Daegu City, Innovative Organizational Restructuring ... Focus on Strengthening Welfare and Health Safety Nets

Citizen Health Bureau, Establishment of Future Space Development Headquarters, etc.
Consolidation of 1 Bureau 2 Divisions, Establishment of 1 Bureau 1 Headquarters 8 Divisions
Main Office Organization: 2 Offices 11 Bureaus 3 Headquarters 89 Division

Briefing appearance of Kwon Young-jin, Mayor of Daegu.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Dong-wook] Daegu City announced on the 20th that it will carry out an organizational restructuring in the second half of the 7th term of the elected government to minimize welfare blind spots amid concerns over the prolonged crisis of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) and to lay the foundation for a great leap forward through innovation in the urban spatial structure.

The main restructuring details include ▲ the establishment of the 'Citizen Health Bureau' to strengthen infectious disease response capabilities ▲ reorganization of the 'Health and Welfare Bureau' to fit the Daegu-type welfare system ▲ establishment of the Economic and Industrial Analysis Officer following the reorganization of the economic sector ▲ establishment of a dedicated organization for promoting spatial structure innovation and balanced development ▲ integration and relocation of organizations considering functional similarity and connectivity.

Through this organizational restructuring, 1 bureau and 2 divisions will be merged or abolished, and 1 bureau, 1 headquarters, and 8 divisions will be newly established. Overall, with an increase of 1 headquarters and 6 divisions, the Daegu City main office organization will have a system of 2 offices, 11 bureaus, 3 headquarters, and 89 divisions.

First, the 'Citizen Health Bureau' will be established to strengthen infectious disease crisis response capabilities and promote citizens' health. Currently, the 'Health and Welfare Bureau's 'Health and Wellness Division' will be subdivided into the 'Health Medical Policy Division,' which strengthens public medical functions, the 'Infectious Disease Control Division' for infectious disease prevention, management, and constant response, and the 'Health Promotion Division,' which provides prevention-centered health management services and mental health management such as suicide prevention.

The 'Health Research Department' of the Health and Environment Research Institute will be divided into the Food and Drug Research Department and the Disease Research Department. The newly established Disease Research Department will be responsible for various disease investigations and infectious disease diagnostic testing.

To strengthen the Daegu-type welfare system, including discovering vulnerable households and resolving welfare blind spots, the current Health and Welfare Bureau will be reorganized into a 'Welfare Bureau' dedicated to social welfare. To realize basic living guarantees for vulnerable groups and actively discover and support poverty and crisis situations in welfare blind spots, a new 'Hope Welfare Division' will be created.

Additionally, the economic sector departments will be reorganized to overcome economic and employment crises. To investigate and analyze the economic situation and suggest economic policy directions, an 'Economic and Industrial Analysis Officer' will be newly established directly under the Deputy Mayor for Economic Affairs, and the existing 'Youth Policy Division' and 'Social Economy Division' of the Citizen Happiness Education Bureau will be assigned to the Job Investment Bureau.

Through this organizational restructuring, a dedicated organization for promoting spatial structure innovation and balanced development will be established. The newly created 'Future Spatial Development Headquarters' will oversee balanced development along the east-west-north-south axes and swiftly promote large-scale projects scattered across bureaus. The 'Urban Spatial Policy Division,' 'New Government Building Construction Division,' 'West Daegu Station Area Development Division,' and 'Waterfront Space Development Division' will be assigned to this headquarters.

The current Green Environment Bureau's 'Park and Greenery Division' will be split into the 'Park Creation Division' and 'Forest Greenery Division,' focusing efforts on preventing the expiration of long-unexecuted parks due to the implementation of the urban planning sunset clause.

The integration and relocation of organizations considering functional similarity and connectivity will also be decisive. The 'Citizen Happiness Education Bureau,' which has been operating since the 6th term of the elected government, will be abolished, and the current Women, Family, and Youth Bureau will be reorganized by establishing the 'Education Cooperation Policy Officer' and renamed the 'Women, Youth, and Education Bureau.'

The 'Transportation Bureau,' which has strong citizen service functions, will be under the Deputy Mayor for Administrative Affairs, while the 'Urban Re-creation Bureau,' which involves more private participation in development projects, and the newly established 'Future Spatial Development Headquarters' will be under the Deputy Mayor for Economic Affairs.

Mayor Kwon Young-jin explained, “This organizational restructuring aims to focus the administrative capabilities in the second half of the term on ensuring citizens' basic living and health rights amid the COVID-19 crisis, innovating the urban spatial structure, and accelerating the promotion of large-scale projects for balanced development along the east-west-north-south axes, thereby revitalizing the regional economy and laying the foundation for Daegu's great leap forward.”

The organizational restructuring plan will be implemented from July 10 after review and approval by the City Council on the Daegu City Administrative Organization and Staffing Ordinance (the 275th regular session, opening June 15).

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