Kangwon Land CEO Post Vacant for Two Years... Joint Committee Demands Government Present Appointment Roadmap

Joint Promotion Committee for Revitalizing Gohan, Sabuk, Nam-myeon, and Sindong Areas
Statement Blaming Government for Prolonged CEO Vacancy at Kangwon Land
"Longest Management Vacuum in History... Maximum Uncertainty for the Future" Sparks Ange

The position of CEO at Kangwon Land has remained vacant for a record 24 months, fueling explosive anger among residents of the former mining areas. The local community has determined that the government’s indifference has crossed the line and is now signaling strong protest actions.

Seungjae Ahn, Chairman of the Joint Promotion Committee for Revitalizing Gohan, Sabuk, Nam-myeon, and Sindong Areas.

The Joint Promotion Committee for Revitalizing Gohan, Sabuk, Nam-myeon, and Sindong Areas (hereinafter referred to as the Joint Committee) issued a statement on the 29th, strongly urging the government to promptly present a roadmap for appointing a new CEO.

In its statement, the Joint Committee said, “Even taking into account last year’s December 3 Martial Law Incident, the impeachment, and the presidential election, the ongoing management vacuum for two years is simply unacceptable. As President Lee Jaemyung emphasized, ‘One hour of a public official’s time is equivalent to 52 million hours of the people.’ By this standard, the government is wasting an immeasurable amount of time and mocking the residents.”

The Joint Committee also criticized Kangwon Land’s ambitious “K-HIT” project and other rosy plans, stating, “Any plan made without a final decision-maker in place is nothing but a deception of local residents.” The committee demanded that the Ministry of Economy and Finance and the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy immediately formalize the appointment process.

The Joint Committee identified not only managerial ability but also “political acumen” and “historical understanding” as essential qualities for the 11th CEO.

According to the statement, few of the previous 10 CEOs completed their terms, and most were political appointees rewarded for helping bring administrations to power, rather than professional managers. The Joint Committee stressed, “The CEO of Kangwon Land must have the ability to persuade and lead central government ministries such as the Ministry of Economy and Finance and the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. With global competition intensifying, such as the opening of a casino in Osaka, Japan, it is time to end the complacent, ‘frog in the well’ management that relies on monopoly status.”

The committee further stated, “As the former mining area has now been designated a ‘coal industry transition region,’ the next CEO must be someone who can fulfill the historic responsibility of ensuring a fair transition and protecting the socially vulnerable.”

The local community is deeply concerned that even the most basic step in the CEO appointment process-forming the executive recommendation committee-has not yet taken place.

The Joint Committee warned, “With the prospect of even submitting the appointment to the shareholders’ meeting in March next year uncertain, if the government continues to remain silent, the anxiety of the residents will quickly escalate into fierce protest.”

Finally, the Joint Committee declared, “We will never tolerate parachute appointments that only pursue personal gain or divide the community. The government must immediately implement a fair and transparent appointment process, and we will monitor every step together with the residents.”