A new citizen-communication office reporting directly to the mayor will lead conflict mediation; a second permits division will consolidate licensing under one roof. The Urban Housing Bureau will be split in two, the Future Strategy Bureau abolished, and 27 new positions added. Changes take effect Oct. 6.
Gimpo City is undertaking a sweeping organizational overhaul aimed at resolving concerns over administrative unresponsiveness and accelerating the handling of complex civil complaints.
The restructuring plan, focused on strengthening on-the-ground execution and improving services that residents can feel directly, takes effect Oct. 6.
The centerpiece of the reorganization is the creation of a new Citizen Communication Planning Office reporting directly to the mayor. The office will serve as a control tower for proactively mediating and resolving local conflicts by expanding public participation from the earliest stages of policy development.
The move is intended to put an end to longstanding criticism of opaque administration and to align the city more closely with the central government's push for citizen-centered complaint handling.
The city will also overhaul its permitting and transportation systems. A new second permits division will be established within the housing bureau to consolidate licensing functions that had been scattered across multiple departments, sharply cutting procedural steps and creating a one-stop system for resolving civil complaints.
At the bureau level, the existing Urban Housing Bureau will be split into a separate Urban Bureau and Housing Bureau, while the Future Strategy Bureau — seen as having limited practical impact — will be abolished and its functions redistributed to frontline operational departments.
The city will also consolidate its major transportation policy functions, including the expansion of metropolitan transit networks, into a single channel to enable faster responses to key issues.
The welfare and local economy sectors will also be restructured. A new integrated care division will bring together health, medical, residential and welfare services to establish a Gimpo-style community integrated care system, while existing departments will be reorganized into a gender equality and family division and a child care division.
The existing Economy Bureau will be renamed the Industry and Economy Bureau to pursue the development of future strategic industries and the revitalization of local small businesses at the same time.
In total, the reorganization adds one division and six teams, with 27 new positions created to meet growing administrative demand.
"This reorganization is a field-oriented, action-driven decision to swiftly resolve long-blocked civil complaints and pressing urban issues," a city official said. "We will quickly deliver results that residents can feel in their daily lives under the new organizational structure."
gilbert@heraldcorp.com
