Gwangju City Selects Officer Im Nam-jin as 'Civil Servant of the Year'

‘Public Official of December’ Awarded to Officer Chae Jong-hwan

Gwangju Metropolitan City selected Im Nam-jin, a civil servant from the Road Division, as the 'Civil Servant of the Year' in 2019. Photo by Gwangju Metropolitan City

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Park Seon-gang] Gwangju Metropolitan City announced on the 2nd that it selected Lim Nam-jin, Deputy Director of the Road Division (Acting Director of the Road Division), as the ‘Civil Servant of the Year’ for 2019, and Chae Jong-hwan, Deputy Director of the Automobile Industry Division, as the ‘Civil Servant of the Month’ for December.

Lim Nam-jin, who was selected as the ‘Civil Servant of the Year’ for 2019, was responsible for the overall planning of Gwangju’s road projects and played a leading role in securing approximately 200 billion KRW in national funding for road projects in 2020.

Under the keywords of effort and passion such as national funding pioneer, new project discovery, and civil complaint satisfaction, Deputy Director Lim made over 60 business trips outside the city, covering more than 26,000 km over the past year, working hard to secure national funds through government ministries, the National Assembly, and related organizations.

His major achievements include developing the rationale for the new national road projects and the national funding support logic for the Gwangju-type job support project, successfully passing the Ministry of Strategy and Finance’s feasibility re-examination for the construction of the entrance road to Bitgreen Industrial Complex towards Gwangju, securing 69.6 billion KRW in national funding.

He also secured the selection of the Gwangju-Hanam to Jangseong-Samgye expressway project as a preliminary feasibility study target for new projects by the Ministry of Strategy and Finance, and obtained 3.5 billion KRW in special grants from the Ministry of the Interior and Safety for the construction of the outer road of Sochon Industrial Complex, thereby securing momentum for project advancement.

Regarding the Gwangju-Gangjin Expressway, he resolved grievances from residents in the Daechon and Seochang areas through the National Rights Commission’s mediation proposal, and negotiated to receive free support of water-cleaning vehicles from Korea Expressway Corporation to reduce fine dust in preparation for the 2019 World Aquatics Championships.

Last month, in celebration of the year-end and New Year holidays, he donated consolation goods and money to the Inaeh Social Welfare Foundation located in Bongseon-dong, Nam-gu, for neighbors in need, and visited elderly residents at welfare facilities, practicing sharing and love for the community.

Gwangju Metropolitan City selected Officer Jjonghwan Chae as the "Civil Servant of the Month" for December. Photo by Gwangju Metropolitan City

Chae Jong-hwan, who was selected as the ‘Civil Servant of the Month’ for December 2019, was recognized for his contribution to the establishment and successful launch of Gwangju Global Motors Co., Ltd., the joint venture automobile factory under the Gwangju-type job project.

Deputy Director Chae was responsible for practical tasks related to the establishment of the joint venture, including legal review of the investment agreement with Hyundai Motor Company, finalizing the agreement text, analyzing key issues in the labor-management-government council and investment agreement, participating from the initial negotiation stage to the conclusion of the investment agreement, and actively performing practical investment agreement tasks.

In particular, to raise the capital for the automobile factory corporation establishment, he stayed in Seoul for about four months, actively attracting investment and facilitating agreement signing between investors and shareholders, successfully raising 230 billion KRW in corporate capital.

As a result, he greatly contributed to the establishment and successful launch of Gwangju Global Motors Co., Ltd., the first automobile joint venture under the social integration-type Gwangju-type job project promoting labor-management coexistence.

The Gwangju-type job project handled by Deputy Director Chae is a social integration-type project based on labor-management coexistence, expected to contribute to creating an economic foundation that is good for business and work through innovative labor relations and productivity improvement based on social dialogue.

In particular, as a job innovation with no similar cases in related laws, domestic and international examples, implementation procedures and methods, and support systems, it is expected to open a new paradigm for the Korean economy.

Deputy Director Lim Nam-jin said, “I believe that being able to travel 26,000 km, half the circumference of the earth, to secure national funding through the National Assembly and government was thanks to the staff who worked hard together,” and added, “Although there were many difficulties in discovering new national projects, developing differentiated logic, obtaining government approval, and securing national funding, I consider it an honor to contribute to the development of Gwangju City.”

Deputy Director Chae Jong-hwan said, “Although there were many difficulties in promoting an unprecedented new project, thanks to the help of many people, Gwangju Global Motors Co., Ltd. was able to be established,” and added, “I feel rewarded to have been able to contribute even a little to youth job creation and revitalization of the local economy.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.