City Brand Reputation Ranks First for Four Consecutive Months
Nation's Highest Increase in Marriage Rate
Downtown Bustles with Midnight Festival and Bread Festival
On September 28 and 29, the '2024 Daejeon Bread Festival' held at the cafe street in Sojedong, Donggu, and the Daedongcheon area attracted 140,000 visitors, creating a great success. / Daejeon City
Since the beginning of the 8th popularly elected administration, Daejeon City has seen its internal and external evaluations improve, raising expectations for its transformation from a "No-fun City" to a vibrant and exciting city.
According to the city on the 16th, Daejeon has ranked first for four consecutive months in the City Brand Reputation rankings for metropolitan governments, published monthly by the Korea Corporate Reputation Research Institute. After topping the list for the first time in June this year, Daejeon maintained its number one position through July, August, and September. In the city brand reputation rankings for 85 cities nationwide, Daejeon also ranked first in both August and September.
In the monthly resident life satisfaction survey conducted by Realmeter, Daejeon was ranked first from February to May this year. Although there were changes in ranking afterwards, Daejeon returned to second place in September.
The number of marriages in Daejeon has also seen the highest increase nationwide. According to Statistics Korea’s July population trends, there were a total of 3,848 marriages in Daejeon from January to July, a 19.5% increase compared to the same period last year, far surpassing the national average of 11.2%. A city official analyzed, “This is evidence of growing expectations for Daejeon’s welfare pledge to provide a 5 million won marriage support fund to newlywed couples this year, as well as an increase in young people starting their second life in Daejeon, a city known for its quality of life.”
Daejeon is also shedding its reputation as a city with a high suicide rate. Until 2021, Daejeon ranked 4th nationwide and 1st among metropolitan cities for suicide mortality rates, but in 2022 and 2023, these rankings improved to 13th nationwide and 6th among metropolitan cities. This improvement is attributed to efforts such as a 24-hour counseling hotline and the operation of the nation’s first designated psychiatric emergency medical institution, focusing on suicide prevention for high-risk groups.
The number of listed companies continues to grow. As of October this year, 60 companies are listed, ranking third nationwide, with a total market capitalization of 51.7 trillion won. Of these, 12 companies were listed during the 8th administration.
The Daejeon 0 O’Clock Festival and Daejeon Bread Festival are also improving the city’s image from a "No-fun City" to an exciting one. The Daejeon 0 O’Clock Festival has been reborn as a "3-No" festival (no safety accidents, no trash, no price gouging), revitalizing the old downtown area. The Bread Festival also attracted large crowds, raising Daejeon’s profile nationwide.
Daejeon Mayor Lee Jangwoo said, “The areas where Daejeon ranks first, such as city brand reputation, life satisfaction, and marriage rates, are fields that citizens can truly feel,” adding, “We will continue to address city issues and prepare for the future so that citizens’ pride and confidence in their city can grow even further.”
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