Seo-gu, Gwangju Metropolitan City (Mayor Kim Ikang) has made a new history in local autonomy.
Seo-gu announced on the 9th that it set a nationwide first record of being a "two-time consecutive double winner" by sweeping the Welfare and Health and Talent Development Awards this year, following last year's Grand Prize and Resident Autonomy Award at the Korea Local Autonomy Management Awards, known as the most prestigious award in the field of local autonomy.
Gwangju Seo-gu won two awards for the second consecutive year at the 'Korea Local Autonomy Management Awards.' [Photo by Seo-gu]
Mayor Kim Ikang of Seo-gu received the Welfare and Health Award and Talent Development Award at the 29th Korea Local Autonomy Management Awards ceremony held at Ilsan KINTEX in Goyang, Gyeonggi-do on the same day.
The Korea Public Autonomy Research Institute, which hosted the awards ceremony, evaluated, "Gwangju Seo-gu is presenting a new milestone in local autonomy by achieving innovative and remarkable results across local administration, from resident autonomy to welfare and talent development."
Seo-gu attracted attention in the health and welfare sector with its "Seo-gu-type Smart Integrated Care."
It opened the nation's first home medical care center to provide medical, nursing, and care-linked visiting medical services so that the elderly can spend a healthy and happy old age where they lived.
This is scheduled to be expanded nationwide as the responsibility for community care by local governments will be mandated from 2026.
Seo-gu is also the only local government nationwide selected for the Elderly Smart Care Service Construction Project, responding proactively and effectively to emergency situations.
Along with this, the family care youth allowance support, the creation of jobs for the elderly, promotion of domestic wheat consumption, the good brand Cheonwon Guksi contributing to revitalizing the local economy, the representative policy of creating the downtown barefoot road (路) with low budget and high efficiency, and the expansion of shared parking lots achieved through public-private-academic cooperation, all implemented for the first time nationwide, were also recognized as excellent policies.
In the field of talent development, Seo-gu attracted attention by operating the "Biggest University in the World (Sekundae)," utilizing the entire region as a lifelong learning center where anyone can learn and teach.
Also, the public official education program that helps break away from existing customs and habits to foster creative capacity and a shift in thinking has injected new vitality into the overall district administration, resulting in swift, accurate, and friendly administration.
Previously, Seo-gu achieved administrative innovation by resolving civil complaints within 48 hours through the mayor’s direct text phone "Baro Munja Harangkke" and established a collaboration system by dividing 18 administrative neighborhoods into 4 hub neighborhoods and linked neighborhoods.
By discovering BI (Brand Identity) that contains each neighborhood’s identity, characteristics, history, and story, active resident participation projects were carried out, winning both the Grand Prize and Resident Autonomy Award at the Korea Local Autonomy Management Awards simultaneously.
Mayor Kim Ikang of Seo-gu said, "The 'Good City Seo-gu,' where kind and warm-hearted people are happy and successful, can be realized not by individual effort but by working together," and added, "The result of devoting all efforts to improving residents’ quality of life through constant communication with residents and public officials close to residents’ daily lives has led to valuable achievements."
He continued, "I will do my best to implement 'good policies' for everyone so that Seo-gu residents take great pride in living in a good city itself and children living in a good city can dream happy dreams."
Shin Dongho, Honam Reporting Headquarters, Asia Economy baekok@asiae.co.kr
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