O Tae-wan, Uiryeong County Governor, Receives Top Administrative Leader Award for 'Recognized Innovative Leadership'

Honor in the Individual Category of the "Daehanminguk Local Government Administration Awards"

O Tae-wan, the governor of Uiryeong-gun, Gyeongnam, received the ‘Best Administrative Head Award’ at the ‘2023 Korea Local Government Administration Awards’ held on the 22nd at the Harmony Hall in KG Tower, Jung-gu, Seoul.

O Tae-wan, the governor of Uiryeong County, received the "Best Administrative Head Award" at the "2023 Korea Local Government Administration Awards."
[Image provided by Uiryeong County]

The ‘2023 Korea Local Government Administration Awards’ is hosted by Edaily and supported by the National Assembly’s Public Administration and Security Committee, the Korea Association of Mayors, Governors, and District Heads, and the Local Era Committee.

This award was established to discover excellent administrative cases of basic local governments since the launch of the 8th local government term and to publicize organizations that have achieved significant results in regional development.

The reason Governor O received the honor of the ‘Best Administrative Head Award’ this time is due to his outstanding administrative capabilities and dedicated efforts that contributed to the development of the local community and the improvement of residents’ quality of life.

In particular, Governor O received high marks for his ‘Institutional Innovation Leadership.’ He set the county administration goal as ‘an innovative administration that works well’ and emphasized ‘administrative innovation’ through change. His efforts to support participation in innovation-related projects by the head of the institution, such as presenting an innovation vision and will, the Youth Village Creation Project, and the establishment of a foundation for community revitalization projects, made a decisive contribution.

Governor O strengthened communication by operating dialogues with residents, a one-day honorary governor system, a residents’ pledge evaluation group, and a policy advisory group, reflecting major opinions in policies. To enhance residents’ satisfaction and grassroots autonomy, he converted the residents’ autonomy committees of 13 towns and townships into residents’ autonomy associations, enabling residents to discover and participate in the implementation of customized local autonomy projects themselves. This helped residents directly participate as agents of local administrative innovation, earning high praise.

The judges noted that the county proactively responded to the common extinction crisis faced by local cities by establishing the nation’s first dedicated organization for extinction crisis, the ‘Extinction Crisis Response Promotion Team,’ and enacting an ordinance to respond to local extinction. They commented that despite limitations such as insufficient finances and authority, the county is presenting the direction local autonomy should take.

The county has been externally recognized for its achievements, including being named an excellent institution for three consecutive years in the Ministry of the Interior and Safety’s ‘2022 Local Government Innovation Evaluation’ and receiving an A grade in the Korea Manifesto Practice Headquarters’ ‘8th Local Government Heads’ Pledge Implementation Plan Evaluation.’

Governor O said, “I believe this award is not a personal achievement but one received on behalf of over 600 public officials and all residents. The honor of the best administration rightfully belongs to the residents,” adding, “I will work diligently to establish more creative and innovative administrative execution plans to find a breakthrough for Uiryeong’s development.”