How Far Does Kim Hyun-gi, Chair of Seoul Metropolitan Council, Go in Loving His Staff?
Published 08 Feb.2024 09:00(KST)
Updated 08 Feb.2024 09:40(KST)
Secretary-General is Grade 1, but the lower rank is Grade 4
Regretful that there is no Grade 3 (Director) position
Notable efforts seen in actively working for staff promotions
It has been noted that Kim Hyun-gi, Chairman of the Seoul Metropolitan Council, has a warm heart for his staff.
Chairman Kim is known to be making every effort to promote the council staff.
On the 7th, Chairman Kim said, “The Seoul Metropolitan Council’s Secretariat Chief is at grade 1, but below that, there is a grade 4 manager position and no grade 3 (director) position, which is very unfortunate.”
He explained that an organization needs to show promotion opportunities to its staff to operate dynamically, but it is regrettable that promotion chances are blocked.
Accordingly, Chairman Kim is reportedly working tirelessly, including having close discussions with the Ministry of the Interior and Safety through the Seoul Metropolitan Government.
Chairman Kim is also very proactive about personnel exchanges with the Seoul Metropolitan Government. He stated that the trend of some councils strongly pushing for independent personnel authority is by no means desirable.
Chairman Kim said, “The level of the council can only be raised when capable staff come in through personnel exchanges between the city and the council; it is difficult if they remain confined to one place.”
Therefore, he views that having too many open-type positions among council staff is not desirable.
Usually, councils are realities where influential figures like the chairman are obsessed with placing their own people, resulting in many open-type public officials.
Nevertheless, Chairman Kim holds the conviction that personnel exchanges with the executive branch, the city, are desirable for organizational revitalization and staff capability.
This is interpreted as an example showing how principled and clean a politician Chairman Kim is.
A Seoul Metropolitan Council official said, “Chairman Kim is a politician with skills, principles, and integrity never seen in any senior official of previous metropolitan councils,” adding, “Because he is such a politician, he seems to have a strong interest in staff promotions.”
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