Jeon Jae-soo unveils transition committee for Busan mayor's office

Busan Mayor-elect Jeon Jae-soo announced Tuesday the composition of his transition committee for the city's ninth civilian mayoral administration.

The committee will operate under the name "Run Again Busan Committee," with the slogan "Livelihoods immediately, the future with certainty, Busan again." The name reflects Jeon's stated commitment to addressing residents' day-to-day concerns without delay while laying a firm foundation for the city's long-term growth.

The committee officially launches Wednesday at the Busan Waterworks Authority building and will operate for 20 days. Cha Jae-kwon, a professor of political science and diplomacy at Pukyong National University, will serve as chair. Cha will oversee the committee's overall operations, drawing on his expertise in Busan's political and administrative landscape.

Shin Young-ran, a professor at Korea Maritime and Ocean University's Graduate School of Global Logistics, was named vice chair. Shin, a maritime logistics expert in her 40s, will support Jeon's core mayoral vision of establishing Busan as a "maritime capital" and advancing its strategy as a global logistics hub.

The defining feature of this transition committee is its emphasis on practicality. Chung Ju-yung, chief of staff to the mayor-elect, said the committee was designed not as a ceremonial body but to focus on converting campaign pledges made to citizens into concrete policy goals and developing actionable plans for Busan's revival.

The committee draws from a broad range of backgrounds, including academics, field experts, labor representatives, former administrators and young people. Eight of the 20 committee members are in their 20s to 40s. Notably, a Pusan National University student in their 20s is among the members — a deliberate choice to treat youth not as subjects of policy but as active participants in shaping city governance, and to incorporate a firsthand perspective on challenges such as youth outmigration and the crisis facing local universities.

The committee will be organized into six subcommittees covering maritime capital development, jobs and economic innovation, balanced development and urban innovation, civic welfare, city administration and fiscal reform, and planning and coordination. Special committees will also be established to handle youth, livelihoods, the Arctic shipping route, the AI transition and civic communication.

The civic communication special committee will include Kim Byeong-geun, former president of KNN; Lee Jae-woong, former Busan chapter chair of the Reform Party; and Yoo Sun-hee, former head of the Busan Women's Newspaper.

"The 'Run Again Busan Committee' is, true to its name, a practical preparatory framework to get Busan running again," Jeon said. "We will leave no gaps in preparing for the launch of the ninth civilian administration, grounded in youthful drive, sector-specific expertise and stable governance."

"Twenty days is a short time, but we will concentrate every effort on turning campaign pledges into real city policy — not just slogans," he added. "We will address livelihoods immediately, prepare for the future with certainty, and get Busan running again."

Over its 20-day run, the committee plans to review key issues by subcommittee, draw up pledge implementation plans, examine city government briefings and gather public proposals — all with the aim of finalizing the core agenda and action plans for Jeon's administration.