Bureau. It will handle tailored job matching and the creation of a fair, safe work environment. Under this bureau, two new teams will be created: the Labor Supervision Division and the Social Economy Division.

The city also unveiled plans to reorganize the "Architecture Planning Division" as the "Rapid Supply Policy Officer," with the goal of fast-tracking the start of construction for 310,000 housing units by 2031. The city explained that this is intended to maximize the speed and effectiveness of housing supply efforts.

Some existing organizational units will be eliminated. As comprehensive institutional foundations for regulatory reform, such as the complete revision of the "Seoul Metropolitan Government Regulation Reform Basic Ordinance," have been established, the regulatory reform planning division will be abolished. However, regulatory reform work will continue, centered around the Creative Regulation Team, which specializes in identifying and improving regulations.

Restructuring Health and Safety for a "100-Year Healthy City"

Notable changes have also been made in the interest of citizen health and safety. The "Citizen Health Bureau" will be upgraded to the "Citizen Health Headquarters" to reduce health disparities and realize "Seoul as a 100-Year Healthy City." The focus of city health policy is expanding from providing medical services to prioritizing everyday health promotion and prevention for citizens.

A new "Population and Family Policy Officer" has been created to pursue a comprehensive population strategy addressing not only declining birth rates and an aging population, but also population imbalances, diverse household structures, and immigration. Additionally, a "Population Policy Team" has been set up to analyze changes in population structure, develop higher-level strategies, and attract foreign talent.

The "Smart Health Division" will be reorganized as the "Health Vitality Division," which will be responsible for overall management of citizen physical fitness. The number of Seoul Fitness Centers will be expanded to 100, and in partnership with the "Wrist Doctor 9988" program, an integrated, citizen-oriented health management system will be introduced to provide a one-stop process of fitness assessment, exercise prescription, implementation, and rewards.

To ensure the Seoul Fire and Disaster Headquarters can act as the command center on site in the event of a major disaster, the authority of the Headquarters’ Field Response Commander will be elevated. This move is intended to establish a unified, on-site integrated command system, enhancing the city’s disaster response capabilities.

Dedicated teams will also be established, including an Advanced Equipment Response Team to expand the use of cutting-edge disaster response equipment such as robot dogs, and a Fire Law Support Team to enhance the expertise of special judicial police under the new Public Prosecutors’ Office Act.

Establishment of Dedicated Organizations for International Exchange to Achieve "Global TOP Seoul"

Directly under the Deputy Mayor for Administrative Affairs I, the city is creating the “International Exchange and Cooperation Office.” By unifying city diplomacy, international cooperation, and investment attraction functions, the city aims to enhance Seoul’s global competitiveness and growth base.

The newly established Investment Promotion Team will be responsible for everything from identifying investors to formulating investment attraction strategies in key development sites such as the Yongsan International Business District and S-DBC. By concentrating the city’s investment promotion capabilities, the city seeks to improve effectiveness. Furthermore, for the Jamsil Sports and MICE Complex Development Project, a "Jamsil Stadium Complex Development Promotion Team" will be set up within the Urban Infrastructure Headquarters. This team will be responsible for establishing a dedicated construction management system to ensure timely project launch and safe construction.

The final decision on this organizational restructuring will be made after review and approval by the city council. Following additional amendments to administrative organization and staffing rules, the plan is scheduled to be implemented in January 2027. Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon commented, “This reorganization lays the foundation for fully implementing the G3 Seoul Plan and turning Seoul’s vision for the future into reality in citizens’ daily lives. We will focus all administrative resources on improving citizens’ quality of life and make sure to realize ‘Global TOP, Seoul as a Special City for Quality of Life.’”

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