Is Now the Right Time to Appoint the Changwon Facilities Corporation President?

Local Political Circles: "Stabilizing City Administration and Reviving the Local Economy Should Come First"

As the review process to appoint a new president of the Changwon Facilities Corporation in Gyeongnam is underway, concerns are being raised in the local political community that Changwon City may be making a misstep.

Changwon Facilities Corporation, Gyeongnam. Photo by Lee Seryeong

Some are pointing to the recent Constitutional Court intervention regarding Acting President Han Ducksoo's appointment of a Constitutional Court judge, arguing that it is also unreasonable for Changwon City, currently under an acting mayor system, to appoint the head of the Facilities Corporation.

The concern is that if a new mayor is elected in next year's local elections, the newly appointed head of the Facilities Corporation could become a burden for the next city administration.

Critics argue that with about a year remaining until the 2026 local government head elections, it is not appropriate to appoint a president with a guaranteed three-year term at this time.

A member of the Changwon City Council stated, "Now is not the time to select a new president. The acting mayor of Changwon should devote all efforts to revitalizing the stagnant local economy," adding, "I hope unnecessary misunderstandings and controversies will not be created."

An official from the corporation said, "This process began during the tenure of former Mayor Hong Nampyo, so it is unavoidable," and added, "We are closely monitoring the situation at this time."

However, local political circles agree that even if former Mayor Hong Nampyo ordered the appointment process, considering that city administration is currently being run by an acting mayor, now is not the right time to proceed with the appointment.

They argue that the urgent priority is to revitalize city administration and revive the struggling Changwon economy, not to appoint a new president of the Facilities Corporation at this moment.

Meanwhile, the Changwon Facilities Corporation has announced plans to conduct interviews according to future schedules, citing the need to avoid leaving the president position vacant for too long, with the review process set for the end of April.

Former president Kim Jonghae, who took office in January 2023, was supposed to serve a three-year term until December this year. However, due to health reasons, he submitted his resignation on January 13 and it was processed on January 21, leaving the corporation currently under an acting president system.

Changwon City explained that after former Mayor Hong was removed from office on April 4 following a final conviction for violating the Public Official Election Act, First Deputy Mayor Jang Geumyong has been serving as acting mayor.

As calls continue for the stabilization of city administration and the revival of the struggling Changwon economy amid instability caused by the absence of a mayor, attention is focused on whether the appointment of the Facilities Corporation president will proceed under the acting mayor system.

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