Personnel appointments always have an unexpected "twist"(?).
This is because it is never easy to accurately pinpoint the intentions of the appointing authority.
This phenomenon was also evident in the announcement of Seoul City's senior appointments of grade 3 and above on the afternoon of the 24th. In particular, the appointment of Yoon Jong-jang, the Director of Transportation, as the Director of Welfare surprised everyone.
Yoon Jong-jang, a graduate of the 37th Administrative Examination, has demonstrated outstanding planning and execution skills through roles such as Head of Seoul City's Planning and Coordination Team, Public Relations Officer, Head of Transportation Policy Division, Director of Transportation Planning, and Head of the Han River Project Headquarters.
The unexpected appointment of Director Yoon to the Welfare Office drew attention to Mayor Oh Se-hoon's intentions.
During his two years as Director of Transportation, Director Yoon designed the Climate Companion Card, which became a big hit, and made significant strides in the transportation sector, including the operation of autonomous buses.
Because of this, Mayor Oh is known to have exceptional trust in Director Yoon.
However, with his appointment to the Welfare Office, there is genuine curiosity among those around him about what this move might signify.
On the afternoon of the 24th, Administrative Director Lee Dong-ryul explained the background of the personnel changes for executives of grade 4 and above in the first half of 2025, stating that key executives who had achieved results in major city projects such as Great Han River and the Climate Companion Card were strategically repositioned.
This appears to be the explanation behind appointing Joo Yong-tae, Head of the Future Han River Headquarters, as Director of Economic Affairs, and Yoon Jong-jang, Director of Transportation, as Director of Welfare.
In Seoul City, the transportation and welfare sectors are the two most important pillars, as they have the greatest impact on citizens' lives. They are also challenging departments that executives tend to avoid.
It seems that Director Yoon is the first in Seoul City's history to consecutively lead both the transportation and welfare departments. Placing Yoon Jong-jang, who has achieved outstanding results in transportation, in the welfare sector is interpreted as a clear expression of the desire for him to deliver results in welfare as well.
In particular, Director Yoon is expected to be recognized as a "highly capable executive" by consecutively taking on three of the most demanding and heavy-duty departments: Head of the Han River Project Headquarters, Director of Transportation, and Director of Welfare.
A Seoul City official said, "Director Yoon Jong-jang is a senior executive with the planning ability and drive to successfully accomplish any task assigned to him," adding, "It will be challenging, but we expect him to achieve good results for the citizens."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
