[비즈한국] Currently, there are 14 market-type public enterprises in the country. Among these, the positions of CEO are vacant at four companies: Kangwon Land, Incheon International Airport Corporation, Korea Airports Corporation, and Korea South-East Power. Of the remaining 10 public enterprises, 9 are headquartered outside the capital region, with the exception of Korea District Heating Corp., which is headquartered in Seongnam, Gyeonggi-do.
Most of the CEOs of the nine public enterprises headquartered outside the capital maintain their personal addresses in the capital region. While official residences for CEOs are provided at the headquarters' locations, their primary residences remain in the capital. This has sparked criticism that their actions are inconsistent with the regional balanced development policy aimed at moving public enterprises to the provinces. In his New Year's press conference this past January, President Lee Jae-myung stated, "(Employees of public enterprises relocated outside the capital) all come back to Seoul on the weekends," adding, "We are providing chartered buses to Seoul, but if this continues, there is no effectiveness in relocating public institutions."
Among the CEOs of market-type public enterprises located outside the capital, only two individuals have their personal addresses in the same region as their headquarters: Korea Gas Corporation CEO Hong Eui-rak and Korea East-West Power CEO Kwon Myung-ho. The headquarters of Korea Gas Corporation is in Dong-gu, Daegu, and CEO Hong Eui-rak's registered address is in Suseong-gu, Daegu. The headquarters of Korea East-West Power is in Jung-gu, Ulsan, and CEO Kwon Myung-ho's address is in Dong-gu, Ulsan. In the case of Korea South-East Power, the immediate former CEO Kang Gi-yun (currently the Mayor of Changwon) resided in Changwon, Gyeongsangnam-do, which is relatively close to the headquarters in Jinju, Gyeongsangnam-do.
The remaining seven CEOs have their registered addresses in the capital region. Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPCO) CEO Kim Dong-cheol, Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power CEO Kim Hoe-cheon, and Korea Southern Power CEO Kim Jun-dong reside in Seoul, while Korea National Oil Corporation CEO Son Ju-seok, Korea Expressway Corporation CEO Yoo Jung-hoon, Korea Western Power CEO Lee Jung-bok, and Korea Midland Power CEO Lee Young-jo reside in Gyeonggi-do.
Some analyze that even CEOs Hong Eui-rak and Kwon Myung-ho live in their respective regions only because they are politicians with bases in Daegu and Ulsan. Hong Eui-rak ran for office in Daegu Buk-gu Eul in the 20th and 21st general elections. This year, ahead of the 9th nationwide local elections in June, he declared his candidacy for Mayor of Daegu before later withdrawing. Kwon Myung-ho is a former head of Dong-gu Office in Ulsan and ran for office in Dong-gu, Ulsan, during the 21st and 22nd general elections. Analysts suggest that both men maintain addresses in those regions as the possibility of returning to politics remains.
| Company Name | Headquarters Location | CEO (Head of Institution) | CEO Address | Official Residence Provided |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kangwon Land | Jeongseon-gun, Gangwon | Vacant | O | |
| Incheon International Airport Corp. | Yeongjong-gu, Incheon | Vacant | X | |
| Korea Gas Corp. | Dong-gu, Daegu | Hong Eui-rak | Suseong-gu, Daegu | O |
| Korea Airports Corp. | Gangseo-gu, Seoul | Vacant | X | |
| Korea South-East Power | Jinju-si, Gyeongnam | Vacant | O | |
| Korea Southern Power | Nam-gu, Busan | Kim Jun-dong | Dongjak-gu, Seoul | O |
| Korea Expressway Corp. | Gimcheon-si, Gyeongbuk | Yoo Jung-hoon | Hanam-si, Gyeonggi | O |
| Korea East-West Power | Jung-gu, Ulsan | Kwon Myung-ho | Dong-gu, Ulsan | X |
| Korea Western Power | Taean-gun, Chungnam | Lee Jung-bok | Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi | O |
| Korea National Oil Corp. | Jung-gu, Ulsan | Son Ju-seok | Bucheon-si, Gyeonggi | O |
| Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power | Gyeongju-si, Gyeongbuk | Kim Hoe-cheon | Songpa-gu, Seoul | O |
| Korea Electric Power Corp. (KEPCO) | Naju-si, Jeonnam/Gwangju | Kim Dong-cheol | Dongjak-gu, Seoul | O |
| Korea Midland Power | Boryeong-si, Chungnam | Lee Young-jo | Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi | O |
| Korea District Heating Corp. | Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi | Ha Dong-geun | Gwangju-si, Gyeonggi | X |
According to the "Performance and Implications of the 1st Phase of Public Institution Relocation to Provinces," published by the National Assembly Budget Office in April this year, 109 public enterprises and institutions moved to innovation cities outside the capital, with a 71% family relocation rate among employees. For general staff, more than half moved their entire families.
An employee working at a public enterprise outside the capital confided, "Although I moved my residence when the company relocated, I would live in the capital if I could," adding, "It feels very demoralizing to hear that the CEO representing the company or their family resides in the capital region."
CEOs of public enterprises also have their own defense. They argue that they must visit the capital frequently because they have many meetings with government officials and political figures. Additionally, it can be a significant burden to move their entire residence for a 2-3 year term only to have to move back to their original residence later. Some also claim that having an official residence is sufficient for performing their duties. Most official residences used by CEOs do not require separate rent, with only basic maintenance fees being paid.
Nevertheless, criticism is consistently raised when considering the original purpose of relocating public enterprises to the provinces.
The government plans to announce its second round of public institution relocation plans in the near future. However, experts point out that if executives and employees do not actually live in those regions, it will not be of significant help to balanced development.