South Korean Vice Minister for Transport Hong Jee-sun was named to lead the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport on Sunday.
Hong, born in Donghae, Gangwon Province, in 1970, has served in the bureaucratic sector since passing the country’s higher civil service examination for local public officials in 1996.
As of 2015, he spent about eight years at the Gyeonggi Provincial Government overseeing railroads, construction and logistics. He also served as an assistant governor for urban housing for the Gyeonggi Provincial Government from July 2020 to June 2023
Hong became the vice mayor of Namyangju in Gyeonggi Province with a population of some 700,000, in January 2024. He has served as the country’s vice minister for transport since December last year.
Hong has a master's degree in urban and regional planning from the University of Birmingham and another master's in civil engineering from Hanyang University.
Seoul’s presidential office said Hong is expected to swiftly meet public housing needs based on his practical experience.
By Kan Hyeong-woo (hwkan@heraldcorp.com)
