Busan Mayor Jeon Jae-soo carries out first senior personnel reshuffle of 'Elected 9th Term'

The Busan city government announced Thursday that it has carried out a regular personnel reshuffle of 23 senior officials at director-general level and above, effective Monday, to lead city administration in the Elected 9th Term.

The reshuffle marks the first step toward realizing the "administrative efficacy" that Mayor Jeon Jae-soo has long emphasized since taking office. The city said it focused on placing officials with field-oriented administrative capabilities and strong policy-execution skills in key posts, aiming to deliver tangible improvements to residents' daily lives.

At the senior director level, Kim Ki-hwan — who has served as head of the Digital Economy Office, planning officer, director of the Culture and Sports Bureau and head of the Citizen Safety Office — was appointed head of the Citizen Safety Office, while Shim Jae-min, who has held posts including spokesperson, planning officer and director of the Culture and Sports Bureau, was named head of the Environment and Water Policy Office. Lee Byeong-seok, currently head of the Environment and Water Policy Office, moves to head the Citizen Safety Office, and Kim Bong-cheol, head of the Digital Economy Office, will be seconded to the Busan Research Institute to strengthen its policy research functions.

Four officials have been tapped for promotion to director-general positions. Oh Mi-gyeong, currently acting spokesperson, is set to become spokesperson; Kim Chang-deok, former chief of staff, is slated to head the Green City Bureau; Kim So-yeong, head of the Women's Policy Division, is nominated to lead the Women and Family Bureau; and Jo Gyeong, head of the New Airport Project Support Team, is nominated to head the Nakdong River Management Headquarters. The promotion of Kim Chang-deok — who served as chief of staff under former Mayor Park Heong-joon — signals that the Elected 9th Term administration is pursuing "change built on continuity rather than rupture."

In lateral transfers at the director-general level, Nam Jeong-eun, former head of the Youth-Industry-Academia Policy Office, will take over as head of the Sports Bureau. Hwang Sun-gil, deputy district mayor of Gangseo-gu, and Heo Nam-sik, deputy district mayor of Busanjin-gu, will be appointed to head the Social Welfare Bureau and the Administrative Autonomy Bureau, respectively. Kim Jeong-su, deputy district mayor of Dongnae-gu, and Kim Hyo-suk, head of the Construction Headquarters, will move to lead the Busan-Ulsan-Gyeongnam Mega-Regional Economic Alliance Promotion Headquarters and the Housing and Architecture Bureau, respectively. Jeong Yeong-ran, deputy district mayor of Suyeong-gu, and Shim Seong-tae, deputy district mayor of Haeundae-gu, will be transferred to head the Human Resources Development Institute and the Construction Headquarters, respectively.

In deputy district mayor appointments, Song Gwang-haeng, head of the Human Resources Development Institute, will become deputy district mayor of Jung-gu. The deputy district mayor posts for Busanjin-gu, Dongnae-gu, Buk-gu, Haeundae-gu, Gangseo-gu and Suyeong-gu will be filled by Choe Nam-yeon, currently deputy district mayor of Buk-gu; Jeong Tae-gi, head of the Social Welfare Bureau; Bae Seong-taek, head of the Housing and Architecture Bureau; Park Seol-yeon, head of the Women and Family Bureau; Lee O-sun, head of the Busan-Ulsan-Gyeongnam Mega-Regional Economic Alliance Promotion Headquarters; and Park Geun-rok, head of the Administrative Autonomy Bureau, respectively.

"As the first reshuffle marking the launch of the Elected 9th Term, we have placed officials who will carry out the city's future direction and core values in key posts," a city official said. "The heart of this reshuffle is raising 'administrative efficacy' — solving problems close to residents' lives with a humble posture — and delivering a city administration of recovery and growth that citizens can feel."

Personnel moves for grade-4 and grade-5 employees will proceed in stages, and the regular reshuffle for grade-6 and below will take effect Aug. 14, completing the first regular reshuffle of the Elected 9th Term.