Baek Seung-ju, Yun Nan-sil named political deputy mayor candidates for Jeonnam-Gwangju Special City

Baek Seung-ju and Yun Nan-sil, both alumni of Mayor Min Hyeong-bae's transition committee, have been named candidates for the inaugural political deputy mayor posts of Jeonnam-Gwangju Integrated Special City.

Mayor Min announced the nominations Thursday at a press briefing at the Gwangju government complex, naming Baek, former vice president of the Democratic Research Institute, and Yun, former presidential secretary for institutional reform, as his picks for the two political deputy mayor positions.

Baek is nominated to oversee industry, employment, the economy, labor and advanced strategic industries, while Yun is nominated to handle civic sovereignty, youth and population policy, talent development, health and welfare, and gender equality.

On Baek, Mayor Min said he "has experience driving a wide range of policies in industry and regional development, as well as the collaborative capacity to bridge the public and private sectors." He added that he considered Baek "the right person to lead the integrated special city's future growth strategy and balanced regional development, and to support a new leap forward in industry and jobs."

On Yun, the mayor said her "greatest strength is her experience in facilitating public deliberation and social consensus by mediating diverse interests through communication with citizens." He added that he judged her "the right person to embody the value of civic sovereignty across city administration and to steadily advance policies for citizens' lives and the future of the community."

Baek previously served as director general of the planning and coordination office at the Ministry of Economy and Finance and currently holds a chair professorship at Suncheon National University. He also served as vice chairman of Mayor Min's transition committee.

Yun served as a member of the 4th Gwangju City Council and later as presidential secretary for institutional reform under President Moon Jae-in, as well as chair of the innovation and autonomy expert committee under the presidential Commission on Local Era. She chaired the civic sovereignty committee on Mayor Min's transition team.

Mayor Min said the outcome "reflected the will of citizens as much as possible" and that the nominees "were found to have the capabilities needed as deputy mayor candidates," adding, "It was a result where citizens made the judgment and I did not need to make any particular political considerations."

The special city plans to request confirmation hearings from the special city council for the nominees announced Thursday.

If the nominees clear the confirmation hearing process, the city intends to appoint both political deputy mayors before the end of August.

The special city has four deputy mayor posts in total — two locally appointed political deputy mayors and two nationally appointed administrative deputy mayors.