Former Suwon Mayor Yom Tae-young Designated as Economic Vice Governor of Gyeonggi Province

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Park No-hun] Governor Kim Dong-yeon of Gyeonggi Province has designated former Suwon Mayor Yom Tae-young as the new Economic Vice Governor. Additionally, he plans to appoint Kang Sung-cheon, former Vice Minister of SMEs and Startups, as the chair of the Gyeonggi Province Policy Advisory Council, a policy advisory body of Gyeonggi Province.

Governor Kim held a press conference at the Gyeonggi Provincial Government on the 2nd and announced the new appointments, stating "With the newly appointed Vice Governor Yom Tae-young, who possesses rich experience spanning both public and private sectors, and the newly appointed Policy Advisory Council Chair Kang Sung-cheon, who will lead Gyeonggi Province's innovative economy, I will join hands with the residents and the Provincial Assembly to lay the foundation for Gyeonggi Province's great leap forward."

Regarding the newly designated Economic Vice Governor Yom Tae-young, Governor Kim explained the appointment background, stating "He is the top expert on local autonomy and served as the chairperson of the transition committee for the Gyeonggi Province governor's office. He is the person best suited to embody the philosophy of communication and cooperation of the 8th civilian administration."

Regarding the newly designated Policy Advisory Council Chair Kang Sung-cheon, he stated, "He is an expert in industry, venture capital, and innovation. I am confident that he is exactly the right person needed for Gyeonggi Province, the center of change, to create more opportunities through innovative economy."

He continued, "We are currently in the process of hiring for positions such as the Senior Secretary for Political Affairs under the professional term appointment system. Tomorrow, job postings for the spokesperson and the audit director are expected to be announced." After explaining the current status of personnel appointments, he emphasized, "We will now move forward without hesitation. The provincial administration will stabilize as soon as possible, and necessary policies will be implemented in a timely manner."

The designated Gyeonggi Province Economic Vice Governor Yom Tae-young was born in 1960 in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province. He graduated from Suwon Suseong High School and Seoul National University's Department of Agricultural Chemistry.

During the Roh Moo-hyun administration, he served as Secretary to the President at the Blue House and as Standing Auditor of the Korea National Park Service. In the 2010 Suwon mayor election, he was elected as Suwon mayor for the first time and subsequently set a record as Suwon's first three-term mayor in the city's history. In particular, he focused on place-based and field-led economic revitalization, achieving significant results and drawing national attention.

During the Moon Jae-in administration, he was recognized for his achievements in job creation and regional economic revitalization and was uniquely appointed as a private committee member of the First Jobs Committee among local government heads, leading efforts to publicize and spread the job creation results of local governments.

The newly designated Policy Advisory Council Chair Kang Sung-cheon was born in 1964 and hails from Gwangju Metropolitan City. He graduated from Daekwang High School and Seoul National University's Department of Economics, and earned a master's degree and doctorate in economics from Indiana University in the United States. After passing the 32nd Civil Service Examination, he entered public service and served in the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy in positions including Director of Industrial Policy, Head of Industrial Policy Bureau, and Deputy Minister of Trade. From October 2018, he served as Senior Secretary for Industrial Policy and Senior Secretary for Trade at the Blue House, and served as Vice Minister of SMEs and Startups from March 2020, making him an expert in industry, venture capital, and innovation.

Kang is particularly known as a person who made significant contributions to overcoming the crisis by handling domestic trade policy during Japan's export restrictions in July 2019. He also has experience in implementing various policies to help small and medium-sized enterprises and small business owners overcome economic crises during the COVID-19 pandemic when he served as Vice Minister of SMEs and Startups.