7月下旬に鹿屋で発見の女性遺体、殺人と断定 鹿児島県警が捜査本部

Seongnam City Market officials in South Korea have been calling for a speedy appointment of a deputy mayor, after the province decided to delay the decision indefinitely. Chairman Seong Jin Park of Seongnam urged the province's governor, Lee Myung-bak, to expedite the appointment on June 27th. The current deputy mayor position has been vacant for nearly two months since last month's term of the outgoing mayor ended.

If the province changes its policy to conduct administrative reforms starting in January 2027, the vacancy could last up to seven months. Park emphasized that the deputy mayor holds key roles in 70 committees, including administrative, financial, welfare, transportation, and disaster safety management. The current vacancy is particularly problematic because there is no one to lead the city's disaster safety bureau during the summer months when extreme heat and typhoons are common.

Additionally, the province has received numerous proposals for the reconstruction of the "Divan 1st New City" and needs someone to coordinate the related administrative and logistics aspects.

The chairman clarified that while organizational reforms are the province's responsibility, the deputy mayor vacancy directly affects local issues and public safety. Seongnam officials plan to operate with the mayor and deputy mayor in a temporary tandem system during the vacancy. This response has ignited similar protests across the province, with 7 other cities - Seongnam, Gwangju, Yangju, Ichon, Pochon, Gapk-yong, and Gangwon - also facing deputy mayor vacancies.

Other cities with vacant deputy mayor positions have also expressed dissatisfaction. Local labor unions, including the Seongnam-Gwangju-Yangju Public Workers Union and the Seoul Metropolitan Government Workers Union, have joined the demand for timely appointments, urging the province to resume the routine appointment process.