[Exclusive] Kim Sang-beom, Former Seoul Deputy Mayor, Emerges as Leading Candidate for Seoul Metro Corporation President

Kim Sang-beom, former Seoul Deputy Mayor for Administration, applied for Seoul Metro CEO position by the deadline on the 30th last month... If appointed, he will become a CEO with both competence and character, formerly a top Seoul city official (Deputy Mayor).

[Asia Economy Reporter Jong-il Park] Kim Sang-beom, former Seoul City Administrative Deputy Mayor for Administration (63, photo), is known to be the most likely candidate for the next president of Seoul Transportation Corporation.

It has been confirmed that former Deputy Mayor Kim registered as a preliminary candidate for the Seoul Transportation Corporation president position by the deadline on the 30th of last month.

About ten candidates, including former Deputy Mayor Kim, Seo Young-jin, former chairman of the Seoul City Council Transportation Committee, and external figures, reportedly applied for the Seoul Transportation Corporation president position this time.

Accordingly, the Seoul Transportation Corporation President Candidate Recommendation Committee plans to recommend two candidates to Mayor Park Won-soon after interviewing these eight preliminary candidates.

Mayor Park will finalize one of the two final candidates and hold a personnel hearing committee in the Seoul City Council; if there are no disqualifications, the candidate will be appointed.

Seoul Transportation Corporation's former president Kim Tae-ho served as the president of the integrated corporation, including Seoul Metro and the Urban Railroad Corporation, for over six years.

Former Administrative Deputy Mayor Kim Sang-beom graduated from Konkuk University with a degree in Public Administration, passed the civil service exam, and was appointed as a Seoul City official. He has held positions such as Director of the Seoul Transportation Bureau, Chief Secretary, Head of Urban Transportation Headquarters, Director of Planning and Coordination Office, and Administrative Deputy Mayor for Administration. He is known for his excellent character and has many juniors who follow him among Seoul City’s senior officials.

In particular, former Deputy Mayor Kim holds a bachelor's degree in Economics from the University of Seoul and currently works as a research professor there. He possesses outstanding skills, including the ability to lecture in English.

He became Administrative Deputy Mayor for Administration in November 2011, coinciding with Mayor Park Won-soon's inauguration, and served as Deputy Mayor for 2 years and 7 months until June 2014, being one of Mayor Park’s closest aides.

If former Deputy Mayor Kim becomes president of Seoul Transportation Corporation, he is expected to be the first president to come from the Deputy Mayor position.