Kim Kyung-ho, Mayor of Gwangjin-gu's 'Considerate' Leadership... Organization Stability Rated 'Highest'

Seoul Welfare and Health Director and Urban Transportation Headquarters Chief Kim Kyung-ho, a skilled former Administrative Examination official and Gwangjin District Mayor, empowers Deputy Mayor Baek Il-heon, also an exam graduate, earning praise from district office staff as "the highest organizational stability ever"

Kim Kyung-ho, Mayor of Gwangjin District

Kim Kyung-ho, the mayor of Gwangjin District Office, is highly praised by the district office staff for his trust and consideration toward Deputy Mayor Baek Il-heon.

Mayor Kim passed the administrative examination and served as the Director of Welfare and Health Office and the Head of Urban Transportation Headquarters in Seoul, overseeing the two major practical sectors of the city. He concluded his public service career as the Chief Secretary of the Seoul Metropolitan Council (Grade 1). He was also recognized for his capabilities as a high-ranking public official, having served as the President of the Seoul Agricultural and Marine Products Corporation (Garak Market) under Seoul City.

Because of this, Mayor Kim’s expertise in local administrative affairs is of the highest level.

Mayor Kim appointed Baek Il-heon, a local government examination graduate who served as Seoul City’s Financial Planning Officer and Safety General Officer, as Deputy Mayor. By trusting and empowering Deputy Mayor Baek, employees feel a sense of stability and are evaluated as working with confidence.

An actual example occurred on the 16th. On that day, Gwangjin District held the ‘2024 Integrity Live Concert’ at Naru Art Center to foster a clean and fair organizational culture. This concert was organized to make integrity a daily practice and to build a trustworthy and clean Gwangjin. Along with the district office, related organizations such as the Gwangjin District Council, Gwangjin Facilities Management Corporation, Gwangjin Cultural Foundation, and Gwangjin Welfare Foundation gathered. About 600 executives and employees attended, and the event included ▲Integrity Practice Declaration Ceremony ▲Integrity Special Lecture ▲Integrity Play, providing a time to strengthen the commitment to integrity. Especially, the special lecture by Jeong Seung-yoon, Vice Chairman of the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission, the main anti-corruption agency, drew attention. Vice Chairman Jeong spoke on the theme ‘Measures to Break the Corruption Cartel - The Anti-Corruption Duty of Public Officials and the Establishment of the Rule of Law,’ discussing the meaning of integrity today and emphasizing the importance of communication. In the second part, to present the meaning of integrity in an entertaining way, various cultural performances such as plays, skits, and musical gala shows were held, along with an ‘Integrity Concert’ where employees participated by watching, listening, and feeling together, receiving enthusiastic responses.

Integrity is Mayor Kim Kyung-ho’s top priority project. Gwangjin District, which had previously recorded the lowest grade of 5, rapidly rose to grade 1 last year after Mayor Kim’s inauguration.

Because of this, Mayor Kim expressed gratitude last year, saying that the achievement of integrity grade 1 was thanks to the efforts of all the employees.

On that day, Mayor Kim entrusted the concert to Deputy Mayor Baek Il-heon. He did not deliver the opening remarks himself but delegated them to Deputy Mayor Baek, empowering him. Most political mayors tend to give opening remarks themselves at major events.

Moreover, it is known that most of the protocol and schedule related to Vice Chairman Jeong of the Anti-Corruption Commission were also entrusted to Deputy Mayor Baek.

Of course, Mayor Kim’s consideration for Deputy Mayor Baek is not limited to this event. He consistently entrusts tasks to Deputy Mayor Baek and allows him to handle them, and employees are known to show proper respect to the Deputy Mayor.

Because of Mayor Kim’s leadership, the Gwangjin District organization is evaluated to have found a greater sense of stability than ever before. A senior official at the district office said, “Mayor Kim Kyung-ho always shows respect toward Deputy Mayor Baek Il-heon,” and “Because of this, the organization works in a more stable atmosphere than ever.”

Deputy Mayor Baek Il-heon also expressed gratitude, saying, “The mayor gives me roles, trusts me, and empowers me,” and “Because of that, employees consult and report in advance.”

Usually, in district offices, elected (civilian) mayors play the role of the father, while career public servant deputy mayors handle internal affairs like a mother.

When the mayor and deputy mayor work in harmony and fulfill their respective roles, the efficiency of district administration is maximized, and ultimately, residents naturally receive high-quality administrative services.

Mayor Kim was elected as the mayor of Gwangjin District through the 8th civilian mayoral election, but having spent his entire career as an administrative public official in Seoul, he is closer to an administrator than a politician.

Because of this, Mayor Kim, who approaches residents with sincerity rather than political gestures, previously served as Deputy Mayor of Guro District in the 5th civilian term and Deputy Mayor of Gwangjin District in the 6th civilian term, understanding district office operations better than anyone else, which is why he is evaluated to show such ‘consideration’ and ‘composure.’

Compared to past cases where some district mayors unfamiliar with Seoul city administration made things difficult for their deputy mayors, Mayor Kim Kyung-ho’s leadership is becoming a model to follow.