The South Jeolla-Gwangju Integrated Special City council will hold simultaneous confirmation hearings Tuesday for the two candidates nominated as the city's inaugural political deputy mayors.
According to the South Jeolla-Gwangju Integrated City Council on Thursday, the special confirmation committee for Baek Seung-ju, candidate for balanced development deputy mayor, held its first meeting that day and elected lawmaker Lim Hyeong-seok as chair and lawmaker Park Man as vice chair.
The special committee for Yun Nan-sil, candidate for civic sovereignty deputy mayor, also elected lawmaker Park Seong-jae as chair and lawmaker Lim Mi-ran as vice chair.
Both committees will hold their respective confirmation hearings at 10 a.m. Tuesday, with progress reports scheduled for adoption Wednesday afternoon.
The council had considered holding the two hearings on separate days but settled on conducting them simultaneously after adjusting the schedule.
Baek and Yun were nominated as political deputy mayor candidates on Aug. 6 through a public recommendation process, but confirmation proceedings were suspended after concerns arose that the duties outlined during recruitment did not match the responsibilities assigned to deputy mayors under city ordinance.
The integrated city subsequently reorganized its structure, adjusting the deputy mayors' titles and assigned duties, before requesting confirmation hearings from the city council on Sept. 22 — 47 days after the candidates were nominated.
As balanced development deputy mayor, Baek will oversee balanced development, budgeting, local autonomy, tourism, construction, the energy industry, and agriculture, livestock, food, marine and fisheries affairs.
Yun, as civic sovereignty deputy mayor, will be responsible for civic sovereignty, youth, education, public health and welfare, and women and family affairs.
sij@heraldcorp.com
