Choo Mi-ae explains Gyeonggi's personnel appointment postponement amid backlash

Gyeonggi Province Governor Choo Mi-ae directly addressed the growing opposition from the Gyeonggi Provincial Government Employees Union and various local governments regarding her decision to postpone the second-half regular personnel appointments. She explained that a comprehensive review and redesign of the province's finances are necessary before any personnel reshuffling can occur, aiming to navigate a fiscal crisis.

Governor Choo stated on Facebook that her administration has been examining the province's finances since the launch of the Minseon 9 administration two months ago. She emphasized the need for a shift in approach, noting that nearly all reserve funds with designated purposes have been utilized, and the issuance of bonds has led to accumulating debt. Choo criticized the provincial departments for not considering the province's negative revenue when planning their budgets, highlighting instances of "reckless spending" on public development aid projects and overseas offices that cost tens of billions of won.

She further pointed out significant issues with administrative efficiency, including the widespread outsourcing of even basic functions to the private sector, leading to problems with professionalism, accountability, and budget waste. Choo also noted a lack of inter-departmental communication, resulting in duplicated efforts and further budget inefficiencies. She reiterated her stance that personnel changes can only follow a performance evaluation and a budget that prioritizes essential expenditures like meal subsidies.

The governor's decision to delay appointments for officials ranked 5th grade and above until January, and to minimize appointments for those ranked 6th grade and below to only fill vacancies, has drawn strong criticism. The provincial employees' union decried it as "half-baked personnel administration" that damages morale. Local governments, such as Seongnam, Siheung, and Gwangju, expressed concerns about prolonged vacancies in vice-mayoral positions, potentially creating gaps in administration and disaster response. The Gyeonggi Provincial Council's People Power Party faction called the move "unilateral provincial administration" and a "catastrophic administrative failure" that undermines the core command structure, demanding an official apology and the normalization of appointments.