Why Is the Competition Fierce for Deputy Mayors in Seoul's Autonomous Districts?

Intense Competition for Deputy District Mayor Positions in Seocho, Yeongdeungpo, and Geumcheon Districts in This Personnel Appointment

Competition for deputy district mayor positions in Seoul's autonomous districts is fierce.

Deputy district mayors are assigned as either Grade 2 or Grade 3 officials depending on the population size. Four autonomous districts with populations over 500,000?Gangnam-gu, Songpa-gu, Gangseo-gu, and Nowon-gu?have Grade 2 (Director-level) deputy district mayors, while the remaining 21 districts have Grade 3 (Deputy Director-level) deputy district mayors.

At the end of this year, the deputy district mayor positions in Seocho-gu, Yeongdeungpo-gu, and Geumcheon-gu will become vacant due to retirement, sparking intense competition for these roles.

The deputy district mayor is the second-highest-ranking official within the district office, serving directly under the district mayor and overseeing 1,500 to 2,000 employees.

Among them, Cheon Jeong-wook, deputy district mayor of Dongjak-gu; Kim In-cheol, deputy district mayor of Nowon-gu; Jeong Heon-jae, deputy district mayor of Gangnam-gu; Choi Hong-yeon, deputy district mayor of Dongdaemun-gu; Lee Bang-il, deputy district mayor of Gangbuk-gu; Park Dae-woo, deputy district mayor of Gangseo-gu; Lee Young-gi, deputy district mayor of Gwanak-gu; Jeong Hwan-jung, deputy district mayor of Dobong-gu; Yoo Bo-hwa, deputy district mayor of Seongdong-gu; and Eom Ui-sik, deputy district mayor of Guro-gu have all demonstrated exceptional skills and communication abilities with staff, leading to long tenures or even serving two terms as deputy district mayor, drawing attention.

Since the workload is not as intense compared to Seoul city bureau chiefs, many Seoul city bureau chiefs aim to become deputy district mayors.

Especially, although some prominent Seoul city bureau chiefs can advance to high-profile positions such as Director of Economic Policy Office, Chief of Planning Office, or First Deputy Mayor of Administration by managing their careers well, many do not, leading numerous bureau chiefs to target deputy district mayor roles.

Moreover, relatively younger bureau chiefs often leverage various connections to secure deputy district mayor positions.

This year-end competition for deputy district mayor positions was reportedly more intense than ever. One bureau chief-level official reportedly tried various options before finally deciding to accept a deputy district mayor position in one autonomous district.

As a result, some competitors were pushed out.

On the other hand, a few prominent officials who have not served as deputy district mayors in Seoul include Ryu Gyeong-gi, mayor of Jungnang-gu, and Kim Tae-gyun, Director of the Economic Policy Office. They have held key roles such as spokesperson and administrative bureau chief, which prevented them from pursuing deputy district mayor positions.

Nevertheless, Ryu Gyeong-gi was elected as mayor of Jungnang-gu in the 7th local election and is working hard as a re-elected mayor for regional development.

Also, Kim Gyeong-ho, mayor of Gwangjin-gu, is notable for having served as deputy district mayor before successfully running for mayor of Gwangjin-gu.

Seo Gang-seok, mayor of Songpa-gu, previously served as deputy district mayor of Seongdong-gu and successfully ran for Songpa-gu mayor 10 years after retiring from public service.

However, it is rare for former deputy district mayors to run for election and win, as it is generally difficult for public officials to run in elections and pass primaries.

A Seoul city autonomous district official stated, “Deputy district mayors who work well with district mayors and communicate effectively with staff, thereby demonstrating professionalism as deputy district mayors, tend to have long tenures.”