Kim Byung-nae, Mayor of Gwangju Nam-gu, Selected as Standing Representative of the Local Governments' Council for Inter-Korean Exchange and Cooperation

Kim Byeong-nae, Mayor of Nam-gu District Office in Gwangju Metropolitan City, has been elected as the standing representative of the ‘Inter-Korean Exchange and Cooperation Local Government Council,’ composed of heads of 35 local governments nationwide, and will lead the second term system for the establishment of peace on the Korean Peninsula and the revitalization of inter-Korean exchanges until the first half of 2025.

According to Nam-gu on the 15th, the Inter-Korean Exchange and Cooperation Local Government Council held the ‘2023 National Inter-Korean Exchange and Cooperation Local Government Council Extraordinary General Meeting’ at 5 p.m. on the 14th in Gwangmyeong City, Gyeonggi Province.

At the extraordinary general meeting, the election of executives for the second term of the Inter-Korean Exchange and Cooperation Local Government Council and deliberations on amendments to the regulations were conducted.

Kim Byeong-nae, Mayor of Nam-gu, was unanimously selected as the standing representative to lead the second term system, following the recommendation of Jeong Won-ho, the standing representative who led the first term system, and with the consent of the council members.

The term of office is from the 16th of this month to March 15, 2025, during which he will play a role in opening the way for peace and unification on the Korean Peninsula for two years.

Previously, Standing Representative Kim Byeong-nae served as the inaugural secretary-general in recognition of his contributions to laying the foundation for the launch of the council’s predecessor, the ‘National City, County, and District Inter-Korean Exchange and Cooperation Forum,’ which marked the starting point of the first term system in 2021, and for creating a turning point in inter-Korean exchange and cooperation projects.

Along with Standing Representative Kim Byeong-nae, the Inter-Korean Exchange and Cooperation Local Government Council elected four co-representatives to lead the second term system: Oh Seung-rok, Mayor of Nowon District, Seoul; Lee Jae-jun, Mayor of Suwon City, Gyeonggi Province; Ham Myeong-jun, County Governor of Goseong, Gangwon Province; and Kim Cheol-woo, County Governor of Boseong, Jeollanam-do. Park Seung-won, Mayor of Gwangmyeong City, Gyeonggi Province, was elected as secretary-general.

Standing Representative Kim Byeong-nae stated, “During the first term system, many people devoted themselves and made efforts to resume the interrupted inter-Korean exchange and cooperation projects at the local government level, and the second term system is about to launch, taking over that baton. I will do my best to ensure that inter-Korean exchange and cooperation projects flourish by joining forces with the heads of 35 local governments nationwide.”