Who Are the Legendary Female Senior Officials in Seoul's Autonomous Districts?

Lee Jeong-hee, Director-General of Planning and Finance in Seongdong-gu;
Lee Yoo-kyung, Director-General of Administration in Jungnang-gu;
Lee Yeon-hwa, Director-General of Tourism and Economy, Lee In-sook, Director-General of Administration, and Nam Seon-ok, Director-General of Construction and Transportation in Mapo-gu;
Jeong Jong-mi, Director-General of Planning and Finance in Seodaemun-gu;
Seo Kyung-ran, Director-General of Planning and Finance, and Hong Hee-sook, Director-General of Spatial Innovation in Seocho-gu;
Lee Sook-hee, Director-General of Youth Culture in Gwanak-gu;
Song Mi-ryeong, Director-General of Cultural City Administration in Nowon-gu,
all recognized as highly capable and competent executive officials

The public service community in Seoul is dominated by female public officials holding key positions. In particular, it has long been the case that more than half of the executives in Seoul's autonomous districts are women.

Amid this, female executives in Seoul's autonomous districts, especially those at the director-general level who are legendary for their skills in every aspect, have become a hot topic.

They include Lee Jeong-hee, Director-General of Planning and Finance in Seongdong-gu; Lee Yoo-kyung, Director-General of Administration in Jungnang-gu; Lee Yeon-hwa, Director-General of Tourism and Economy, Lee In-sook, Director-General of Administration, and Nam Seon-ok, Director-General of Construction and Transportation in Mapo-gu; Jeong Jong-mi, Director-General of Planning and Finance in Seodaemun-gu; Seo Kyung-ran, Director-General of Planning and Finance, and Hong Hee-sook, Director-General of Spatial Innovation in Seocho-gu; Lee Sook-hee, Director-General of Youth Culture in Gwanak-gu; and Song Mi-ryeong, Director-General of Cultural City Administration in Nowon-gu.

Lee Jeong-hee, Director-General of Planning and Finance in Seongdong-gu, is an executive public official recognized for her abilities not only within the district office but also by the Seoul Metropolitan Government. Having served twice as head of the Planning and Budget Division, she has personally briefed at national creative competitions and won multiple grand prizes. Lee is acknowledged for her outstanding ability to directly visit the Ministry of the Interior and Safety and other agencies to explain projects and secure incentives. She was promoted to grade 4 in January last year, became Director-General of the Smart Inclusive City Bureau, then Welfare Bureau Director, and has been serving as Director-General of Planning and Finance since January this year. Notably, born in 1969, Lee is an academic public official who earned a Ph.D. in Urban Engineering from Hanyang University in just three years.

Lee Yoo-kyung, Director-General of Administration in Jungnang-gu, born in 1970, has held positions such as Head of Corporate Support Division, Head of Job Economy Division, Head of Culture and Tourism Division, and Head of Village Cooperation Division. She was promoted to grade 4 on July 1, 2023, served as Director-General of Safety, Construction, and Transportation for six months, and moved to Director-General of Administration on January 1, 2024. She is highly regarded as a thorough executive public official trusted by Mayor Ryu Kyung-gi for both fieldwork and internal management.

Lee Yeon-hwa, Director-General of Tourism and Economy in Mapo-gu, born in 1971, was promoted to grade 4 on January 1 this year. She started her public service career in 1993 as a grade 9 official in Dongjak-gu, worked in Gangbuk and Seongbuk-gu, moved to the Seoul Metropolitan Government in 2010 where she served as head of the Regeneration Team, and then transferred to Mapo-gu. There, she held posts such as Head of Family Welfare Division, Head of Tourism Division, and Head of Education Policy Division, earning recognition for her sharp work performance.

Also in Mapo-gu are Lee In-sook, Director-General of Administration, and Nam Seon-ok, Director-General of Construction and Transportation, both former heads of the Public Relations Division. They have been recognized for their abilities by Mayor Park Kang-su and are highly trusted by their juniors.

Jeong Jong-mi, Director-General of Planning and Finance in Seodaemun-gu, is a skilled official who, despite coming from a social welfare background, served as head of the Planning and Budget Division and took on the role of Director-General of Planning and Finance as of January 1 this year.

In Seocho-gu, there are Seo Kyung-ran, Director-General of Planning and Finance, and Hong Hee-sook, Director-General of Spatial Innovation. Seo worked for a long time in Seocho-gu before moving to the Seoul Metropolitan Government, where she served for five years in the Welfare Policy Office and Lifelong Education Bureau, gaining recognition for her abilities. She then returned to Seocho-gu as a director-general, earning trust from Mayor Jeon Seong-su as well as junior public officials.

Hong Hee-sook, Director-General of Spatial Innovation, has held key positions such as Head of Education Support Division, Head of Administrative Support Division, and Head of Autonomous Administration Division. She was promoted to grade 4 on January 1 this year and is currently in charge of major issues including the development of Seocho-gu’s new government building.

Lee Sook-hee, Director-General of Youth Culture in Gwanak-gu, began her career as a grade 9 public official in Seongbuk-gu in 1985. She served as head of the Audit Team, Youth Policy Division, and Public Relations Division in Gwanak-gu. After being promoted to grade 4 in July 2023 and serving as Director-General of the Council Secretariat, she was appointed Director-General of Youth Culture in January this year. She demonstrated remarkable capability by securing Korea’s first designation as a ‘Youth-Friendly City.’

Song Mi-ryeong, Director-General of Cultural City Administration in Nowon-gu, graduated from Korea University with a degree in Biology. She started as a grade 9 official in Seongbuk-gu in 1988, held key positions in Nowon-gu, and was promoted to director-general on July 1, 2023. Song was scheduled to enter retirement leave at the end of last year, but Mayor Oh Seung-rok requested her to work six more months, so she is set to begin retirement leave on July 1 this year.

As such, Seoul’s autonomous districts have many capable female executive public officials. Especially, the legendary female officials who have been promoted to grade 4 at a young age show exemplary dedication to their assigned duties, serving as role models for public servants.