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Daegu Digital Industry Promotion Agency (DIP) building.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Dong-wook] The delay in selecting a successor to the DIP (Daegu Digital Industry Promotion Agency) director, who voluntarily resigned amid a 'qualification controversy,' is raising concerns about setbacks in establishing regional strategies aligned with the government's 'Digital New Deal policy.'

Although reorganizing the collapsed organizational system caused by the former director's personnel abuses and internal conflicts is an urgent priority, the new head of the organization is expected to be selected no earlier than the end of October due to scheduling.

According to Daegu City on the 4th, DIP held a board meeting (Chairman Hong Ui-rak, Deputy Mayor for Economic Affairs) on the 27th of last month, where the plan for recruiting the 8th director was approved. Subsequently, on the 4th, individual approvals were obtained for seven members of the 'Director Recommendation Committee,' who were recommended by five entities including Daegu City, Daegu Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Korea Creative Content Agency, National IT Industry Promotion Agency, and the board, in accordance with the articles of association.

Accordingly, the 'Director Recommendation Committee' is scheduled to hold its first meeting next week to decide on the detailed recruitment announcement and proceed with the call for applications for the three-year term director position. The DIP articles of association set the director recruitment period at 15 days. Typically, the director appointment process takes about three months after the recommendation committee is formed.

Daegu City, considering the severe organizational discipline issues at DIP, intends to expedite the director appointment as much as possible; however, realistically, it seems difficult for DIP to function properly as an integrated support institution for the regional digital industry by the end of the year.

The research and R&D level of the Daegu Digital Industry Promotion Agency is so poor that Hong Ui-rak, Deputy Mayor for Economic Affairs (Chairman of the Promotion Agency), who took office on July 1, expressed deep regret.

In a recent interview with a local media outlet, Deputy Mayor Hong revealed the seriousness, saying, "(After attending the board meeting) DIP was so severely broken that it could not fulfill its role. It has not attracted any new projects for 2 to 3 years." He added, "We need to establish strategies and respond to the government's Digital New Deal, but I am worried because DIP is not functioning."

In this regard, Daegu City dispatched a team leader-level (grade 5) employee to DIP as a cooperation officer on July 31 to support organizational stabilization.

Seo Ho-sung, Director of DIP's Management Planning Office, emphasized, "Since organizational stabilization is the top priority, we are focusing on boosting internal morale," and added, "We are preparing without setbacks by establishing mid- to long-term business plans, including projects for the second half of the year, related to the government's Digital New Deal policy."

Previously, despite a special audit by Daegu City in February, former DIP director Lee Seung-hyup, who refused to resign voluntarily, only stepped down on July 7, about two weeks after Deputy Mayor Hong Ui-rak took office as DIP chairman.

Meanwhile, the government announced on July 14 that it will invest 58.2 trillion won in the Digital New Deal projects by 2025 to promote digitalization across all industrial sectors. Accordingly, local governments nationwide are rushing to establish concrete plans related to this initiative.