President Park Geun-hye named a former veteran technocrat with decades of experience in public administration to lead a presidential advisory panel on regional development, her office announced Wednesday.

Lee Won-jong, 71, who served as mayor of Seoul and governor of North Chungcheong Province, was appointed chairman of the Presidential Committee on Regional Development, senior presidential press secretary Lee Jung-hyun said.

The committee aims to contribute to balanced national development.

Lee passed the high-level civil service exam in 1966 and has since served in various posts, mostly at regional governments. He was Seoul’s mayor from 1993-1994, and twice served as governor of North Chungcheong Province, first from 1992-1993 and in then from 1998-2002.

He also taught public administration at his alma mater, Sungkyunkwan University, and had other teaching posts after retirement. (Yonhap News)