Sejong City Council Special Hearing Committee Vetting Kwon Younggeol for Policy Research Institute President

Photo by Yonhap News

A confirmation hearing for Kwon Younggeol, the nominee for the inaugural president of the Sejong Lifelong Education and Policy Research Institute, was held at the Sejong City Council on August 12. This is the first time a special personnel hearing committee has been convened since the establishment of Sejong City.

On this day, committee members assessed whether Kwon possesses the necessary capabilities and expertise to carry out his duties, as well as his moral character and sense of responsibility. The special committee also examined his plans for developing policies to enhance the region's competitiveness and his understanding of the unique nature of the organization, which will result from the integration of the Lifelong Education Institute and the Policy Research Institute.

In particular, questions were raised regarding whether the new president's term should be aligned with that of the head of the local government.

Assembly member Lee Sunyeol stated, "There are many arguments that the terms of heads of local government-funded and -affiliated institutions should be aligned with the term of the local government head," and asked, "The mayor of Sejong is also very interested in synchronizing the terms with those of affiliated institution heads. What is your view on this?"

Kwon responded, "I have not considered that aspect until now," and explained, "I applied for the position with the understanding that the term would be three years."

Sejong Mayor Choi's term runs until the local elections scheduled for June next year. Therefore, if the terms of the institution head and the mayor are synchronized and Kwon is appointed as president, his tenure would be less than one year.

There were also concerns that the Policy Research Institute could potentially be reduced to merely supporting the executive branch's policies. In response, Kwon stated, "As a city-affiliated institution, the Lifelong Education and Policy Research Institute is obliged to respond if the mayor requests advice on any issue. However, the ultimate authority for policy decisions rests with the city council. I have no objection to this."

He added, "If I am entrusted with leading Sejong's first organization dedicated to lifelong education and policy research, I will serve with a clear sense of mission, utilizing my accumulated knowledge and practical experience to help Sejong become a complete administrative capital. I will take the lead in presenting policies and alternatives that citizens can truly feel as a research and education institution of the local government."

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