Gwangju Dong-gu Selected for Ministry of the Interior and Safety Public Service Design Support Project

Dong-gu, Gwangju Metropolitan City, has achieved the remarkable feat of being the only local government nationwide to be finally selected for this year's public service design expert support collaboration project hosted by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, titled '2024 Government Innovation Project - With Valuable Donations, Connecting the Future Together!'

The Ministry of the Interior and Safety's citizen participation innovation project, 'Public Service Design,' focuses on involving the policy demanders?the citizens?throughout the entire policy process and designing public services centered on the needs of the users.

The Ministry selected five collaborative projects (four from central government agencies and one from a local government) through document and presentation evaluations from over 60 project proposals submitted nationwide. As a result, Dong-gu, Gwangju, was the only local government selected nationwide.

This achievement is attributed to the nationwide interest and participation induced by Dong-gu’s first project under the 'Hometown Love Fund Project,' the support program for the E.T Baseball Team for adolescents with developmental disabilities, which has been underway since last year.

Building on this, Dong-gu planned the project to address the issue of insufficient early diagnosis and treatment, which are most needed by people with developmental disabilities. The project aims to design and operate sustainable support measures for people with developmental disabilities through public participation by transparently managing the Hometown Love Fund Project and linking it with the local medical industry.

Along with this project selection, Dong-gu will receive expert consulting (10 sessions) and a budget of 6 million KRW, enabling the establishment of an organic cooperative system with Chonnam National University Hospital, a collaborating institution. Furthermore, the project plans to actively reflect voices from the field to develop the services most needed by the public.

Im Taek, Mayor of Dong-gu, said, "This project is significant in that residents directly participate to solve social problems," adding, "We will continue to do our best to provide services that are practically needed by the residents."