Gwangju City Accelerates Preparation for Establishing 'Social Service Agency' Aiming for July Launch

Gwangju City Hall

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Seon-gang] Gwangju Metropolitan City is accelerating the establishment of the ‘Gwangju Metropolitan City Social Service Agency,’ which is being promoted with the goal of launching in July this year to secure the public nature of social services and respond to the diverse welfare needs of citizens.

On the 14th, Gwangju announced that it held the 1st meeting of the Gwangju Social Service Agency Executive Recommendation Committee and deliberated and resolved the methods and procedures for selecting executives and the public recruitment plan.

The positions to be recruited include one Director (CEO), nine non-standing directors, and one non-standing auditor, totaling 11 people. The public recruitment announcement will be posted on the Gwangju city website starting from the 16th.

The eligibility criteria for applicants are as follows: the Director (CEO) of the Social Service Agency must have professional knowledge and extensive experience in related fields such as social welfare, management, or administration and meet certain qualifications; directors should be involved in projects related to the Social Service Agency; auditors must hold a certified public accountant license and have professional knowledge and experience in auditing.

Applications can be submitted by downloading the application form and other submission documents from the Gwangju city website from the announcement date and visiting the Social Welfare Division (2nd floor) of City Hall or sending by mail (arriving by 6 p.m. on May 1) by 6 p.m. on June 1.

Applicants will be evaluated based on qualifications, application forms, and job performance plans. The Executive Recommendation Committee will conduct document screening and interviews, recommend multiple candidates to the mayor, and the mayor will make the final appointment.

Once executives are appointed from among the candidates recommended through the Executive Recommendation Committee’s deliberation, after obtaining approval for the foundation establishment from the Ministry of Health and Welfare and completing corporate registration, recruitment announcements for staff will be made between May and June.

Previously, since September 2018, Gwangju has operated a public-private consultative body, the Social Service Agency Establishment Task Force (T/F), to review the necessity of establishing the agency and target facilities. Since July last year, it has conducted over 30 stakeholder opinion-gathering processes, including feasibility studies, policy forums, citizen hearings, and welfare sector meetings.

In February, the ‘Gwangju Social Service Agency Establishment Promotion Committee’ was launched to promote collaboration between the public and private sectors from the preparation stage. On the 1st of this month, the ‘Gwangju City Social Service Agency Establishment and Operation Ordinance’ was promulgated, and the establishment review by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety was completed.

The Gwangju Social Service Agency will enhance the public nature and quality of social services by directly providing social services and directly employing workers, while supporting private institutions through facility inspections and service quality improvements, enabling public-private coexistence and providing high-quality social services to citizens.

The main projects include ▲ operation of national and public facilities on consignment ▲ installation and operation of comprehensive home care centers ▲ support for private service institutions. Additionally, in cooperation with the Ministry of Health and Welfare, it will provide detailed and inclusive local care services covering welfare blind spots in Gwangju, focusing on long-term care, customized elderly care services, and childcare facilities, which are urgent and highly felt by citizens.

Lee Pyeong-hyung, Director of the Welfare and Health Bureau of the city, said, “Passionate and innovative experts in the welfare field are needed for the smooth launch and settlement of the Social Service Agency,” and added, “We expect the Social Service Agency to become a catalyst for positive change in the welfare field of Gwangju.”

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