Jogyuil Jinju Mayor Awarded '2023 Local Autonomy Welfare Grand Prize'

Recognized for Contributions to the Promotion of Social Welfare

Jo Gyu-il, Mayor of Jinju City, Gyeongnam Province, received the ‘2023 Local Autonomy Welfare Award’ at the 17th Social Workers' Day event hosted by the Korea Association of Social Workers and sponsored by the Ministry of Health and Welfare.

The Local Autonomy Welfare Award is given to local government heads who have made efforts to improve the treatment and status of social workers and have implemented innovative social welfare policies and systems to promote social welfare. It is awarded to only three out of 299 heads of basic local governments nationwide.

Award scene of Shin Jong-woo, Deputy Mayor of Jinju-si, Gyeongnam, receiving the award on behalf.

Since Mayor Jo took office, he has been recognized for his achievements such as ▲providing the largest support among basic local governments nationwide for social workers’ accident insurance enrollment ▲promoting a seniority-based pay system for workers at child welfare facilities (regional after-school centers, community care centers, etc.) for the first time in Gyeongnam ▲creating outdoor sharing forests ▲supporting and improving the treatment of childcare staff through education and events ▲improving the treatment of workers at self-support and homeless facilities ▲supporting job training for workers ▲organizing various programs for social welfare workers such as family center workshops, healing events, sports competitions, and Welfare Day events, which led to him receiving this year’s grand prize.

In addition, through the Welfare Call Center, efforts are being made to respond to the diverse welfare needs of citizens and strengthen welfare services by promoting customized welfare in various fields such as the elderly, disabled, women, children, and multicultural families, thereby striving to build a dense welfare safety net.

Mayor Jo said, “This award is even more meaningful because it was given by social welfare workers, and I am grateful. Compared to the hard work of the workers striving to improve citizens’ welfare, the support policies are still insufficient, so I will continue to work hard to provide even more support in the future.”