Suwon Mayor Yeom Tae-young Officially Announces Resignation

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Jeong Jun-sung] Suwon Mayor Yeom Tae-young officially announced his resignation on the 7th in the afternoon.

According to Gyeonggi Province and the city, it has been confirmed that Mayor Yeom notified the province and city council secretariat of his resignation on that day.

With this, Mayor Yeom's candidacy for Gyeonggi Governor, which had been circulating only as speculation, appears to be formalized.

In fact, Mayor Yeom's resignation was already foreseeable.

He was subject to term limits for three consecutive terms ahead of the June local elections.

There had been various opinions about the timing, but it has come somewhat earlier than expected.

Mayor Yeom's resignation date was scheduled for the 15th.

Mayor Yeom has continued his political activities while being mentioned as a prospective candidate for the next Gyeonggi Governor, partly by choice and partly by circumstance.

At a recent New Year's press conference, when asked about his candidacy for governor, he said "I will clarify my thoughts soon" and added, "There is much dissatisfaction and resentment toward the established politics of Yeouido. If I can be a spark that can turn the people's disappointment into hope, I would not refuse."

Additionally, on the 6th, he held a book publication commemorative event that was tantamount to announcing his gubernatorial candidacy.

However, insiders and the Suwon political circle predict that Mayor Yeom's resignation will not immediately lead to a gubernatorial campaign.

With the presidential election just one month away, it is likely he will focus on assisting Democratic Party presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung's campaign, which is currently a priority matter.

Meanwhile, it has been confirmed that Mayor Yeom's resignation will not be processed immediately.

Under the Local Autonomy Law, local government heads seeking to resign must only complete the procedure of notifying the provincial assembly speaker in writing (resignation notice) stating the resignation date in advance.

After a two-week criminal record check and once the resignation letter is accepted, Mayor Yeom will return to civilian status 12 years after being elected Suwon Mayor in 2010.

Regarding this, a Suwon City official said, "Regardless of the resignation processing, an official retirement ceremony for Mayor Yeom is scheduled for the 14th at 2 p.m.," and added, "From the point Mayor Yeom resigns, the mayor's duties will be assumed by First Vice Mayor Jo Cheong-sik."