Iksan City to Restructure for Ninth Elected Administration, Create Future High-Tech Industries Bureau

Expanding from 7 bureaus and 40 divisions to 8 bureaus and 43 divisions
Staff increases focused on AI, robotics and energy industries
Ordinance bill to be submitted in November... restructuring to take effect in January 2027

Iksan City in Jeonbuk Special Self-Governing Province is pursuing an organizational restructuring, aiming to put it into effect in January 2027. The plan is to lay the groundwork for the administration of the ninth elected city government by bringing together functions to foster new industries such as physical AI and robotics, and reorganizing work in youth, education, culture and tourism to strengthen citizen-centered administration and promote future high-tech industries.

Iksan City Hall in Jeonbuk. Photo provided by Iksan City.

Iksan City said on October 22 that it had drawn up a restructuring plan, would make it available for public comment through October 28, and would gather citizens' opinions. Kim Woojin, director of the Planning and Safety Bureau, explained the direction and details of the changes at a press briefing at City Hall that day.

Under the plan, the city government’s organization will expand from seven bureaus and 40 divisions to eight bureaus and 43 divisions. The number of civil servants will also increase by 18, from 1,703 to 1,721. The city plans to redeploy existing staff to meet administrative needs and add personnel primarily in areas needed to foster future industries.

The centerpiece of the restructuring is the establishment of a Future High-Tech Industries Bureau. The city will create a Physical AI and Robotics Industry Division and an Energy and Resources Industry Division to take charge of fostering high-tech industries and expanding the foundation for energy supply. The Physical AI and Robotics Industry Division will oversee the development of artificial intelligence, robotics, and the semiconductor materials, parts and equipment industries. A One-Stop Corporate Support Division will also be established to quickly address companies’ difficulties.

The Energy and Resources Industry Division will handle renewable energy, the Solar Income Village project, and the development of the stone industry. It will also work to secure the electricity and water supplies needed to build high-tech industrial complexes. In line with the city’s plan to boost the competitiveness of the local jewelry industry and develop it into a high-value-added industry by leveraging the national support framework established under the Jewelry Industry Promotion Act, the organization responsible for the jewelry industry will be reorganized as the K-Jewelry Division.

The city is also pursuing an organizational restructuring to link local jobs and youth policies, as well as education functions, with employment and regional economic policies. The existing Education Cooperation Division will be renamed the Future Talent Education Division and placed under the Youth, Education and Economy Bureau. The aim is to connect cooperation with universities, lifelong education, and social solidarity economy-related work with employment policies, thereby supporting youth entrepreneurship and revitalizing the local economy.

Centered on the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau, the city plans to coordinate work related to culture, tourism, sports and gastronomy, making use of the historical and cultural resources of the Baekje Royal Capital Historic Areas and expanding the foundation for longer-stay tourism. It will establish a Citizen Sovereignty Unit within the Administrative Support Division to broaden channels through which citizens can convey their views on city administration, including through town hall meetings.

The Senior Welfare Division will be reorganized as the Senior Welfare and Care Division to address the growing demand for care amid population aging. The Women and Youth Division will be renamed the Gender Equality and Family Division, and the General Civil Service Division will be renamed the Civil Affairs and Land Administration Division to clarify their respective responsibilities.

The Urban Development Division and the Roads and Railways Division will be established under the Urban Construction and Transportation Bureau to handle urban planning work, including the complex development of Iksan Station and the revitalization of the old downtown. The plan also calls for separating the Architecture Division from the Housing Division to distinguish housing policy from building permits and approvals and to enhance specialization.

The city will also establish a Rivers and Infrastructure Division, combining river-related work with agricultural infrastructure development. Related responsibilities currently split between the Construction Division and the Agriculture Policy Bureau will be handled by a single division, with the aim of reducing overlapping work and gaps in accountability between departments.

In the environmental sector, the city will reorganize under a Climate, Environment and Greenery Bureau, designate the Environmental Policy Division as the bureau’s lead division, and incorporate the Forest Welfare Division, linking work related to climate change response, resource circulation and forests.

“This restructuring is an effort to reorganize the city government so it can carry out the tasks of Iksan’s major transformation on the ground,” said Kim Woojin, director of the Planning and Safety Bureau. “We will secure future growth engines while improving the quality of administrative services closely connected to citizens’ daily lives.”

Iksan City plans to gather citizens’ opinions through October 28 and then submit the relevant ordinance bill to the city council’s regular session in November 2026. If the bill is passed in December, the city plans to implement the new organizational structure in January 2027, in line with its regular personnel appointments.

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