Why the Fuss Over Local Public Institution Heads... Controversy Surrounds Suitability of Changwon Industrial Promotion Agency Director

The Democratic Party of Korea's Changwon City Council members in Gyeongnam held a press conference on the 17th, claiming that Jang Dong-hwa, the nominee for the director of the Changwon Industrial Promotion Agency, is 'unsuitable' as the new director.

The Economic Welfare and Women’s Committee of the Changwon City Council held a personnel hearing for nominee Jang over two days starting from the 13th.

In the vote conducted by a show of hands, 8 out of 11 council members attended as 2 members left, and the hearing report was adopted with 5 votes in favor and 3 against.

On that day, the Democratic Party members of the Changwon City Council argued, “Nominee Jang ranked second among four candidates in both document and interview evaluations.”

The Democratic Party of Korea's Changwon City Council members in Gyeongnam are holding a press conference regarding the personnel hearing results for the candidate for the head of Changwon Industrial Promotion Agency.
[Photo by Lee Seryeong]

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They stated, “In the interview evaluation assessing expertise, leadership, ability, and ethics, he received the second-highest score among four candidates, and he was also ranked second in the document review. In today’s reality, even a 0.1-point difference can lead to failure in university admissions or job exams, so appointing the second-ranked candidate as the nominee is an irrational and unfair decision.”

They added that nominee Jang failed to provide proper answers during the hearing regarding plans for nurturing talent in key industries linked to universities and the 4th industrial revolution development plan for young entrepreneurs outlined in his job performance plan.

The council members said, “Nominee Jang showed answers that lack even the basic knowledge required for the strategic goals of the Changwon Industrial Promotion Agency, such as cultivating customized excellent talent for companies, discovering future industries, and fostering strong small and medium enterprises,” and urged, “Please clearly explain the background of nominating Jang before the appointment decision so that citizens can understand.”

They added, “If the appointment is forced without explaining the background, it will face harsh criticism as a patronage appointment by the Mayor of Changwon.”

In response, the city stated, “The personnel verification results were selected through appropriate procedures requested by the city council.”

“The personnel verification for heads of city-affiliated investment and foundation institutions was implemented through an agreement between Changwon City and the city council on November 25, 2022, to appoint talent that can enhance the management expertise of public institutions,” and added, “It is difficult to accept that Democratic Party members of the city council are denying the results of the vote by the city council.”

According to the city, regarding this personnel verification, the Changwon Industrial Promotion Agency held a board meeting on April 4, after which the executive recommendation committee recommended two candidates out of four.

Subsequently, in the board’s deliberation and discussion, nominee Jang was selected as the appointment candidate by 6 out of 7 board members.

The city said, “Out of four candidates, two were shortlisted as final candidates, and among them, nominee Jang passed the personnel verification,” adding, “The city council judged that the nominee’s ability and qualifications are suitable for performing the duties as director.”

A city official explained, “Nominee Jang served three terms as a city council member and one term as a provincial council member, and as a member of the 5th Changwon City Council’s first half Industry and Construction Committee, he was involved in establishing policies to revitalize local industries and creating support environments for small and medium enterprises,” adding, “He also has experience working as an executive in a small and medium enterprise, which equips him with qualifications in the industrial economy sector.”

He continued, “Based on this experience, we expect him to work hard to enhance the competitiveness of Changwon’s small and medium enterprises and industries and to promote innovative development.”

The hearing report on nominee Jang is currently with the city council chairman’s office.

Once the city council chairman approves the report, the Mayor of Changwon will decide on the appointment by referring to the verification results.

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