Jeonnam-Gwangju Special City's First Promotions: 34 Employees Elevated to Levels 2 to 4

Kang Hyoseok, Lee Sangbae, and Kim Gihong Promoted to Level 2

Seven Promoted to Level 3, Twenty-Four to Level 4

Some Senior Promotions Postponed to January; Additional Personnel Changes on October 7

The Jeonnam-Gwangju Integrated Special City has carried out its first round of senior-level promotions since its launch. A total of 34 individuals were promoted: 3 at Level 2, 7 at Level 3, and 24 at Level 4.

The Jeonnam-Gwangju Integrated Special City announced on September 23 that its personnel committee convened on the afternoon of September 22 and approved the promotions as outlined above.

From the left: Jeonnam Provincial Office (Muan), Gwangju City Hall, and Jeonnam Eastern Regional Headquarters (Suncheon). A view of the three government buildings at the center of discussions regarding the location of the main office ahead of the launch of the Jeonnam-Gwangju integrated special city.

This round of promotions focused on filling essential positions ahead of the organizational restructuring scheduled for October 7. Considering the initial stage of integrated operations, some Level 2 and Level 3 promotions have been postponed to January of next year.

Among the five senior positions eligible for promotion at Levels 2 and 3, only three were approved for promotion at this time. The remaining two positions will be addressed with additional personnel changes in January after reviewing the organization’s operational situation.

The three officials promoted to Director General (Level 2) are Kang Hyoseok, Head of the Administrative Integration Task Force; Lee Sangbae, Director of the Climate and Environment Bureau; and Kim Gihong, Head of the Jeonnam-Gwangju Semiconductor Industry Support Task Force.

Director Kang previously served as Director of the Department of Cultural Enrichment, Inspector General, and Director of the Food and Agriculture Bureau. He has overseen the Jeonnam International Ink Biennale, the Namdo Film Festival, the opening of the National Medical History Museum, investment attraction in secondary batteries, and youth employment initiatives.

Director Lee held past roles such as Director of Urban Regeneration and Director of Strategic Industry. He has been responsible for launching the Gwangju-Style Automotive Jobs Project (GGM), attracting Daewoo Winia, developing the Energy Valley and the Advanced Industrial District 3, securing an exemption from the preliminary feasibility study for the National AI Data Center and enacting special legislation, as well as the redevelopment of the former Jeonbang and Ilshin Textile sites.

Director Kim’s experience includes serving as Director of the Tourism and Sports Bureau, Policy Planning Officer, and Director of the Bureau of Autonomous Administration. He contributed to attracting and collaborating on the establishment of the National AI Computing Center and the OpenAI-SK Data Center, obtaining national funding for the designation of Yeosu-Gwangyang as an Industrial Crisis Response Region, and overseeing the National Sports Festival and the National Para Games.

There are seven newly promoted Deputy Director Generals (Level 3), and 24 new Section Chiefs (Level 4).

The city explained that the Level 3 and Level 4 promotions were reviewed based on work performance, major achievements, job competencies, leadership, expertise, and organizational management skills.

The city plans to proceed with further appointments and transfers of Level 4 or higher and additional promotions and transfers for those at Level 5 or below, in accordance with the organizational restructuring set for October 7. The functions and staffing of the three government offices will also be adjusted accordingly.

Min Hyung-bae, Mayor of Jeonnam-Gwangju Integrated Special City, stated, "These promotions are the first meaningful step in administrative integration," adding, "Our aim was to create a system that can address key tasks for the special city, while fully respecting the organization’s accumulated expertise and opinions." He further said, "We will ensure that subsequent personnel changes and organizational restructuring are carried out smoothly and stably."

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