Who Are the Leaders Behind Seoul City's 'Long-Serving Deputy District Mayor Era'... What Is Their Secret?

Ahn Junho of Gangnam-gu, Cheon Jeonguk of Dongjak-gu, Choi Hongyeon of Dongdaemun-gu, Jeong Hwanjung of Dobong-gu, Lee Younggi of Gwanak-gu, Ma Chaesuk of Jongno-gu, Kim Jeongho of Jung-gu, Im Dongguk of Songpa-gu, Lee Bangil of Gangbuk-gu, Kim Hyejeong of Eunpyeong-gu, Yoo Bohwa of Seongdong-gu and other deputy district heads with 4 to 8 years of experience lead the 'Era of Long-Serving Deputy District Heads'

[Asia Economy Reporter Jongil Park] The era of long-serving deputy district heads in Seoul has begun.

Deputy district heads such as An Junho of Gangnam-gu, Cheon Jeonguk of Dongjak-gu, Choi Hongyeon of Dongdaemun-gu, Jeong Hwanjung of Dobong-gu, Lee Younggi of Gwanak-gu, Ma Chaesuk of Jongno-gu, Kim Jeongho of Jung-gu, Im Dongguk of Songpa-gu, Kim Hyejeong of Eunpyeong-gu, and Yoo Bohwa of Seongdong-gu have been leading an era of highly professional deputy district heads by serving terms ranging from 4 to 8 years.

An Junho, deputy district head of Gangnam-gu, is a senior administrative examination official who, after serving as Seoul city spokesperson and head of the Talent Development Institute, was appointed deputy district head of Songpa-gu during the 7th local government term and is now working as deputy district head of Gangnam-gu, setting a record as a representative long-serving deputy district head.

In particular, having experience as deputy district head of Geumcheon-gu during the 5th local government term, he is evaluated as providing stable support to Mayor Jo Seongmyeong of Gangnam-gu in the 8th local government term.

Cheon Jeonguk, deputy district head of Dongjak-gu, formed a connection during the 6th local government term under Mayor Jo Eunhee of Seocho-gu and worked in Seocho-gu for about 7 years, receiving praise for successfully fulfilling his role as deputy district head while harmonizing with the staff.

Although he has a quiet personality, his ability to neatly organize work has earned him strong followership from employees, and he served as acting district head for a considerable period. In this personnel reshuffle, he was appointed deputy district head of Dongjak-gu, supporting Mayor Park Ilha’s district administration philosophy.

An executive from Dongjak-gu recently told a reporter, “Deputy District Head Cheon is a smart deputy district head who neatly organizes work.”

Choi Hongyeon, deputy district head of Dongdaemun-gu, has been working there for five years since the start of the 7th local government term.

Deputy District Head Choi is also evaluated as successfully carrying out his role by harmonizing well with the staff.

Especially with the inauguration of Mayor Lee Pilhyeong, a senior from the same university in the 8th local government term, who has granted considerable authority, active measures such as flood control are being pushed forward, earning good evaluations.

Jeong Hwanjung, deputy district head of Dobong-gu, successfully completed his term as deputy district head of Gangdong-gu in the 7th local government term and was transferred to Dobong-gu in this personnel reshuffle, where he is supporting Mayor Oh Eonseok’s district administration philosophy by working closely with the staff.

Lee Younggi, deputy district head of Gwanak-gu, served as deputy district head of Yeongdeungpo-gu in the 7th local government term but moved to Seoul City Hall to complete the Gwanghwamun Square development project and was reappointed as deputy district head of Gwanak-gu, becoming a two-term deputy district head.

As a former Seoul city press officer, he has been actively working to elevate Gwanak-gu’s policy promotion since his appointment. An executive from Gwanak-gu said, “Since Deputy District Head Lee Younggi’s inauguration, he has emphasized the importance of publicity during work reports, so we expect good results.”

Ma Chaesuk, deputy district head of Jongno-gu, moved from deputy district head of Jung-gu to Jongno-gu and is evaluated as having successfully settled in.

Deputy District Head Ma’s husband, Lee Suyeon, is the Welfare Planning Officer at Seoul City Hall. After serving as deputy district head of Jung-gu, Ma moved to Jongno-gu and has received good evaluations from employees.

Kim Jeongho, deputy district head of Jung-gu, previously served as deputy district head of Yangcheon-gu and has now returned to Jung-gu, where he worked for five years as a section chief, reportedly performing his duties successfully.

An executive from Jung-gu said, “Deputy District Head Kim Jeongho has a quiet personality and handles work meticulously every week.”

Im Dongguk, deputy district head of Songpa-gu, served as deputy district head of Eunpyeong-gu during the 6th local government term, was promoted to grade 2, and appointed deputy district head of Songpa-gu, where he is expected to work until the end of this year.

Deputy District Head Im has consistently demonstrated a sincere attitude toward his duties both as deputy district head of Eunpyeong-gu and Songpa-gu, earning good evaluations from employees.

Lee Bangil, deputy district head of Gangbuk-gu, was recruited by Mayor Park Gyeomsu of Gangbuk-gu during the 7th local government term shortly after his promotion to grade 3 and has supported two mayors, including the current 8th term Mayor Lee Sunhee.

Kim Hyejeong, deputy district head of Eunpyeong-gu, was appointed during the 7th local government term under Mayor Kim Mikyung as the successor to Deputy District Head Im Dongguk and has received successful evaluations from both Mayor Kim and the staff to date.

An executive from Eunpyeong-gu said, “Deputy District Head Kim always treats employees with a warm personality and a smiling face, like an older sister. We hope she continues to serve as deputy district head until retirement.”

Yoo Bohwa, deputy district head of Seongdong-gu, was appointed during the 7th local government term and is expected to complete her term through the 8th local government term.

Especially with Mayor Jeong Wono of Seongdong-gu, an alumnus of Seoul City University, being elected for a third term, Yoo is expected to work until retirement. She is known for her passionate work on Seoul city affairs and is well-liked by Mayor Jeong and the executives.

Deputy District Head Yoo holds weekly publicity strategy meetings with executives without fail, earning Seongdong-gu’s publicity content relatively good evaluations.

In particular, these deputy district heads are said to harmonize well with employees and report their work successfully.

An official from an autonomous district said, “The secret to their longevity is that deputy district heads quietly serve as a bridge between the mayor and employees and effectively resolve issues related to Seoul city, appearing almost invisible.”