Geochang County Conducts Satisfaction and Demand Survey on Administrative Services in Second Year of 8th Popularly Elected Term

71.4% Expect a Positive Outlook for the Future

Geochang County in Gyeongnam conducted the "2024 Geochang County Administrative Service Satisfaction and Demand Survey" through a professional polling agency from May 30 to June 14, targeting 726 local residents (369 men and 357 women) to assess public satisfaction with the achievements of the first half of the 8th popularly elected administration.

The survey included 15 questions covering respondents' basic information, communication with residents, achievements and satisfaction with the first half of the 8th administration, and the direction for the second half of the county administration.

The results showed a satisfaction score of 72 points for Geochang County's administrative achievements, 72 points for civil servants' work competency, and 73 points for kindness satisfaction. As for the future that residents hope for Geochang, the order was "Education City > Tourism City > Welfare City > Industrial City > Agricultural City." During the current county mayor's term, 71.4% of respondents believed the outlook for Geochang County would improve.

The main sources through which Geochang residents receive county administration news were the Geochang County website (30.7%), local and regional newspapers (28.2%), and YouTube, social media, and text messages (22.7%). Other sources included village head newsletters, community meetings, and village broadcasts.

2024 Geochang County Administrative Service Satisfaction and Demand Survey Form.

Additionally, residents expressed their opinions through various channels: 28.9% to relevant public officials, 19.1% to village representatives such as the village head, 17.2% via citizen proposals, the national petition portal, or the county website, and 16.7% by visiting town offices or the county office, confirming the diversification of communication methods.

Satisfaction with Geochang County civil servants' work competency and handling methods was 15.2% "very satisfied," 41.6% "satisfied," and 34.6% "average," resulting in a converted score of 72 points. Satisfaction with civil servants' kindness was 73 points.

Regarding the overall evaluation of county administration over the past two years of the 8th popularly elected administration, 11.8% said it was "very well managed," 45.7% "generally well managed," 35.8% "average," 4.7% "generally poorly managed," and 1.9% "very poorly managed." Thus, 57.5% evaluated the administration positively, while 6.6% evaluated it negatively, resulting in a converted score of 72 points.

The top five achievements of the county administration were: the establishment of Geochang Medical Welfare Town, construction of roundabouts in Geochang-eup downtown, opening of Geochang Detention Center and the creation of Geochang Legal Town, expansion of sports facilities (including the second sports town and the second Geochang Changpowon sports facility), and the construction of a crematorium in Geochang County.

In particular, when asked about the most important issue to be addressed for Geochang County to become a sustainable development city in the second half of the 8th administration, the expansion of medical services such as emergency care ranked highest at 22.7%. This was followed by expansion of convenience facilities such as culture, shopping, and leisure sports (18.2%), development of cultural and tourism industry infrastructure (16.1%), job creation through business attraction (14.7%), expansion of childcare and education infrastructure (13.5%), increased support for stable income in agriculture (10.6%), and improvement of safety response and transportation environment (2.3%).

As for priority projects for the second half of the 8th administration, residents selected: establishment of Geochang Medical Welfare Town, construction of Geochang County crematorium, designation of Geochang Changpowon as a national garden, construction of a public postpartum care center and Happy Mom Community Center, and establishment of a youth start-up support center and youth rental housing.

Regarding the future image of Geochang that residents desire, 26.0% chose an education city, 25.3% a tourism city, 22.0% a welfare city, 16.0% an industrial city, 10.1% an agricultural city, and 0.6% other, with the rankings remaining unchanged from the previous year.

When asked about the future outlook of Geochang County during the current county mayor's term (July 2022 to June 2026), 18.5% said it would "improve greatly," 52.9% "improve somewhat," 24.5% "remain about the same," 2.8% "somewhat worsen," and 1.4% "worsen greatly." Thus, 71.4% expected a better future for Geochang County.

This result is a 15.3% improvement over last year's survey, in which 56.1% expected improvement, indicating a significant increase in resident satisfaction with the first half of the 8th administration.

County Mayor Koo Inmo said, "We will actively use the various resident needs identified through this survey as important foundational data for county policy-making," adding, "Based on the results of this survey, I am confident that a consensus has been formed with residents on the policy direction for the second half of the 8th administration, focusing on culture, arts, medical, and welfare sectors."

He added, "During the remainder of my term, I will focus administrative efforts on expanding medical services and strengthening cultural, artistic, and educational infrastructure to complete an era of happiness for our residents."