Last Month's 'Personnel Hearing Ordinance' Passed... Cheonan Urban Corporation Expected to Be Subject
Mayor Park Sangdon Says, "I've Never Heard of Personnel Hearings in Local Governments," Expresses Opposition
The effectiveness of the “Personnel Hearing Ordinance” enacted last month by the Cheonan City Council in South Chungcheong Province is being put to the test for the first time.
Last month, the Cheonan City Council passed the “Cheonan City Council Personnel Hearing Ordinance” during its 269th regular session.
According to the ordinance, those subject to personnel hearings include the president of Cheonan Urban Corporation and the CEO of Cheonan Cultural Foundation, as heads of city-funded or city-invested institutions under the Local Public Enterprises Act. When the mayor submits a request for a personnel hearing, a special committee consisting of 10 council members is formed and required to submit a report on the hearing's outcome to the council chairperson within 15 days.
Cheonan Urban Corporation is expected to be the first institution subject to a personnel hearing. As the term of President Ham Dongheum ends in October and he has already served one extension, there is growing public interest in the selection of a new president.
In fact, Cheonan Urban Corporation is currently conducting feasibility studies for large-scale urban development projects in areas such as Seonghwan Innovation District and Cheonan Station District. With a total project cost expected to reach 1.2 trillion won, there is a call for a leader with high ethical standards, expertise, and management skills.
However, there is a pessimistic outlook regarding whether a personnel hearing will actually be held. A request from the mayor is a prerequisite for the hearing, but Mayor Park Sangdon has expressed a negative view on the matter.
At a press conference marking his second year in office on the 1st, Mayor Park stated, “I have never heard of a personnel hearing being held by a local government,” and added, “I don’t think it’s right to do this unnecessarily. If the person elected as the head of the organization does not receive proper evaluations from the staff, then they can simply be replaced.”
Lee Byeongha, a Cheonan city council member, advocated for the introduction of a personnel hearing when appointing the president of Cheonan Urban Corporation at the 271st extraordinary session of the Cheonan City Council.
At the 271st extraordinary session of the Cheonan City Council held on the 26th, Lee Byungha, a council member from the Democratic Party of Korea, strongly urged the introduction of a personnel hearing to ensure transparency and fairness in the appointment process for the president of Cheonan Urban Corporation during his five-minute speech.
Lee stated, “When Cheonan Facilities Management Corporation was converted into Cheonan Urban Corporation, citizens’ right to know was not sufficiently guaranteed, and issues of fairness arose due to rumors of pre-selection. Therefore, it is necessary to introduce a personnel hearing through a transparent and fair process for this appointment.”
He further emphasized, “A personnel hearing must be introduced to ensure that the appointment of the president of Cheonan Urban Corporation is conducted transparently and fairly. This is an important procedure to verify the qualifications and capabilities of the candidate and to guarantee the citizens’ right to know.”
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