Changwon Special City Focuses Efforts on Climate, Environmental Crisis, and Safety Response

Organizational Restructuring in the First Half of Next Year: Safety and Disaster Department Elevated to Direct Jurisdiction of the First Deputy Mayor

Changwon Special City Hall, Gyeongnam.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Song Jong-gu] Changwon Special City in Gyeongnam will undertake an organizational restructuring in the first half of next year, focusing on the establishment of a ‘Climate Environment Bureau’ and the strengthening of ‘Safety Response’.

This restructuring plan appears to strongly reflect the city’s determination to enhance responsiveness to the worsening climate and environmental crisis and to form an organization capable of effectively preparing for and responding to various disaster risks, such as the recent Itaewon accident, thereby strengthening safety management.

According to the restructuring plan, the city will first establish a ‘Climate Environment Bureau’ dedicated to the climate and environmental sector. In accordance with the special status of the special city (establishment of one bureau), the Climate Environment Bureau will be created to actively respond to the climate crisis and carbon neutrality, which have emerged as pressing contemporary issues.

The Climate Environment Bureau will consist of four divisions. The Environmental Policy Division and Resource Circulation Division from the existing Environment and Urban Bureau, and the River Division from the Safety, Transportation, and Construction Bureau will be transferred to the Climate Environment Bureau, and a new Climate and Air Division will be established.

The staffing of the Climate Environment Bureau will be carried out through the reassignment of all personnel without increasing the number of staff, in line with the efficient personnel management direction of the current government and the 8th elected administration.

The existing Environment and Urban Bureau will be renamed the Urban Policy Bureau and will focus its capabilities on the urban sector.

To strengthen safety response, the Safety General Division and Disaster Response Division will be repositioned directly under the First Deputy Mayor.

The two departments under the existing Safety, Transportation, and Construction Bureau (Safety General Division and Disaster Response Division) will be elevated, and disaster management?including resource allocation and personnel mobilization necessary for disasters and calamities?will be directly commanded and controlled by the First Deputy Mayor. Since emergency response is crucial in disaster and crisis situations, the reporting line will be simplified to enable a more rapid response to situations.

Additionally, the safety management role of the five district offices’ Public Planning Officers will be strengthened.

The title of ‘Public Planning Officer’ will be changed to ‘Public Safety Management Officer,’ and responsibility and authority for safety will be granted. Accordingly, the Public Safety Management Officer will assist the district mayor and oversee safety tasks within the district office’s jurisdiction, including the establishment and command of safety measures.

The city views the role of the Public Safety Management Officer as a significant force in building a safe environment in the community, given that district office work is closely related to citizens’ daily lives.

Furthermore, a Public Facility Management Team to manage large public facilities and a Health Life Support Team following the opening of the Sapa Health Life Support Center will be newly established.

Hong Nam-pyo, Mayor of Changwon Special City, stated, “Responding to climate change is an urgent contemporary task. Centered on the Climate Environment Bureau, we will do our best to overcome the climate crisis through actions such as practicing carbon neutrality. We will place greater emphasis on safety management to protect citizens safely from natural disasters caused by climate change and various forms of social disasters, and we will fulfill our responsibility to safeguard citizens’ lives and safety.”

The reorganized organization will be operated from January next year after review and approval at the regular session of the city council in December.

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