Dong-gu, Gwangju Metropolitan City announced the selection of four recipients for the '28th Dong-gu Residents Award,' recognizing those who have dedicated themselves to the development of the local community and the welfare of its residents.
The 'Dong-gu Residents Award' is given to residents who have contributed to the development of Dong-gu, the enhancement of residents' welfare, and the creative succession and development of culture and arts.
Starting this year, to strengthen the eligibility and fairness of the selection process, a 'Resident Jury Panel' was established to thoroughly verify the qualifications of candidates. Following this, the 'Dong-gu Residents Award Judging Committee' conducted evaluations and finally selected four recipients across three categories: ▲Social Service ▲Culture & Sports ▲Resident Autonomy.
In the Social Service category, Kim Sam-ok, Executive Director of the Ja-bi Shin-haeng Association, was selected. Director Kim was recognized for her leadership in creating a warm community atmosphere through various social welfare projects, including supporting youth humanities programs, establishing study rooms for low-income families, and operating senior citizen dining facilities, while serving as Executive Director of the Ja-bi Shin-haeng Association and as a director of the Boseong Scholarship Foundation, a sincere public interest corporation.
In the Culture & Sports category, former Chairman of the Memory of Chungjang Festival, Kim Hyung-joo, and Yoo Jae-young, President of Seosamo (a Calligraphy Lovers Association), were jointly awarded. Former Chairman Kim played a leading role in transforming the Chungjang Festival into a resident-participation festival during his tenure from the 18th (2021) to the 20th (2023) festival. His exceptional passion and responsibility successfully led the festival, contributing to the development of local culture and the festival’s leap toward becoming a global event.
Co-recipient Yoo, in the Culture & Sports category, has devoted himself to providing opportunities for cultural and artistic activities to local residents through programs such as the 'Korean Calligraphy Class' and 'Love for Hangul.' He has also worked tirelessly to make culture and arts accessible to the community through various exhibitions, including creating family mottos, Seosamo member exhibitions, and wood carving exhibitions.
The honor in the Resident Autonomy category went to Ahn Byung-rak, Chairman of the Jisan 2-dong Resident Autonomy Committee. Chairman Ahn has led village assemblies proactively and addressed village issues through resident-led approaches such as establishing village development plans, striving to realize resident-centered participatory autonomy. He also contributed to generating village income by founding the Dabok Village Cooperative and promoting cultural projects through developing village brands, creating village-specialized products for local customized job creation, and training village tour planners.
Im Taek, Mayor of Dong-gu, stated, "The voluntary service and participation of local residents are precious assets in creating 'a village with neighbors, a warm and happy Dong-gu.' I extend my deep gratitude and respect to the four recipients of the Dong-gu Residents Award who have dedicated themselves to the development of Dong-gu."
Meanwhile, the four selected recipients will receive their honorable plaques at the '28th Dong-gu Residents Award' ceremony, scheduled for 3:00 PM on May 3rd in the large conference room on the 6th floor of the Dong-gu Office.
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