[Seoul District News] Guro-gu Wins Award in Local Public Institution Innovation for Regional Economy Sector with 'Guro-type Smart Pole Construction Project' Praised & Cost Reduction · 24-Hour Local Safety Network Secured · Smart City Service Infrastructure Established Highly Rated ... Seongdong-gu Recognized for Excellence in Seongdong-type E+ESG Policy Presenting New Resource Circulation Model, Awarded Prime Minister's Award ... Gwangjin-gu Receives Minister of the Interior and Safety Award for Excellence with Nationwide First Implementation of 'Construction Defect Performance Real-Name System' ... Gwanak-gu '2022 Korea Local Government...
Moon Heon-il, District Mayor (center), received the Presidential Award at the award ceremony of the 18th Korea Local Autonomy Management Competition held at BEXCO in Busan on the 10th.
[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] “Smart City Guro, Becoming the Best Nationwide!”
Guro-gu (Mayor Moon Heon-il) received the highest award, the Presidential Award (Grand Prize), at the 18th Korea Local Autonomy Management Competition. Only three local governments nationwide received the Presidential Award, and Guro was the only autonomous district in Seoul to be selected.
The ‘Korea Local Autonomy Management Competition’ is an annual event hosted by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety to encourage local governments to develop creative policies, improve the quality of life for local residents, and promote national development.
This year’s competition was divided into seven categories: regional economy, culture and tourism, agricultural and specialty products, corporate environment improvement, social welfare services, environmental management, and regional development. Among these, 30 outstanding cases were selected.
Guro-gu was recognized and awarded in the regional economy category under the innovation of local public institutions for its ‘Guro-type Smart Pole Construction Project.’
The ‘Guro-type Smart Pole’ project integrates various smart devices such as LED streetlights/security lights, multi-purpose CCTV, WiFi/LoRa, and sensors into a single pole.
Guro-gu was the first local government in the country to install CCTV smart poles in Garibong-dong, creating a Smart Crime Prevention Safe Street. Considering the characteristics and environment of each area in Guro, four types of customized smart poles were developed and expanded to 161 locations. Streetlight smart poles were installed on main roads, CCTV smart poles in areas with frequent incidents such as women’s safe return paths, dedicated integrated safety smart poles in child protection zones, and multifunctional smart poles along the Anyangcheon walking trail.
The excellence of the Guro-type Smart Pole project was recognized twice in public contests hosted by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and the Ministry of the Interior and Safety. As a result, a total of about 4.3 billion KRW, including national and city funds, was secured and concentrated in areas lacking smart city infrastructure.
After installing the smart poles, there was a cost-saving effect of approximately 2.23 billion KRW compared to installing illegal parking enforcement, public WiFi, and LoRa separately. Additionally, the incidence rate of five major violent crimes and traffic accidents decreased by 25.29%.
By installing customized smart poles by region, Guro reduced costs and established a 24/7 operating system, securing a seamless local safety network.
It was also highly evaluated for establishing the infrastructure necessary to provide smart city services.
Mayor Moon Heon-il said, “This award is the result of efforts to use smart technology to help the safety and convenience of residents. We will continue to do our best to make Guro a smart city where residents want to live.”
Additionally, Guro-gu is operating a promotional booth until the 12th at the BEXCO Exhibition Hall 1 in Busan, where the awards ceremony was held. Visitors can see and experience Guro-gu’s customized smart poles firsthand and learn about Guro’s smart policies utilizing 4th industrial technologies such as IoT and big data.
Seongdong-gu announced that it won the Grand Prize and a prize money of 2 million KRW at the 18th Korea Local Autonomy Management Competition awards ceremony held on the 10th at BEXCO in Busan.
The 18th Korea Local Autonomy Management Competition received 113 excellent policy cases from local governments across 7 categories and 9 fields. After on-site inspections and a second round of presentations, a total of 30 excellent policies were selected.
Seongdong-gu was awarded the Grand Prize (Prime Minister’s Award) in the environmental management category for proactively responding to domestic and international environmental issues by establishing an ‘ESG Environmental Management Infrastructure’ and solving local waste problems with the ‘Data-based Household Waste Reduction System’ started in Sageun-dong. It was highly evaluated for presenting significant progress and vision in local government environmental management policies.
In March this year, the district proactively held an ESG vision declaration ceremony to respond to domestic and international environmental issues and is promoting resident-tailored ESG policies. Additionally, Seongdong-gu developed ESG indicators and prepared a total of 82 indicators as of last September.
Notably, the ‘Data-based Household Waste Reduction System’ started in Sageun-dong achieved significant results, reducing greenhouse gases by 1,411 tons. During the project, reflecting the characteristics of Sageun-dong, which has many single-person households and is near Hanyang University, a living lab was conducted with students from Hanyang University and Hanyang Women’s University to solve issues one by one.
The district is also leading a coffee grounds recycling project to create a sustainable resource-circulating city. Only 0.2% of coffee beans are used during coffee extraction, and 99.8% is discarded.
A district official said, “As the Seongsu-dong cafe street formed, the amount of coffee grounds, which are general waste, increased significantly, raising concerns about disposal methods.”
Accordingly, the district is actively promoting a project to recycle coffee grounds into recycled plastic and recycled wood by collaborating with 210 participating coffee shops such as Daerim Warehouse, Blue Bottle, and Cafe Onion, and local companies with technological capabilities.
Mayor Jung Won-oh of Seongdong-gu said, “Winning the Grand Prize at the Korea Local Autonomy Management Competition is a great honor recognizing our efforts to implement resident-centered, life-close environmental policies. We will continue to strengthen ESG practices and do our best for a sustainable Seongdong for a better future.”
Gwangjin-gu (Mayor Kim Kyung-ho) achieved the honor of receiving the Minister of the Interior and Safety Award at the 18th Korea Local Autonomy Management Competition awards ceremony held on the 10th at BEXCO in Busan.
The ‘Korea Local Autonomy Management Competition’ is an annual event hosted by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety to select creative and excellent policies of local governments that contribute to improving residents’ quality of life and national development.
Gwangjin-gu was recognized for excellence in the innovation of local public institutions category with the ‘Introduction of the Real-Name System for Construction Defect Remedies’ and received the ministerial award.
The district was highly evaluated for its strong drive to enhance transparency and accountability in construction projects, improving construction quality, preventing defective construction in advance, and early detection of defects for the benefit of local residents.
Since March, the district has been the first nationwide to implement the ‘Real-Name System for Construction Defect Remedies,’ allowing anyone to immediately report defects in facilities after construction completion.
Previously, the signboard indicating the construction company and person in charge was removed after construction completion, making it difficult to report defects. The new policy was devised to solve this problem.
Accordingly, the ‘Real-Name System for Construction Defect Remedies Signboard,’ which specifies the construction company, management department, contact information, and defect warranty period, must be installed for at least two years after construction completion and can remain for up to five years.
Mayor Kim Kyung-ho of Gwangjin-gu said, “This award is an honorable result of our staff’s hard work and dedication for residents’ safety and convenience. We will continue to consider residents’ perspectives, communicate, and discover excellent policies that provide practical help.”
Gwanak-gu (Mayor Park Jun-hee) achieved a triple crown at the ‘2022 Korea Local Autonomy Management Innovation Expo (formerly Korea Job Expo)’ held from the 10th to the 12th at BEXCO in Busan.
The expo, hosted by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety and others, included presentations of excellent local government cases, award ceremonies, and sharing of award-winning cases. Gwanak-gu operated the ‘Gwanak Innovation Policy Promotion Booth’ for two days to promote and spread excellent policies.
The district was recognized for its achievements and efforts in excellent policies such as the Gwanak S Valley Development Project and creating a safe living environment for single women households, winning the ‘18th Local Autonomy Management Competition Minister of the Interior and Safety Award,’ the ‘2022 Regional Industry Balanced Development Merit Award in Regional Industry Promotion from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy,’ and being selected as an ‘Excellent Institution in the 2022 Resident Life Innovation Case Expansion Support Project.’
The ‘Local Autonomy Management Competition’ is a contest for excellent policy cases from local governments nationwide over the past three years. It selects 30 excellent local governments by evaluating 7 categories and 9 fields. Gwanak-gu won the Minister of the Interior and Safety Award in the regional economy category for the Gwanak S Valley Development Project.
The Gwanak S Valley Development Project is a key project to transform the entire district into a city of venture startups. It achieved a meaningful result by being designated as a venture business promotion district in January and was recognized for contributing to regional industry promotion through fostering a venture startup valley around Seoul National University. It also received the ‘2022 Regional Industry Balanced Development Merit Award’ Ministerial Citation from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.
The event also included the ‘Resident Life Innovation Case Excellent Institution Certification Ceremony,’ case presentations, and the ‘Alley Economy Support Project Excellent Case Presentation Contest.’ Gwanak-gu was selected as an excellent institution for resident life innovation cases in May for ‘Creating a Safe Living Environment for Single Women Households’ and gave a case presentation as a representative institution alongside Jeju City among 34 selected institutions at the certification ceremony.
Reflecting the district’s characteristics of having the highest proportion of single women households nationwide and responding to crimes targeting women, since 2019, the district has established the ‘Five-Year Plan for a Crime-Free Safe City,’ continuously expanding and promoting customized safety policies for single women households and socially vulnerable groups. It was evaluated for contributing to creating a safe local environment through services such as the nation’s first self-inspection equipment rental service for illegal filming cameras at community centers, installation of safety bells, and support for safe home sets.
The ‘Alley Economy Support Project Excellent Case Presentation Contest’ is held annually by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety to discover excellent cases among alley economy recovery support projects promoted by local governments nationwide. The evaluation criteria include the institution’s efforts for project promotion, actual achievements, and sustainability. The first round is a document review.
Institutions passing the first document review proceed to the second presentation review to determine the final winners. Gwanak-gu was the first district in the country to participate in the presentation contest for two consecutive years.
Targeting Haengun-dong, Nangok-dong, and Daehak-dong, selected as Seoul city’s living commercial district promotion project sites, the district presented a sustainable alley commercial district success model through installing resident convenience facilities, marketing study groups for commercial district revitalization, and commercial district utilization promotion projects. In January, the district established a mid- to long-term plan for alley commercial district revitalization, investing 3.3 billion KRW of district funds over five years, demonstrating Gwanak-gu’s efforts and determination.
Mayor Park Jun-hee said, “It is very meaningful and joyful that the efforts of all employees to provide administration that impresses residents have led to achievements and recognition, including multiple awards. Through this expo, we will widely promote and actively implement the district’s key policies and become a leading local government nationwide.”
Dobong-gu (Mayor Oh Eon-seok) was selected as an excellent basic local government in the environmental management category and received the ‘Minister of Environment Award’ at the 18th Korea Local Autonomy Management Competition held on the 10th.
The ‘Korea Local Autonomy Management Competition’ evaluates creative policies of local governments in seven categories: regional economy, culture and tourism, agricultural and specialty products, corporate environment improvement, social welfare services, environmental management, and regional development. It selects and awards excellent local governments and shares them nationwide. After document submission began in July and subsequent document review and expert evaluation, five metropolitan and 25 basic local governments were selected as awardees.
Dobong-gu was recognized as an excellent policy leading climate crisis response and carbon neutrality through measures such as ‘2050 Carbon Neutrality’ design reflecting Dobong-gu’s characteristics (commitment/plan/implementation/report), launching and spreading a local resident carbon neutrality practice campaign with a manual for practice guidelines, and promoting climate crisis response education to raise citizens’ awareness of carbon neutrality.
Mayor Oh Eon-seok of Dobong-gu said, “This achievement is meaningful as it recognizes Dobong-gu’s efforts and policies to respond to the climate crisis. We will continue to implement policies to lead the realization of carbon neutrality together with residents.”
The awards ceremony was hosted by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety and held from the 10th to the 12th at BEXCO in Busan, in conjunction with the ‘2022 Korea Local Autonomy Management Innovation Expo.’
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