Uijeongbu Implements First Organizational Restructuring of 9th Administration... Accelerating Citizen-Centered Governance, Livelihood, and Fiscal Innovation

Creation of the Office of Citizens’ Sovereignty, Department for Small Businesses, and Bureau of Citizen Safety Under Direct Mayoral Control
Staff Numbers Frozen, Eight Teams Reduced; Demand for 40 New Positions Met Through Internal Reallocation
Mayor Kim Wonki: “We Will Deliver Tangible Change and Ensure Fiscal Soundness”

Uijeongbu City in Gyeonggi Province (Mayor Kim Wonki) has established new departments directly under the mayor, including the Office of Citizens’ Sovereignty, the Department for Small Businesses, and the Bureau of Citizen Safety, focusing its administrative efforts on key areas such as the livelihood economy, transportation, safety, and welfare services. The demand for 40 new staff members was met through internal reallocation, with no increase in the overall number of public officials.

View of Uijeongbu City Hall. Provided by Uijeongbu City

On October 2, Uijeongbu City announced that, through official appointments, the new organizational structure created through the first restructuring of the 9th popularly elected administration is now in full operation. Since the reorganization plan was announced in September, the city has completed all follow-up procedures, including revising and promulgating relevant ordinances.

The most notable aspect of this restructuring is the creation of the “Office of Citizens’ Sovereignty,” which is the first direct agency under the mayor. This office consolidates functions previously dispersed across several departments, including citizen participation, field communication, and the coordination of complex civil petitions. The city plans to identify policy needs through ongoing, on-site communication and significantly reduce the processing time for complex petitions involving multiple departments.

In addition, the Office of Youth Affairs was reorganized under the deputy mayor to strengthen the connection between youth support policies and broader demographic initiatives. The aim is to establish a more integrated response system to address youth-related issues such as employment, housing, and culture.

The Bureau of Economic Affairs and Jobs was reorganized into the Bureau of Economic Industry, with the newly established Department for Small Businesses. This department will be responsible for revitalizing neighborhood markets, supporting small business operations, and overseeing employment policies. By linking these functions with corporate attraction and industrial development, the city aims to lay the groundwork for local economic recovery and growth.

The Bureau of Transportation incorporated the Department of Road Planning, thereby unifying transportation policy and road construction functions. The organization and manpower in the rail sector have also been reinforced to address key issues such as the extension of Subway Line 8 and the timely opening of Line 7.

The Bureau of Citizen Safety has taken charge of managing infrastructure, including disaster safety, roads, rivers, parks, and green spaces. By operating disaster response and day-to-day facility management within a single system, the city aims to increase accountability throughout prevention, response, and recovery phases.

The care services sector has been strengthened with additional dedicated staff, and functions of the City Hall, neighborhood offices, and health centers have been integrated to provide comprehensive welfare, health, and nursing services. The newly established AI Innovation Department will be responsible for AI policy planning, improving administrative work, and developing citizen services. The public library system has separated policy and operation functions and assigned operational staff to the Design Library.

The city has also taken steps to streamline its organization. By adjusting areas with overlapping or redundant functions and reduced administrative demand, 19 teams were abolished, and 11 new teams were established, resulting in a net decrease of 8 teams overall. The personnel made available through this process were reassigned to frontline departments such as Integrated Care and Livelihood Economy, which deal directly with citizens.

Currently, each public official in Uijeongbu City serves 321 residents, making it the city with the third-highest residents-to-official ratio in Gyeonggi Province. However, its personnel expenses as a percentage of total financial expenditure stand at 9.2%, which is lower than both the Gyeonggi Province average (9.4%) and the national average (10.8%). By maintaining its current staffing levels instead of increasing personnel, the city has managed to effectively supplement the necessary frontline workforce while keeping additional payroll costs in check.

Mayor Kim Wonki stated, "With this organizational restructuring, we will accelerate governance centered around citizens,” adding, “We will strengthen interdepartmental collaboration and focus our efforts on resolving key issues that directly affect citizens, such as the livelihood economy, transportation, safety, and care services."

He also emphasized, "The results of this restructuring must translate into changes that citizens can truly feel,” and added, “We will maximize the impact of our limited staff by concentrating them where they are most needed, ensuring fiscal soundness while steadily enhancing field response capabilities and the quality of administrative services.”

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