National Tax Service reshuffles senior leadership, names new Seoul chief

The National Tax Service announced Thursday a round of senior personnel changes effective Tuesday, July 8.

Ahn Deok-su, director of the NTS investigation bureau, has been appointed chief of the Seoul Regional Tax Office. Ahn, a native of Busan who passed the civil service exam in the 40th cohort, has held a range of senior posts including director of the NTS investigation, tax collection and legal affairs, and asset taxation bureaus, as well as director of the litigation and investigation bureaus at the Seoul office and the first investigation bureau at the Jungbu office. The NTS said Ahn "contributed to establishing a fair capital market order by taking firm action against unfair tax evasion in the stock market — including 'tunneling' schemes and share price manipulation that harm retail investors — during his tenure as NTS investigation bureau director."

Park Hae-young, director of the NTS tax collection and legal affairs bureau, has been named NTS deputy commissioner. Park, from Sacheon in South Gyeongsang Province and a 41st-cohort civil service exam passer, has served in various roles including director of the NTS tax collection and legal affairs bureau and inspector general, director of the third investigation bureau at the Seoul office, director of the tax collection and litigation bureau at the Busan office, and director of the third investigation bureau at the Jungbu office. During his time as tax collection and legal affairs bureau director, he hired 500 fixed-term workers for a national tax delinquency management unit and conducted field assessments, contributing to the development of a category-based delinquency management system.

Kim Ji-hun, the NTS planning and coordination director, has been appointed chief of the Jungbu Regional Tax Office, which oversees Gyeonggi Province. Kim, from Gimje in North Jeolla Province, passed the 41st civil service exam and joined the NTS in 1998. He has served as NTS planning and coordination director and inspector general, director of the litigation and second investigation bureaus at the Seoul office, and director of the third investigation and tax collection and litigation bureaus at the Jungbu office. During his tenure as planning and coordination director, he worked to ensure the smooth operation of a non-tax revenue delinquency management unit by forming a preparatory team for integrated non-tax revenue collection, drafting the relevant legislation, securing a budget and persuading the National Assembly.

Oh Sang-hun, NTS asset taxation bureau director and a Seoul native who passed the 43rd civil service exam, will take over as chief of the Busan Regional Tax Office. Shim Uk-gi, NTS corporate taxpayer bureau director, will head the Daejeon Regional Tax Office. Yang Cheol-ho, NTS information management director, will lead the Gwangju Regional Tax Office. Park Jeong-yeol, NTS individual taxpayer bureau director, will become chief of the Daegu Regional Tax Office. Kim Seung-min, director of the first investigation bureau at the Seoul Regional Tax Office, will be appointed head of the National Tax Officials Training Institute.

The NTS said it "provided opportunities for key appointments to those who quietly carried out their duties in demanding posts and demonstrated clear results and capabilities," adding that regional office chiefs were drawn from officials born between 1969 and 1972 "to provide stable support for state affairs and organizational management while raising the level of expertise in tax administration."