Proper Conduct of Seoul Deputy District Mayor Suddenly Acting as District Mayor?

Eom Uisik, Deputy Mayor of Guro-gu, Assumes Acting Mayor Role from the 16th, Visits District Council to Request Cooperation, Receiving Very Positive Evaluation... Kim Seonsu, Deputy Mayor of Yongsan-gu, Also Highly Praised for Prudent Conduct During Acting Mayor Tenure

The 25 deputy district mayors of Seoul are very important positions, leading district administration alongside elected district mayors and approximately 1,300 to 1,500 public officials.

Since district mayors are elected officials, it is fundamental to coordinate work not only with their home base, Seoul City, but also with government ministries to ensure that the campaign promises made during elections are fulfilled.

Among these basic duties, resolving local complaints such as redevelopment and reconstruction issues is a challenging responsibility.

When these deputy district mayors suddenly take on the role of acting district mayor due to the resignation of the district mayor, they face very difficult situations in managing their conduct.

Since general public officials, such as those who passed the administrative examination, must take on the role of acting district mayor and also handle political duties related to the council, there are many considerations to keep in mind.

Since the 8th elected term, Kim Seonsu, deputy district mayor of Yongsan-gu, took on the role of acting district mayor after Park Heeyoung was detained due to the Itaewon tragedy, quietly performing the assigned duties properly and receiving positive evaluations.

In particular, Deputy Mayor Kim entrusted political roles entirely to directors and others, focusing solely on basic duties as a public official.

Because of this, it is reported that trust in Deputy Mayor Kim increased even more when Park Heeyoung returned to the district mayor position.

In Guro-gu, District Mayor Moon Heunil resigned due to issues related to the blind trust of company shares he had built throughout his life, and Deputy District Mayor Eom Uisig took on the role of acting district mayor starting from the 16th.

Eom Uisik, Acting Mayor of Guro-gu, visited the Guro-gu Council on the 18th to seek cooperation for district administration and received positive evaluations.

Acting Mayor Eom has prior experience as deputy district mayor of Gwangjin-gu during the 7th elected term, making this his second time serving as deputy district mayor, and is evaluated to be performing his role steadily without major disruptions.

Acting Mayor Eom has taken on the heavy responsibility of leading district administration steadily for about five months until the Guro-gu district mayor by-election scheduled for April 2 next year.

Meanwhile, on the morning of the 18th, Acting Mayor Eom visited the chairman’s office of the Guro District Council and held a meeting with the council leadership to request cooperation from the council in smoothly carrying out district administration for the residents.

Especially, this meeting was held ahead of the opening of the 331st extraordinary session of the Guro District Council, attended by Acting District Mayor Eom Uisig and three directors, along with six council members including Jeong Daegun, chairman of the Guro District Council, the vice chairman, and standing committee chairs, to discuss future plans for district administration.

At this meeting, Acting Mayor Eom said, “I feel a heavy sense of responsibility in taking on the role of acting mayor at a time when various pressing issues are piling up. As acting mayor, I will do my best to promote regional development and improve the lives of residents.”

He emphasized that it would be difficult without the cooperation and support of the district council.

In response, Chairman Jeong Daegun and the council leadership said, “We hope the public service community will not be shaken by this incident and will faithfully fulfill their original roles to enhance the welfare of residents. The Guro District Council also promises active cooperation and support.”

During the meeting, the head of the Guro District Planning and Economy Bureau explained overall details regarding the acting district mayor system, including regulations, scope of duties, and operation period, and conveyed the intention to maintain a regular communication system with the council and seek solutions to local issues through sharing major district administration information.

A Guro-gu official analyzed, “Acting Mayor Eom Uisig, who has earned trust from employees as deputy district mayor, will face great difficulties suddenly taking on the acting district mayor role. Visiting the council to request cooperation seems to be a very wise approach.”

Acting Mayor Eom Uisig of Guro-gu will have a powerful role, including the authority to approve promotions for district office officials at grade 4 (directors) and grade 5 (section chiefs) by the end of the year.