[Park Jong-il Autonomous News] Seoul Districts' Secret to 'Long-Serving Deputy District Heads'?

Seoul's 25 District Deputy Mayors as 2nd-3rd Grade Officials Are Highly Preferred Key Positions... Longevity Possible if Aligned Well with Mayors and Communicate Effectively with Subordinates... However, If Both Are Difficult, Hard to Endure as 'Caught Second-in-Command' Fate

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Senior officials of grade 3 and above in Seoul City were appointed and deployed to the field as of the 19th.

This was a large-scale personnel move, including transfers, and the first since Mayor Oh Se-hoon took office.

Among them were appointments of deputy district heads in Seoul’s autonomous districts. Three new deputy district heads were appointed: Eom Euishik of Gwangjin, Kim Jinman of Seodaemun, and Kim Jeongho of Yangcheon.

Out of 25 deputy district heads, many wanted to move to Seoul City, but only three were changed, making it a somewhat disappointing personnel reshuffle.

While Gwangjin’s Eom Euishik and Yangcheon’s Kim Jeongho were appointed as deputy district heads for the first time, Kim Jinman of Seodaemun became a deputy district head for the second time, following his previous role as deputy district head of Gangdong.

What is the secret to the longevity of Seoul City’s autonomous district deputy heads?... Meeting the mayor’s expectations and communication skills with staff

There are 25 deputy district heads in Seoul City. They are senior officials of grade 2 (for populations over 500,000) or grade 3. Among them, Yuseungjae of Yongsan and Yubo-hwa of Seongdong were recruited through special appointments at grade 7 after graduating from University of Seoul, and Park Beom of Mapo entered Seoul City through the grade 7 open competitive exam.

Other deputy district heads such as Kang Pil-young of Jongno, Ma Chae-sook of Jung, Eom Euishik of Gwangjin, Choi Hong-yeon of Dongdaemun, Kim Tae-hee of Jungnang, Shin Sang-chul of Seongbuk, Lee Bang-il of Gangbuk, Kim Jae-yong of Dobong, Kim In-cheol of Nowon, Im Dong-guk of Eunpyeong, Kim Jinman of Seodaemun, Kim Jeongho of Yangcheon, Jeong Heon-jae of Gangseo, Lee Hoe-seung of Guro, Kim Young-sung of Geumcheon, Kim Young-hwan of Yeongdeungpo, Bae Hyung-woo of Dongjak, Yoo Jae-ryong of Gwanak, Cheon Jeong-uk of Seocho, Ahn Junho of Gangnam, Ha Cheol-seung of Songpa, and Jeong Hwan-jung of Gangdong are elite public officials who passed the administrative or local civil service exams.

These deputy district heads are preferred positions, either moving directly to deputy district head after promotion to grade 3 in Seoul City or being appointed after serving as directors.

They often serve as intermediaries solving Seoul City issues within the autonomous districts. For example, Seongdong’s deputy district head Yubo-hwa, an alumnus of University of Seoul like Mayor Jung Won-oh, visits Seoul City once a week to address issues, earning recognition as a ‘diligent deputy district head.’

At one point, Administrative Deputy Mayor Yoo even remarked that Deputy District Head Yoo seemed to be working too hard.

The deputy district head’s role is to understand the district mayor’s philosophy and campaign promises and work to resolve issues at the Seoul City level.

They also act as intermediaries between the mayor and senior officials, directing teams, section chiefs, and directors to ensure smooth organizational operations.

Because of this, they can wield significant influence, often described as ‘one person underground (mayor), all staff above ground,’ reflecting their powerful position.

Especially when they work well with the mayor, they receive considerable respect and can enjoy a happy public service career.

Conversely, if their work ability or attitude does not meet the mayor’s expectations, their tenure can be very difficult.

In some cases, mayors push projects too aggressively, causing deputy district heads to be transferred to other districts, resulting in mental distress.

This is, of course, a fate common to all second-in-command positions, not just in public service.

Additionally, if a deputy district head fails to communicate well with district staff (mainly team leaders and section chiefs), it can also be a challenging position.

What is the secret to the longevity of Dongdaemun’s Choi Hong-yeon and Seocho’s Cheon Jeong-uk as deputy district heads?

The secret to the longevity of Dongdaemun’s Choi Hong-yeon and Seocho’s Cheon Jeong-uk as deputy district heads seems clear.

In conclusion, they have lasted because they handle tasks well according to the mayor’s wishes and communicate effectively with their subordinates.

However, some deputy district heads, mostly exam passers, have been criticized for showing an authoritarian attitude, possibly due to bad habits developed while working in Seoul City.

Of course, if a deputy district head serves more than a year, it can be difficult to get promoted to grade 2 or 1 senior positions within Seoul City.

However, many younger deputy district heads nowadays intentionally stay in their district positions for a long time to align their public service retirement age as much as possible rather than seeking promotion.

The deputy district head position, as a ‘second-in-command’ role, is by no means an easy one.

An official from an autonomous district said, “Having experienced many deputy district heads over a long public service career, those who treat subordinates with respect and encourage them to work hard remain memorable and are people you want to meet even after retirement.” He added, “Unfortunately, some deputy district heads who had to return to Seoul City for promotion during their tenure caused distress by nitpicking small issues and harassing staff.”

Former deputy district heads Park Hee-su of Seongdong and Dongdaemun (currently chairman of Dongdaemun District Facilities Management Corporation) and Jang Kyunghwan of Seongdong (professor at University of Seoul) are recognized as seniors who receive good evaluations from junior staff even after retirement.

In any organization, it depends on the individual. Deputy district heads who cause distress by speaking harshly to subordinates develop a bad reputation, making it difficult to enter Seoul City again.

Because shouting does not make an organization run well.

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