Shim Young-jae takes office as Daegu's administrative vice mayor

Daegu city announced Tuesday that Shim Young-jae will take office as its new administrative vice mayor on Wednesday.

Shim will begin his official duties without a separate inauguration ceremony, instead attending a meeting chaired by the Daegu mayor to share his inaugural remarks and discuss key pending issues.

A Seoul native, Shim graduated from Eonnam High School in Seoul and studied public administration at Yonsei University before entering public service through the 43rd class of the national civil service examination.

He went on to serve in a series of roles at the Ministry of Interior and Safety, including director of the social organization division, director of the economic organization division, and director of the organizational planning division, building experience in policy planning and organizational management. He also served as director general of planning and coordination at North Gyeongsang Province and as director general of the organizational bureau at the Ministry of Interior and Safety.

His experience coordinating regional issues and wide-area administration as director general of planning and coordination at North Gyeongsang Province is expected to prove valuable as Daegu pursues major cross-regional initiatives, including construction of the Daegu-North Gyeongsang integrated airport, the administrative merger of Daegu and North Gyeongsang Province, and efforts to attract a second round of public institution relocations.

Drawing on the administrative expertise and external networks he built at central government agencies, Shim is also expected to serve as a bridge between Daegu and the central government and the National Assembly, working to ensure the city's key projects are reflected in national policy and the government budget.

"I feel a deep sense of responsibility taking on this important role at a critical time that will shape Daegu's future," Shim said. "I will faithfully bring the voices of citizens and the field into city administration, pool the organization's capabilities to tackle the challenges at hand, and deliver results that make a real difference in people's lives."

Meanwhile, after the policy meeting on his first day in office, Shim plans to visit the Dongin government complex to encourage staff and hear their views.

In the afternoon, he will call on the speaker of the city council to seek cooperation on city administration, then begin receiving briefings on major city issues, starting with disaster safety and fire department affairs.