Yongin City Receives Multiple Commendations This Year for "Well Done" in Government and Provincial Evaluations

Do Housing Administration 'Best', Wastewater Discharge Facility Management 'Excellent'
Also Awarded 'Excellence' in Ministry of Health and Welfare Disability Welfare Project Evaluation

Yongin City in Gyeonggi Province received excellent evaluations in this year’s major government and Gyeonggi Province project assessments. The city was highly rated for housing administration and environmental management improvements at pollutant-emitting facilities, and even received a government award for its welfare projects for people with disabilities.

Province Awards Top Prize in 'Outstanding Housing Administration City/County Evaluation'

Yongin City announced on the 18th that it was selected as the top prize winner in Gyeonggi Province’s “Outstanding Housing Administration City/County Evaluation” this year.

This evaluation is a system in which the province annually assesses 31 local governments to select outstanding institutions in order to promote sound operation and improve service levels of housing administration. The housing administration performance is measured by dividing the local governments into three groups based on population size.

The city explained that this year it received high scores in four quantitative evaluations: ▲housing supply ▲quality improvement ▲activation of apartment complex management ▲improvement of residential welfare, as well as in qualitative evaluations such as ▲interest support for rental deposits for newlywed couples without homes and multi-child families ▲pilot project for free collection of discarded home appliances from apartment complexes.

In addition, the city added that the discovery of new projects such as ▲“Chakchakchak!” organizing and storage consulting support project ▲operation of Yongin City emergency support housing ▲creating neighborly relations without noise between floors also contributed to its selection as the top institution.

High Scores in Management of Pollutant-Emitting Facilities Including Unauthorized Discharges

Yongin City was also selected as an outstanding institution in Gyeonggi Province’s “Comprehensive Evaluation of Environmental Management Improvement of Wastewater Emitting Facilities in Cities and Counties,” which is conducted to eradicate illegal activities at pollutant-emitting facilities.

A staff member from the Environmental Department of Yongin City is inspecting the wastewater discharge facilities of a local company.
[Photo by Yongin City]

This evaluation also divides 31 cities and counties into three groups and annually assesses improvements in environmental management of emitting facilities.

This year, the city formed inspection teams during the rainy and monsoon seasons to conduct special inspections during vulnerable times to eradicate illegal wastewater discharge. In particular, during this process, a company in Cheoin-gu that was discharging wastewater without authorization was caught and fined over 400 million won in penalties.

Along with this, the city received good evaluations for promptly implementing disaster prevention measures to block chemical inflow into rivers caused by large fires and for preventing water pollution through regular river monitoring activities. In fact, in October, when a fuel accident occurred at a gas station in Gwangju City, the city formed a joint response team with local district offices and carried out disaster prevention activities to block oil from entering the Paldang Dam water source.

Ministry of Health and Welfare Awards Excellence Prize in 'Disability Welfare Project Evaluation'

Yongin City also received a government award for its disability welfare policies. It was selected as an excellent local government in the “Disability Welfare Project Evaluation” conducted by the Ministry of Health and Welfare targeting 229 basic local governments nationwide, and received the Minister of Health and Welfare Award.

A ramp installed with financial support from Yongin City to secure walking rights for people with disabilities at community-based facilities.
[Photo by Yongin City]

This year, the Ministry of Health and Welfare selected 12 outstanding local governments from among 42 basic local governments recommended by metropolitan cities and provinces.

In this year’s evaluation, Yongin City was recognized for ▲research on support measures for elderly persons with disabilities based on cases of support for elderly disabled persons ▲priority purchase support and promotion of products from facilities producing goods by persons with severe disabilities as exemplary cases.

The research on support measures for elderly persons with disabilities was conducted by the Yongin City Policy Research Institute, which analyzed ordinances and project trends related to elderly disabled persons in metropolitan and basic local governments nationwide, as well as the status of elderly disabled persons in the region, to improve disability welfare. Through this, the institute measured the outcomes of projects such as improving transportation support for mobility-impaired persons suited to the characteristics of urban-rural complex areas, raising awareness about the age of middle-aged and elderly disabled persons, and a pilot project for elderly disabled persons’ rest centers.

Additionally, the city encouraged public institutions in the region to prioritize purchasing products from companies producing goods by persons with severe disabilities every month, and registered such products as return gifts for hometown love donations. Notably, Yongin operates “UNIR,” the nation’s first joint sales center for products made by persons with severe disabilities at vocational rehabilitation facilities, and developed “Holiday Gift Sets” which were promoted through social networking services (SNS).

Furthermore, the city implemented policies such as installing customized ramps for daily life facilities to guarantee mobility rights for mobility-impaired persons, establishing a welfare equipment sharing platform, conducting awareness improvement projects for infants and assistance dogs for the disabled, and creating virtual reality experience spaces for persons with disabilities.

A Yongin City official stated, “We will continue to implement various policies across all administrative areas including housing, welfare, and environment to make Yongin City a better place to live.”