![South Jeolla-Gwangju Integrated Special City Mayor Min Hyeong-bae delivers a welcoming address at the opening ceremony of the 16th Gwangju Biennale, held Friday afternoon at the Gwangju Biennale Exhibition Hall in Buk-gu. [Provided by South Jeolla-Gwangju Integrated Special City. Redistribution and DB prohibited]](https://wimg.heraldcorp.com/news/cms/2026/09/07/rcv.YNA.20260904.PYH2026090417760005400_P1.jpg)
South Jeolla-Gwangju Special City, which recently drew controversy over a subway re-inspection issue, will create a strategic communications chief position to serve as a single channel for delivering Mayor Min Hyeong-bae's messages.
The city will add a "strategic communications chief" to oversee policy messaging, expanding Mayor Min's senior advisory staff from six to seven.
On Friday, South Jeolla-Gwangju Integrated Special City published a proposed partial amendment to the enforcement rules of its administrative organization ordinance, adding "communications" to the areas covered by policy advisory support.
The new strategic communications chief — a Grade 3-equivalent position to be filled on a fixed-term specialist contract — will join the existing six advisory roles: chiefs for overall policy, civic sovereignty, social culture and green city, along with an external communications aide and a special adviser, bringing the total number of specialist policy advisory posts to seven.
The combined total matches the sum of the two predecessor administrations before the merger. The former Gwangju city government had operated four specialist policy advisory posts, including a policy adviser, while the former South Jeolla Provincial Government had three, including a political affairs chief of staff.
Concerns have been raised about potential overlap, however, as a spokesperson and a media affairs officer already handle press and city communications, and the mayor's advisory organization separately includes an external communications aide and an external communications special adviser.
City officials said the strategic communications chief would not handle direct media relations the way a spokesperson does, but would instead organize the mayor's policy direction and the intent behind his remarks to ensure a consistent message is conveyed on key issues.
Officials also said a series of recent cases in which Mayor Min's remarks were interpreted differently from their intended meaning had been a factor behind the decision to create the post.
sij@heraldcorp.com
