Ha Jong-mok, Gyeonggi Province First Senior Vice Governor: "Will Leverage Ministry of Interior and Safety Experience to Overcome Gyeonggi Province's Fiscal Crisis"

Ha Jong-mok, former director-general of the Disaster Prevention Policy Bureau at the Ministry of Interior and Safety, has been appointed as the 38th First Senior Vice Governor of Gyeonggi Province to lead the ninth popularly elected provincial government.

On the 28th, the newly appointed First Senior Vice Governor Ha began his official duties by holding a tea time with directors of major government divisions, forgoing a separate inauguration ceremony.

The newly appointed vice governor introduced his connection to Gyeonggi Province, where he had worked for two years starting in 2008, and stated, "I have experience serving as director-general of the Local Finance Bureau at the Ministry of Interior and Safety. I will work together with all directors of major divisions to wisely overcome Gyeonggi Province's fiscal crisis."

Ha Jong-mok, the First Senior Vice Governor, entered public service in 1999 as a member of the 42nd Civil Service Examination. At the Ministry of Interior and Safety, he held positions including director of the Next-Generation Local Finance Revenue Informatization Promotion Division, director of the Local Finance Bureau, and director-general of the Disaster Prevention Policy Bureau, accumulating expertise in the finance sector. He also gained recognition for his understanding of local administration and regional economic issues through positions including director of planning and coordination at South Gyeongsang Province and first vice mayor of Changwon.

In particular, from 2008 to 2010, he served as director of the Agriculture and Fisheries Division and director of the Education Cooperation Division at Gyeonggi Province, gaining firsthand experience in provincial administration.

Since Gyeonggi Province is pursuing strengthening fiscal decentralization including tax system reform as a key initiative to overcome fiscal difficulties, the province expects Vice Governor Ha, who has high understanding of local finance, to fulfill his role appropriately.