Songpa-gu Wins 82 Awards in 2023 External Agency Evaluations, Secures 9.7 Billion KRW Incentives

Widely Recognized in Integrity, Culture and Arts, Safety, Health and Welfare, Transportation and Environment
Seogangseok, Songpa District Mayor, "Will Actively Strive to Secure External Funding During Difficult Times"

Songpa-gu (Mayor Seo Gang-seok) announced that it secured a total of 9.7 billion KRW in incentives by receiving 82 awards in various external institution evaluations and competitions throughout 2023.

This is the result of actively promoting projects reflecting residents' needs in various fields such as culture and arts, integrity, safety, health and welfare, transportation, and environment, aiming for the vision of the 8th elected term, "Songpa, a premium city that serves its residents as owners."

First, efforts made for integrity and patriotism shone brightly. In the "2023 Public Institution Comprehensive Integrity Evaluation" hosted by the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission, Songpa-gu achieved a comprehensive integrity grade of 2, receiving high marks for its integrity efforts, and was the only local government nationwide to receive the Presidential Citation in the Taegeukgi (national flag) category of the "2023 National Symbol Promotion Merit Awards."

In the field of culture and arts, Songpa-gu’s characters ‘Haha’ and ‘Hoho’ won the grand prize at the "Our Neighborhood Character Awards" hosted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism, and the Hansung Baekje Cultural Festival gained recognition by winning awards in three domestic and international categories at the Pinnacle Awards hosted by the International Festivals & Events Association, widely showcasing the strength of the district’s cultural content. In the Seoul City Tourism Special Zone project evaluation, Songpa-gu was selected as the best district and secured incentives to be used for the Luminarie Festival.

Additionally, Songpa-gu received the 4th re-certification as an International Safe Community from the International Safe Community Certifying Centre (ISCCC), was selected as an excellent institution in disaster management evaluation by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety for six consecutive years, and received the Prime Minister’s Citation in the "2023 National Disaster Management Government Awards," demonstrating its status as a leading city in safety both domestically and internationally through consistent achievements.

Fruits were also borne in competitions aimed at improving resident welfare and health levels. Songpa-gu won the Seoul Mayor’s Award in the evaluation of the establishment of the 3rd Tuberculosis Control Comprehensive Plan (5-year plan), and participated in various competitive projects such as support for vulnerable elderly using AI companion robots and youth growth development support projects, securing valuable external funding.

Moreover, in the transportation and environment sectors, Songpa-gu contributed to creating a pleasant and livable environment by ranking first nationwide in the Ministry of Environment’s food waste management local government evaluation, receiving the Seoul Mayor’s Citation for sewage odor reduction performance, and being selected as an excellent autonomous district in the transportation demand management evaluation.

Furthermore, the 1 billion KRW secured from Seoul City through the "2024 Pedestrian Environment Improvement District Creation Competition" is expected to be sequentially invested in improving the pedestrian environment around Seokchon Lake.

Seo Gang-seok, Mayor of Songpa-gu, stated, “Securing external funding is important to overcome difficult financial conditions and respond to increasing administrative demands,” and added, “Many achievements made by Songpa in 2023 were possible through collaboration with residents. In the new year of 2024, we will continue to pursue a Songpa that runs again, with creativity and innovation in district administration.”