Lee Byung-chul Appointed as Director of Planning and Coordination Office of Gwangju Metropolitan City

Expectations for Progress on Key Issues Including Civil-Military Airport Integration Relocation

Newly appointed Lee Byung-chul, Director of Planning and Coordination Office, Gwangju City. [Photo by Gwangju City]

Lee Byung-chul, a senior official from the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, was appointed as the Director of Planning and Coordination Office of Gwangju Metropolitan City effective on the 30th.

Gwangju City stated that based on Lee’s outstanding administrative capabilities and personal network, momentum is expected to build in advancing key issues in the second half of the 8th local government term, such as the integrated relocation of civilian and military airports and the Phase 2 AI (Artificial Intelligence) project.

Having served as the Secretary-General of the National Mokpo University from 2021 to 2023, Lee has vivid experience in the field of local university education and has built a strong network, which is expected to support Gwangju City’s efforts to secure regional university competitiveness and the selection of Glocal University 30.

Director Lee is originally from Naju, Jeollanam-do, and graduated from the Department of Political Science and Diplomacy at Chonnam National University. He entered public service through the 42nd Administrative Examination in 1998 and has held positions such as Administrative Officer at the National Crisis Management Center of the National Security Office, Head of Safety Improvement Division at the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, and Acting Director of the Gwangju Center at the National Intelligence Resources Management Agency.

In particular, from 2014 to 2017, he served as Head of Safety Planning Division and Planning and Finance Officer at the Ministry of Public Safety and Security, earning recognition as an administrative expert with extensive experience and know-how in overall planning and budgeting.

Meanwhile, Bae Il-kwon, who planned and coordinated Gwangju City’s administration over the past one year and eight months, securing the largest-ever national budget and presenting a new cooperation model among the National Assembly, political parties, and local governments, will move to the Ministry of the Interior and Safety as Director of Public Data.