Seoul City Announces Organizational Restructuring for the 8th Elected Term... Establishes New Departments for Immigration and Solitude Affairs

Submission to City Council on the 5th of Next Month After Legislative Notice
Establishment of Dedicated Organization for Seoul National University Reform
Strengthening Organization to Improve Citizens' Quality of Life

Seoul City will carry out an organizational restructuring in the second half of the 8th term of the elected government, including the establishment of a new agency to address immigration and issues of loneliness and isolation.

On the 28th, Seoul City announced an organizational restructuring plan to strengthen the momentum of city administration in the second half of the 8th term, and stated that after a legislative notice period from the 20th to the 2nd of next month, the plan will be submitted to the Seoul Metropolitan Council on the 5th.

The restructuring plan includes ▲ the establishment of a control tower for immigration policy and international exchange and the completion of sector-specific organizations to respond to population changes ▲ resolving loneliness and isolation issues across all social strata ▲ the creation of a dedicated organization to realize the Seoul Grand Transformation, including the Yongsan International Business District ▲ strengthening organizations in safety, health, housing, and transportation to improve citizens' quality of life ▲ and organizational reinforcement reflecting policy demands.

The plan will be finalized through deliberation and resolution by the city council, followed by amendments to administrative organization and staffing regulations, and is scheduled to take effect on July 1.

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon is taking photos at the '2024 F/W Seoul Fashion Week' held at Dongdaemun Design Plaza in Jung-gu, Seoul on the 1st. Photo by Jin-Hyung Kang aymsdream@

First, the city will establish a 'Global City Policy Officer' to oversee immigration policy and international exchange affairs. This decision comes from the recognition that a strategic approach to foreigner and immigration policies is necessary in response to population structure changes caused by low birth rates and aging. The Global City Policy Officer will serve as the control tower for Seoul City's foreigner policies and international exchange and cooperation.

Additionally, 'Foreign Immigration Officer' and 'Multicultural Officer' positions will be created to comprehensively manage and coordinate foreigner policies at all stages, including attraction, settlement, multiculturalism, and social integration. The International Exchange Division under the Economic Policy Office will be reorganized into 'Urban Diplomacy Officer' and 'International Cooperation Officer.' These will be transferred to the Global City Policy Officer to link foreigner policies and international exchange functions, maximizing policy effectiveness.

Furthermore, to prevent social problems caused by isolation such as solitary deaths, the Welfare Office will establish a director-level agency called the 'Care and Loneliness Policy Officer.' This office will act as a control tower for policies addressing isolation and care across all classes and generations, aiming to minimize welfare blind spots.

Under the Care and Loneliness Policy Officer, a 'Loneliness Response Division' will be created to oversee projects resolving loneliness and isolation, such as safety management for isolation risk groups and support for social networks. The Elderly Welfare Division, Care Welfare Division, and Single-Person Household Support Division will be organized together to provide integrated support for groups vulnerable to isolation risks.

A new organization will also be created to support Seoul's urban space innovation. With the Yongsan International Business District development project entering full swing, a 'Yongsan Three-Dimensional City Officer' will be established within the Future Space Planning Office. The Yongsan International Business District project will begin infrastructure construction in the second half of next year and start building construction in earnest in 2028.

To create 'Fun City, Seoul,' linking Seoul's diverse cultural resources, waterfront parks, and entertainment facilities such as the large Ferris wheel, a 'Urban Vitality Officer' will also be established within the Future Space Planning Office. A 'Road Planning Officer,' overseeing all road-related matters, and a 'Pedestrian Environment Improvement Division,' improving pedestrian facilities, will be newly created under the Disaster Safety Office.

A dedicated organization will also be established for the revitalization of the Seun District and the undergrounding of above-ground railroads and development of upper spaces according to the Special Act on Railroad Undergrounding. The Urban Space Headquarters' Urban Re-creation Division and Urban Space Strategy Division will each establish a 'Seun Revitalization Project Team' and a 'Railroad Undergrounding Team.'

To improve Seoul City's integrity, a 'Integrity Officer' will be newly established within the Audit Committee. This position aims to actively discover integrity policies and improve corruption-prone areas to achieve a top-tier comprehensive integrity rating from the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission.

Also, the Digital Policy Officer will be reorganized into the 'Digital City Bureau,' and an 'Information Security Division' will be established to prepare for digital disasters. The plan is to strengthen response capabilities against digital disasters such as electronic intrusions like EMP, cyberterrorism, and administrative network paralysis.

In addition, the city explained that organizations in areas where policy demand has decreased or projects have stabilized will be downsized, and personnel will be reallocated to areas with strengthened functions to improve organizational and workforce efficiency.

Kim Jongsu, Seoul City's Policy Planning Officer, said, "This restructuring aims to maximize the achievements of 'Togetherness and Attractive Special City Seoul' during the remaining two years of the 8th term. We will proactively respond to Seoul's future administrative demands caused by low birth rates and aging, and innovate urban spaces to strengthen Seoul's urban competitiveness."

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