The 4th Gyeonggi Province Residents Policy Festival was held over two days, from the 2nd to the 3rd, at the Suwon Convention Center and the former Gyeonggi Provincial Government Office in Paldal-gu, Suwon. Participants are discussing current issues. Photo by Gyeonggi Provincial Government
[Asia Economy (Suwon) = Reporter Lee Young-gyu] The 4th Gyeonggi Province Residents' Policy Festival, a "realization of direct democracy" where Gyeonggi residents directly participate in proposing and discussing policies, was successfully concluded over two days on the 2nd and 3rd at the Suwon Convention Center and the old Gyeonggi Provincial Government building in Paldal-gu, Suwon.
In particular, this policy festival attracted attention with various policy proposals themed around the "5 Major Opportunities" of the 8th Gyeonggi Province administration.
The 5 Major Opportunities are Opportunity Ladder, Opportunity Income, Opportunity Safety Net, Opportunity Power Plant, and Opportunity Foundation, which are also core administrative policies of Governor Kim Dong-yeon.
On the first day of the event, the 2nd, at the Suwon Convention Center, the program included ▲keynote lectures (by historian Shim Yong-hwan and others) ▲10 roundtable discussion topics (proposed by residents) ▲policy town hall meeting with the governor (open residents' meeting) ▲free speech by residents ▲and congratulatory performances.
The roundtable discussions were conducted on 10 topics proposed by residents.
The 10 topics were ▲community-integrated care to realize safe care and childcare ▲expansion of sustainable public jobs for the elderly ▲platform integrated services for the mobility convenience of transportation-vulnerable groups in Gyeonggi Province ▲is the system for discovering and supporting neighbors in crisis adequate? ▲please make efforts for a better tomorrow for youth preparing for independence ▲the need for a pet ownership tax ▲institutional improvements for creating sustainable youth jobs ▲measures to improve river water quality ▲the need to establish a support system to eliminate blind spots in gender violence ▲and infrastructure development for healthy play culture for middle and high school students.
The discussion included topic-proposing residents, residents who applied in advance, relevant Gyeonggi Province departments, members of the Gyeonggi Provincial Council, and related organizations, resulting in in-depth discussions.
During the policy town hall meeting with the governor that followed, the results of the residents' roundtable discussions were presented, and a free communication session between residents and Governor Kim Dong-yeon took place.
On the second day of the event, the 3rd, at the old Gyeonggi Provincial Government building, ▲roundtable discussions ▲promotional booths ▲and congratulatory performances were held. The booths and performances took place on the lawn yard of the old government building. Various flea markets and food trucks also participated, and the congratulatory performances featured three acts including the indie band Jembe Cola, providing entertainment and enjoyment for participating residents.
Governor Kim Dong-yeon stated on his social media on the 2nd, "Changing our society is impossible with the mindset of only a small elite group. It is the voices of the people rising upward that change society, a 'rebellion from below.' This policy festival is a rebellion from below together with Gyeonggi residents. Each and every story from the residents will be turned into policy, and through this, Gyeonggi Province and the Republic of Korea will change," emphasizing the importance of grassroots participation.
Gyeonggi Province plans to produce and distribute a white paper containing the preparation process and discussion results of this event. Additionally, the contents discussed in the roundtable discussions will be forwarded to the respective departments in charge.
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