Seongnam Mayor Shin Sang-jin delivered a letter to Gyeonggi Province Governor Choo Mi-ae on August 27, stating, "The vacancy of the deputy mayor in Seongnam is not an issue to be linked with organizational restructuring," and urged for a prompt appointment.
The deputy mayor position has been vacant since the previous deputy mayor retired on June 30, leaving the role unfilled for nearly two months.
If Gyeonggi Province proceeds with the deputy mayor appointments alongside organizational restructuring in January, the vacancy in Seongnam could extend to approximately seven months.
In his letter, Mayor Shin emphasized, "While organizational restructuring is a task for the provincial government, the vacancy of the deputy mayor directly impacts the response to local issues and citizen safety," and requested that the two matters be separated to expedite the appointment of the deputy mayor.
The primary reason for Mayor Shin's call for an early appointment is to ensure citizen safety and a stable decision-making process within the city administration.
He stressed, "The vacancy of the deputy mayor is not merely a scheduling issue; it is a matter of administration directly related to citizen safety."
The deputy mayor serves as the ex officio chair of 70 committees, including the Urban Planning Committee, and coordinates key tasks across personnel, finance, welfare, education, environment, housing, and transportation.
Additionally, in the event of the mayor's absence, the deputy mayor assumes the role of acting mayor under local government law.
Most importantly, Mayor Shin highlighted the need for disaster response. With ongoing heavy rainfall, typhoons, and heatwaves, a prolonged vacancy in the deputy mayor position could hinder quick decision-making and inter-departmental coordination during emergencies.
The call for a swift appointment is also linked to the redevelopment of Bundang's first new town.
Mayor Shin noted, "On July 2, a proposal for the designation of a second special maintenance zone was announced, receiving submissions amounting to 5.5 times the designated quota of 12,000 units for this year."
As large-scale maintenance projects commence, complex issues surrounding the designation of maintenance zones, relocation measures, and transportation, education, and infrastructure are becoming unavoidable.
Mayor Shin anticipates that as the relocation of leading districts progresses, there will be an increase in matters requiring coordination at the provincial level regarding housing, rental markets, transportation, schools, and water supply and sewage.
He stated that the current situation does not allow for a prolonged vacancy in the deputy mayor position, emphasizing the need for Gyeonggi Province to make a swift decision.
Despite the vacancy, Seongnam City is managing operations through an acting system centered on department heads to ensure there are no disruptions in city governance.
However, Mayor Shin believes that continuing operations under an acting system is distinct from the coordination and oversight functions that a formal deputy mayor should fulfill.
In Seongnam's case, with simultaneous large-scale urban maintenance, transportation, housing, and disaster safety issues requiring close cooperation with Gyeonggi Province, the prolonged vacancy of the deputy mayor cannot be allowed to continue.
Meanwhile, Mayor Shin Sang-jin requested, "Rather than delaying the appointment of the deputy mayor due to the organizational restructuring schedule, please consider the urgency of the situation on the ground and proceed with the appointment promptly."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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