Hwasun-gun, Ranked No.1 Nationwide as the Best Local Government in Innovation Evaluation

Hwasun-gun, Jeollanam-do (Governor Gu Bok-gyu) announced on the 27th that it was selected as the best institution by achieving "No. 1 nationwide" in the "2023 Local Government Innovation Evaluation" hosted by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety.

On the 26th, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety evaluated 243 local governments nationwide (classified into metropolitan, city, county, and district) based on three categories?innovation capacity, innovation performance, and public perception?with 10 indicators, and announced four best institutions (one metropolitan, one city, one county, and one district) and 57 excellent institutions.

Among them, Hwasun-gun ranked first among 82 counties nationwide, earning the honor of being the best institution.

Since the 8th term of the elected government, the county has placed the highest value on change and innovation, continuously communicating with local residents and implementing various policies in line with government innovation, such as resident communication policy-making, activation of public-private cooperation, and service improvements for socially vulnerable groups.

In particular, the "Ten Thousand Won Rental Housing" project won the Prime Minister's Award at last year's Government Innovation Best Practice Competition, receiving high praise as a representative excellent policy for activating public-private cooperation and scoring highly in the public perception evaluation.

Additionally, newly launched policies during the 8th term, such as the "Visiting Village Doctor System" to establish a public medical service system, the "Hwasun-type 24-hour Daycare Center" that anyone can trust in emergencies, and the nation's first "Dedicated Multicultural Team for Nationals" to support the stable settlement of multicultural families in the local community, all received favorable evaluations.

The county also achieved excellent results in indicators related to innovation in work methods and organizational culture improvement. Changes in work methods were brought about through initiatives such as the selection of outstanding public officials for proactive administration, the establishment of an audit case search system to increase work efficiency, and the preparation of work manuals and activation of knowledge administration.

Furthermore, efforts to improve organizational culture were recognized through the operation of the 2nd Innovation Junior Board, visiting major county government work report meetings, multi-faceted evaluations for realizing two-way communication in county administration, and the implementation of 5-minute speeches by employees.

Gu Bok-gyu, Governor of Hwasun-gun, said, "Ranking first among 82 counties nationwide in this innovation evaluation is the result of continuous efforts by both public officials and residents for consensus, cooperation, and change for regional development," adding, "We will continue to implement various innovative policies that local residents can feel."

Meanwhile, Hwasun-gun ranked 6th among 82 counties with an excellent grade in the 2022 innovation evaluation, was ranked first in Jeollanam-do in the 2022 government joint evaluation, was selected as the best institution (Grade A) in the 2023 comprehensive civil service evaluation, and has been receiving consecutive awards such as the Hwasun Dolmen Festival winning the grand prize in the festival and tourism category at the Korea Festival Content Awards.