Jeonnam-Gwangju deputy mayor hearings question citizen recommendation process
In short
Confirmation hearings were held on Oct. 6 at the Jeonnam-Gwangju City Council's Muan building for deputy mayor nominees Baek Seung-ju and Yoon Nan-sil. City council members questioned whether the citizen recommendation process was fair and appropriate, noting the posts' duties under the ordinance differed from the fields recruited for. Both nominees answered the questions, and Yoon said she saw a procedural problem while believing the selection itself was fair.
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Confirmation hearings for two deputy mayor nominees of the newly integrated Jeonnam-Gwangju Special City were held on Oct. 6 at the Jeonnam-Gwangju City Council's Muan building, according to Yonhap and Asia Economy. The nominees were Baek Seung-ju, put forward for balanced development deputy mayor, and Yoon Nan-sil, put forward for citizen sovereignty deputy mayor. Asia Economy reported that the hearings came three months after the integrated special city was launched. [ 1 , 3 , 4 ]
At the separate hearings, city council members focused on whether the citizen recommendation process was appropriate. They said the duties assigned to the deputy mayor posts under the existing ordinance differed from the fields actually recruited for, and that the positions were matched afterwards through a reorganization, Yonhap and Asia Economy reported. Lawmakers asked whether the system should have been established before the candidates were selected. [ 3 , 4 ]
Baek answered that at the time of the open recruitment he had presented an overall vision of growth and balance rather than limiting himself to the industrial field, according to both reports. Yoon said that formally she saw a procedural problem, and that it stemmed from the timing of the reorganization and personnel appointments shortly after the integration, the reports said. [ 3 , 4 ]
Both nominees were also asked whether they intended to use the deputy mayor post as a political springboard for future elections. Baek said he had no room to think of anything else, and Yoon said she had given no thought to anything beyond doing her best as deputy mayor, according to Yonhap and Asia Economy. [ 3 , 4 ]
Questions to Baek centred on his knowledge of the region and his preparation. Lawmakers noted he had kept his registered address in Seoul for about 44 years since graduating from high school; Baek cited his children's education and said he stays in Jeonnam-Gwangju on weekdays and could move his address. He also said he could not recall last year's regional agricultural export figures and did not remember some details of the “100-day action plan” he had helped draft, apologising and saying he was still learning conditions on the ground. He denied speculation over an apartment purchase in Seoul's Gaepo Jugong 4 complex, saying the site was already slated for redevelopment when he bought it. [ 3 , 4 ]
Yoon faced questions about her ties to Mayor Min Hyung-bae and about the fairness of the citizen recommendation. Lawmakers noted she had been a senior spokesperson for Min's election campaign and chaired the transition committee's citizen sovereignty committee before ranking first in the citizen recommendation evaluation. Asia Economy reported a claim that 21 of 108 citizen jurors were replaced within two days and that one of those replaced was an acquaintance of Yoon. Yoon said she believed the selection was fair and that she had attended an advisory meeting but never a working-level meeting on the citizen recommendation. [ 3 , 4 ]
The documents do not state any decision or outcome from the two hearings. [ 3 , 4 ]
Why it matters
The hearings are the first public scrutiny of how the newly integrated Jeonnam-Gwangju Special City filled two senior posts, and the procedural questions raised could shape how future appointments in the city are made. The documents do not state any decision or outcome from the hearings, so the immediate effect on the two nominations remains unknown.
Key facts
- Confirmation hearings for two Jeonnam-Gwangju deputy mayor nominees were held on Oct. 6 at the city council's Muan building. [ 1 , 3 , 4 ]
- The nominees were Baek Seung-ju for balanced development deputy mayor and Yoon Nan-sil for citizen sovereignty deputy mayor. [ 3 , 4 ]
- City council members questioned whether the citizen recommendation process was fair and whether the system should have been prepared before candidates were selected. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- Lawmakers said the duties assigned to the posts under the existing ordinance differed from the fields actually recruited for, with positions matched later through a reorganization. [ 3 , 4 ]
- Baek said he had presented an overall vision of growth and balance, and Yoon said she formally saw a procedural problem tied to the timing of the reorganization and appointments. [ 3 , 4 ]
- Both nominees said they had not considered using the deputy mayor post as a political springboard for future elections. [ 3 , 4 ]
- Baek was asked about keeping a Seoul address for about 44 years and about an apartment purchase in Seoul's Gaepo Jugong 4 complex, which he said was already slated for redevelopment when he bought it. [ 3 , 4 ]
- Yoon was asked about her ties to Mayor Min Hyung-bae and about the citizen recommendation process. [ 3 , 4 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- Two separate confirmation hearings were held on Oct. 6 at the Jeonnam-Gwangju City Council's Muan building for deputy mayor nominees Baek Seung-ju and Yoon Nan-sil. [ 1 , 3 , 4 ]
- City council members questioned the fairness and procedure of the citizen recommendation process used for the deputy mayor posts. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 ]
- Lawmakers said the deputy mayor posts' duties under the existing ordinance did not match the fields publicly recruited for, and that the positions were aligned later through a reorganization. [ 3 , 4 ]
- Baek Seung-ju said he had presented an overall vision of growth and balance rather than limiting himself to the industrial field. [ 3 , 4 ]
- Yoon Nan-sil said she saw a formal procedural problem and attributed it to the timing of the reorganization and personnel appointments right after integration. [ 3 , 4 ]
- Both nominees said they had not considered the deputy mayor post as a political springboard for future elections. [ 3 , 4 ]
Still unclear
- Whether the citizen recommendation process was fair. Yoon Nan-sil said she believed the selection was fair and that she had not attended working-level meetings on it, while city council members questioned the process; the documents do not resolve the dispute.
- Whether 21 of 108 citizen jurors were replaced within two days and whether one of those replaced was an acquaintance of Yoon Nan-sil. The claim appears only in the Asia Economy report, a single source.
- Whether Baek Seung-ju's long-held Seoul address and his purchase of an apartment in Seoul's Gaepo Jugong 4 complex involved speculation. Lawmakers raised the questions and Baek gave explanations, but the documents do not state any conclusion.
- The outcome of the two hearings. The documents describe the questioning and the nominees' answers but do not state whether the hearings were concluded or what recommendation followed.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- Kukmin Ilbo publishes a report on the hearing and the questions over whether the citizen recommendation was fair. [ 1 ]
- Newsis reports on the confirmation hearing for Yoon Nan-sil, framing it around the fairness of the citizen recommendation system. [ 2 ]
- Yonhap publishes a detailed account of both hearings, including the procedural dispute and the nominees' answers. [ 3 ]
- Asia Economy publishes further detail, including the claim that 21 of 108 citizen jurors were replaced within two days. [ 4 ]