Seongsoo Jeon, Seocho District Mayor, Allocates 65.3 Billion KRW for First Supplementary Budget Since 8th Term Inauguration

[Seoul District News] Seocho-gu's Supplementary Budget Key Project Areas ▲‘Support for Livelihood Stability and Daily Life Recovery’ ▲‘Safety and Resident-Centered Projects’ ▲‘Companionship with the Vulnerable and Second Half Issues’ Actively Promoted... Gangbuk-gu Operates AI/VR Interview Experience Center, Installs LED Road Name Addresses on Women’s Safe Return Paths, and 11 Other Projects; Participation Possible via Seoul EmVoting App or Website until 23rd... Yongsan-gu Electronic Voting for Resident Participatory Budget from 8th to 26th

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Seocho-gu (Mayor Jeon Seong-su) has prepared the first supplementary budget of the 8th local government administration, amounting to 65.3 billion KRW, to support residents' livelihood stability and daily life recovery.

In particular, with the increased budget, the district plans to expand investments focusing on areas closely related to residents' lives, such as the 'Daily Life Recovery Support Project' and 'Local Economic Revitalization.'

The district divided the first supplementary budget of the 8th local government administration into three major project areas.

First, in the 'Livelihood Stability and Daily Life Recovery Support' sector, the budget includes 3.4 billion KRW for operating the Seocho Love Gift Certificate, 130 million KRW for direct transaction markets and alleyway shopping district environment improvement projects, 100 million KRW for autonomous community center program support, 500 million KRW for public sports facility renovation and expansion, and 300 million KRW for customized support projects for elderly living alone and seniors.

In the 'Safety and Resident Life-Closely Related Projects' sector, the budget includes 2.9 billion KRW for undergrounding side roads, 500 million KRW for alleyway environment maintenance, 700 million KRW for river landscape enhancement and Yangjaecheon maintenance, 1.7 billion KRW for snow removal measures and sewer/sewer pipe repairs, and 2 billion KRW for expanding public parking lots in Naegok-dong and Yangjaecheon neighborhood parks.

Additionally, in the 'Accompanying the Vulnerable and Second Half Year Current Issues' sector, the budget includes 4 billion KRW for COVID-19 living support funds and temporary COVID-19 care allowance support, 1.9 billion KRW for disability activity support, and 3.9 billion KRW for free senior meals and basic pension projects.

This supplementary budget is based on the 2021 fiscal year settlement and is the first supplementary budget of the 8th local government administration. Before budgeting, the district operated the '100-Day Daily Life Recovery Project TF Team' as preparatory work to establish a policy foundation for investments in various fields such as resident life, welfare support, livelihood economy, and health care. The district also secured matching local funds in line with the government supplementary budget to swiftly promote the 'Accompanying the Vulnerable Project.'

Jeon Seong-su, Mayor of Seocho-gu, said, "We will focus budget investments on areas closely related to residents' lives to implement empathetic administration that residents can feel."

Gangbuk-gu (Mayor Lee Soon-hee) is conducting an online vote until the 23rd to select resident-participation budget proposal projects.

The resident-participation budget system allows residents to directly participate in the budgeting process and select projects needed in the community themselves.

The district solicited project proposals from April to May, then selected projects for resident voting through committee deliberation. This online vote is conducted to finalize the selection of resident-participation budget proposal projects.

The voting targets include 11 projects: ▲Reinstallation of the outdoor rest deck at Mia Cultural Information Library ▲Replacement of exercise equipment in the playground of Euddeum Children's Park ▲Installation of automatic eco-friendly pest repellent dispensers ▲Installation of ground light traffic signals near Ui Elementary School ▲Road maintenance at Hancheon-ro 131-gil and two other locations ▲Incontinence management project for seniors ▲Operation of AI/VR interview experience center ▲Installation of LED street name addresses on women’s safe return paths ▲Creation of a healing space at Ui-dong Family Camping Site ▲Installation of automatic air inflators ▲Installation of air purifiers in small libraries in Gangbuk-gu.

Any Gangbuk-gu resident can participate via the Seoul M-Voting application or website. Only one project can be voted for among the 11 projects.

The voting results will be reflected in the selection of next year's participatory budget projects. The reflection ratio is 40% from online resident voting and 60% from the Resident Participation Budget Committee voting. Projects finally selected through online resident voting and committee general meeting voting will be implemented as next year's policies.

Last year, 10 projects were selected, including installation of CCTV at public restroom entrances, installation of illegal parking warning centers, and installation of pest control devices at Ui Stream.

Lee Soon-hee, Mayor of Gangbuk-gu, said, "I hope residents will directly participate in the budgeting process to enhance the transparency and fairness of Gangbuk-gu’s finances," adding, "We will promote the voting results as next year's projects to reflect residents' opinions in district administration."

Yongsan-gu (Mayor Park Hee-young) will conduct an electronic vote (M-Voting) for the 2023 budget formulation from the 8th to the 26th.

Participants include Yongsan-gu residents or workers and students in the area, with a selection scale of 1.6 billion KRW.

The district has proposed 28 projects for voting, categorized into ▲Administrative Welfare 11 projects ▲Urban Parks 7 projects ▲Safety and Construction 10 projects.

In the Administrative Welfare sector, projects include opening a rooftop garden program at the downtown museum, installing LED lights at Huam Market, installing smart warning boards for illegal dumping, neighborhood concerts, Hangangro-dong Hanmaeum Village Festival, and Hyochangwon Independence Peace Festival.

In the Urban Parks sector, projects include installing pest control devices at Cheongpa-dong Park, refurbishing the aging Huam Children's Park, maintaining small resting areas in Hannam-dong, and environmental maintenance of riverside small parks in Ichon-dong.

The Safety and Construction sector covers repaving side roads in front of the Cheongpa 1-dong senior center, additional Vietnamese lighting on Quynon Street, creating a cozy healing space using idle land, refurbishing sloped alleyways in Huam-dong, maintaining old fences around Yongsan-dong 5-ga, and repairing uneven steep roads.

A district official said, "You can participate in the electronic vote on the Seoul M-Voting site without signing up. After selecting your residential neighborhood, please choose five projects you like."

The total proposed project budget is approximately 2.146 billion KRW. The district will prioritize projects based on voting results from general residents (50%) and the Resident Participation Budget Committee (50%).

Next year's resident participation budget scale is 2 billion KRW (1.6 billion KRW for general district projects and 400 million KRW for neighborhood representative projects). General district projects can be budgeted up to 300 million KRW per project (15 million KRW for event-type projects). Neighborhood representative projects (16 projects) were pre-selected through department review and neighborhood meetings.

Park Hee-young, Mayor of Yongsan-gu, said, "Resident participation budget electronic voting is an opportunity to supplement the shortcomings of representative democracy," adding, "I hope many residents participate in this electronic voting where residents themselves become owners and improve their quality of life."

In 2022, the district formulated 33 resident participation budget projects (22 general projects and 11 neighborhood representative projects). Last year, 101 proposals were received from residents and finalized through procedures including resident electronic voting.