Andong kicks off first expanded senior staff meeting under new administration

Andong city in North Gyeongsang Province held its first expanded senior staff meeting under the ninth directly elected administration on Monday, bringing together officials from the main city hall, affiliated agencies, and neighborhood offices for an in-person session to share key municipal issues.

Starting with the new administration, the city shifted to a format that gathers all senior civil servants in one place — from division and office heads at city hall to directors of affiliated agencies and heads of town, township and neighborhood offices.

The change aims to reduce barriers between departments, strengthen communication between field offices and city hall, and improve the overall effectiveness of municipal operations.

Andong plans to run the expanded senior staff meeting not as a routine reporting session but as a collaboration-focused forum where officials jointly share major municipal issues and discuss solutions.

"The expanded senior staff meeting should not remain a simple venue for reporting work," Mayor Kwon Ki-chang said. "It must become a space for communication and collaboration — where departments think through shared challenges together and find ways to resolve them."