Suwon Transitions to Acting Mayor Authority System under Jo Chung-shik

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Jung Joon-sung] Following Mayor Yeom Tae-young's resignation, Suwon City entered an acting mayor authority system led by First Vice Mayor Jo Chung-shik starting at midnight on the 15th.

In response, the city will operate an "acting authority system with no administrative gap" and will concentrate administrative capabilities on revitalizing the local economy that has been depressed due to prolonged COVID-19, recovery to daily life, preparation of on-site safety measures to prevent disasters, and neutral election management for both the presidential and local elections.

Acting Mayor Jo commenced his duties by presiding over a COVID-19 Suwon City Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters meeting at 9 a.m. in the main conference room, attended by senior civil servants and heads of cooperative organizations, as his first official schedule of the day. He inspected on-site quarantine systems including COVID-19 testing and home treatment in response to Omicron spread.

At this meeting, Acting Mayor Jo stated, "I feel a heavy sense of responsibility in taking on this important role as acting mayor during this critical period when we must overcome the COVID-19 crisis," and added, "Given the severity of the crisis with the rapid spread of Omicron, I will make every effort to ensure there is no shortage in protecting citizens' safety."

Acting Mayor Jo continued, "Under no circumstances should an administrative vacuum occur," and said, "The major policy tasks that Suwon City has been pursuing will be handled seamlessly as all Suwon City civil servants work as one without any disruptions to municipal affairs."

He also stressed thorough preparation and responsiveness in line with the 'Serious Disasters Punishment Act,' which took effect on the 27th of last month, noting that local governments cannot avoid their responsibilities.

Acting Mayor Jo stated, "Following the enforcement of the Serious Disasters Punishment Act, major accident cases continue to occur nationwide, and concerns about safety at construction sites are growing," and urged, "Rather than just calling for prevention in slogans, we must actively respond to preventing serious disasters by establishing safety measures and strengthening the substantive nature of supervision without any shortage in protecting citizens' safety."

He also said, "Even amid the spread of the Omicron variant, prepare both elections carefully so they can be conducted safely and smoothly," and told civil servants, "You must always maintain political neutrality and comply with election laws."

Meanwhile, Acting Mayor Jo graduated from Seoul City University and entered public service through the 37th Administrative Civil Service Examination. He served as director of the Gyeonggi Province Transportation and Roads Department, vice mayor of Paju City, director of Gyeonggi Province Safety and Administration Office, head of the Provincial Assembly Office, vice mayor of Yongin City, director of Gyeonggi Province Planning and Coordination Office, and first vice mayor of Goyang City. He took office as the first vice mayor of Suwon City on January 1, 2019, and has been overseeing municipal affairs since then.