Fast-Track Appointment for Vice Heads in "One Million Special Cities" Now Possible

Regulations Revised to Allow Appointment Without Job Announcement
Rules on Filling Vacancies for Special Appointed Officials Also Relaxed

Going forward, cities with a population of over one million that have special administrative status will be able to appoint vice heads in special positions without the need for a job announcement. This measure aims to enhance the autonomy and efficiency of local government personnel management and to minimize workforce gaps.

The Ministry of the Interior and Safety announced that partial amendments to the “Regulations on Personnel Management of Local Special Appointed Officials” and the “Regulations on the Operation of Open Positions and Publicly Recruited Positions in Local Governments,” which expand the autonomy of local government personnel management, were approved at the Cabinet meeting on December 23 and will take effect from December 30.

According to the revised regulations on local special appointed officials, cities with a population of one million or more and special administrative status will now be able to appoint vice heads in special positions without the job announcement procedure. Previously, only metropolitan cities and provinces were allowed to skip the job announcement when appointing vice heads in special positions.

In addition, previously, special appointed officials could only be replaced if they took sick leave for more than six months, which limited the ability to fill vacancies. Under the new regulations, if an official takes a leave of absence or sick leave for six consecutive months or more, the vacancy can now be filled from the start date of the leave, which is expected to further reduce workforce gaps.

Through the amendment to the regulations on the operation of open positions and publicly recruited positions in local governments, an exception has been introduced allowing the appointing authority to forgo an appointment if, after reviewing the candidates recommended by the personnel committee, it is determined that there are no suitable candidates due to reasons such as disqualification. As a result, the autonomy of local governments in personnel management is expected to be further expanded.

Kim Minjae, Vice Minister of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, stated, “With this amendment, we expect the autonomy and efficiency of personnel management in each local government to be enhanced,” adding, “We will continue to gather diverse opinions from local governments and continuously improve the personnel system for local public officials.”