Jeonnam-Gwangju Integrated Special City Mayor's Salary Set at 154.92 Million Won

The mayor of the new Jeonnam-Gwangju Integrated Special City, set to launch on July 1, will earn an annual salary of 154.92 million won. This represents a 4.5 million won increase compared to the salaries of the former Gwangju mayor and Jeonnam provincial governor.

Established under a special law, the Jeonnam-Gwangju Integrated Special City will hold a status equivalent to Seoul. Consequently, its mayor will receive ministerial-level treatment, a step up from the vice-ministerial rank previously held by the Gwangju mayor and Jeonnam governor.

Salary figures for top local officials, including mayors and superintendents, are determined by the Local Public Officials Salary Regulations. According to the revised regulations effective January 2026, the Seoul mayor's annual salary is set at 154.93 million won, an increase of approximately 5 million won from 2025. Mayors of metropolitan cities, special self-governing cities, provincial governors, and superintendents are stipulated to receive 150.46 million won.

With the integration, the new special city's mayor will earn the same salary as the Seoul mayor. The special city's superintendent will also receive the same salary as metropolitan city mayors or provincial governors. This means the special city mayor's salary will be 4.5 million won higher than that of the former Gwangju mayor or Jeonnam governor, while the superintendent's salary remains unchanged from their previous position.

The integrated special city will have four vice-mayors, two national public officials and two local public officials. Vice-mayors appointed as political appointees for the Seoul Metropolitan Government receive an annual salary of 150.46 million won. For the 27 local governments in Gwangju and Jeonnam, where deputy mayors hold a Class 3 rank, the mayors' salaries are expected to be around 121.33 million won, an increase of about 4 million won from last year. A Jeonnam Province official noted that the salary increase is modest, with the pay difference between the special city mayor and the former Gwangju mayor and Jeonnam governor remaining consistent at approximately 4.5 million won.

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The salary for this year has increased by about 4 to 5 million won compared to last year, and last year the salary difference between the special city mayor and the Gwangju mayor and Jeonnam governor was only about 4.5 million won.