Seoul Districts Establishing Public Relations Departments as a Trend...15 out of 25 Districts Have PR Departments

Jongno, Jung-gu, Geumcheon-gu and 7 other districts operate a combined organization merging the Public Relations and IT functions of their Public Relations Departments.

On January 1st, New Year's Day, at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts, Mayor Park Won-soon and the heads of 25 district offices are greeting each other at the 2020 Seoul City New Year's Meeting.

[Asia Economy Reporter Jongil Park] Among the 25 autonomous districts of Seoul, 15 districts have newly established and are operating public relations departments.

This is because the public relations function is becoming increasingly important in autonomous administration.

On the other hand, 11 districts including Jongno-gu operate combined Public Relations and IT departments.

Analyzing the public relations functions of the 25 Seoul districts, the districts with dedicated public relations departments (such as Public Relations Officer, Public Information Officer, Public Relations Policy Department, Policy Public Relations Office) are Yongsan-gu, Seongdong-gu, Gwangjin-gu, Dongdaemun-gu, Gangbuk-gu, Eunpyeong-gu, Seodaemun-gu, Mapo-gu, Gangseo-gu, Dongjak-gu, Gwanak-gu, Seocho-gu, Gangnam-gu, Songpa-gu, and Gangdong-gu, totaling 14 districts.

Among these, the districts using the name "Public Relations Department" are Seodaemun-gu, Gangseo-gu (Public Relations Policy Department), Mapo-gu, Dongjak-gu, Gwanak-gu, and Gangdong-gu, totaling 6 districts. The districts using the title "Public Relations Officer" are Yongsan-gu, Gwangjin-gu, Dongdaemun-gu, Seocho-gu, and Songpa-gu, totaling 5 districts. Seongdong-gu uses the title "Public Information Officer."

Additionally, districts operating Public Relations and IT combined departments to strengthen public relations functions through media means include Jongno-gu, Jung-gu, Jungnang-gu, Seongbuk-gu, Dobong-gu, Nowon-gu (Media Public Relations Department), Yangcheon-gu, Guro-gu, Geumcheon-gu (Public Relations Digital Department), and Yeongdeungpo-gu (Public Relations Media Department), totaling 10 districts.

Along with this, Dongjak-gu and Gwanak-gu separated their Public Relations and IT departments into distinct Public Relations Departments as of January 1 this year.

Dongjak-gu reorganized its structure on January 1 by separating IT and communication functions from the former Public Relations and IT Department to create a Future City Department and established a separate Public Relations Department.

Gwanak-gu also separated IT and communication functions from the former Public Relations and IT Department to create a Smart Information Department and established a separate Public Relations Department.

Recently, with the establishment of smart city function departments, the trend of naturally separating and newly establishing public relations departments is emerging.

In addition, the districts with the largest number of press officers writing press releases for district public relations are Seocho-gu, Songpa-gu, and Gangnam-gu, each with 5 personnel.

Notably, Cho Eun-hee, the Seocho-gu mayor and a former journalist, shows the greatest interest in public relations, maintaining a skilled team of 5 press officers, including two level 6 administrative officers, drawing attention.

Also, Gangdong-gu, Guro-gu, Dobong-gu, and Yangcheon-gu have 4 press officers each, while Jongno-gu, Yongsan-gu, Dongdaemun-gu, Nowon-gu, Seodaemun-gu, Yeongdeungpo-gu, and Gwanak-gu have 3 press officers each.

Jung-gu, Seongdong-gu, Gwangjin-gu, Jungnang-gu, Seongbuk-gu, Gangbuk-gu, Eunpyeong-gu, Gangseo-gu, and Geumcheon-gu have 2 employees each handling press duties.

A public relations department head from one district said, "As elected district mayors show increasing interest in public relations, the trend of separating public relations departments seems appropriate."

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