Will Gyeonggi-do, after Lee Jae-myung's departure, sail smoothly under Acting Governor Oh Byeong-kwon's leadership?

Oh Byeong-kwon, Acting Governor of Gyeonggi Province, is presiding over the first weekly policy coordination meeting held on the 26th of last month.

[Asia Economy (Suwon) = Reporter Lee Young-gyu] With Lee Jae-myung, Governor of Gyeonggi Province, resigning from his post after being selected as the Democratic Party presidential candidate, attention is focused on the actions of Oh Byung-kwon, the acting governor of Gyeonggi Province, who will lead the 13.8 million-strong Gyeonggi Province.

Oh, the first deputy governor of Gyeonggi Province, will lead the provincial administration from the 26th of last month until the new governor takes office on July 1 of next year, in accordance with the Local Autonomy Act, following Governor Lee Jae-myung’s resignation.

Oh, originally from Bucheon City, entered public service through the 36th Administrative Examination. He has served as Director of Planning and Coordination Office, Director of Economic Affairs, and Deputy Mayor of Bucheon City (26th and 29th terms). After working at the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, he returned to provincial administration on the 8th of last month as the 36th first deputy governor of Gyeonggi Province.

Evaluations of Acting Governor Oh are favorable. Having started his public service career in Gyeonggi Province and held key positions, as well as served as deputy head of major cities and counties within the province, there is a strong analysis that there will be no administrative vacuum. Moreover, his proven administrative capabilities and political acumen are widely recognized.

As a result, expectations for Acting Governor Oh are high, rather than concerns about the 'vacancy left by Governor Lee Jae-myung.'

An official at the provincial government office said, "It is fortunate that Acting Governor Oh, who has administrative and political sensibilities, is taking charge of the provincial administration while the system of the 7th local government is properly established," expressing hope that "the provincial administration will proceed normally."

Acting Governor Oh also promised at the first weekly policy coordination meeting held on the 26th of last month after Governor Lee’s resignation, "We will continue to push forward the major policy tasks that Gyeonggi Province has been pursuing without interruption."

He added, "I feel a heavy responsibility in taking on the important role of acting governor at a critical time when we must overcome the chaos of the 4th wave of COVID-19 and revive the people’s livelihood economy through a prompt phased recovery of daily life."

Acting Governor Oh’s first statement emphasized field administration.

He said, "The center of administration must be the field, and since the first mission of administration is to care for the livelihood and safety of the residents, we will build a field-centered administrative system," emphasizing, "We will strengthen communication and cooperation systems with the Provincial Council, related organizations, local community groups, and cities and counties."

At a press briefing with reporters on the same day, Acting Governor Oh stated, "Even though Governor Lee has resigned, the direction of provincial administration will proceed on a continuous line," and added, "I believe my role is to ensure that the existing system operates smoothly, and I will manage it with that principle."

Regarding some public officials’ lax discipline and deviations, he said, "We will strictly manage and, if there are any violations, apply a zero-tolerance policy and punish severely," and added, "In addition to the existing monthly expanded executive meetings, we will hold weekly policy coordination meetings to check departmental tasks."

Meanwhile, Acting Governor Oh’s first destination after taking office was the groundbreaking ceremony of the 'K-Culture Valley Arena Project' in Janghang-dong, Ilsandong-gu, Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, on the 27th of last month. On the 28th, he attended the trophy presentation ceremony to encourage the Gyeonggi Province Disabled Sports Association athletes who won the overall championship at the 41st National Disabled Sports Festival.

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