Hwaseong-si, Unwavering No.1 in Local Government Competitiveness Nationwide

Public Autonomy Research Institute KLCI Survey Ranks 1st for 8 Consecutive Years
Mayor Jeong: "We Will Take a Step Further with the Launch of the Special City"

Hwaseong City in Gyeonggi Province has maintained its position as the most competitive local government for eight consecutive years.

According to the '2024 Korea Local Autonomy Competitiveness Index (KLCI)' survey by the Korea Institute of Public Administration on the 22nd, Hwaseong City ranked highest in overall competitiveness among 226 cities, counties, and districts nationwide.

Jeong Myeong-geun (left), Mayor of Hwaseong City, is receiving the commemorative plaque for being ranked first nationwide in comprehensive local autonomy competitiveness from Kim Chung-hwan, Chairman of the Korea Institute of Public Administration. Provided by Hwaseong City

The KLCI is an index developed to measure local government management indicators and regional competitiveness. Since 1996, it has annually surveyed 80 indicators across three categories for local governments nationwide and published the results.

In this evaluation, Hwaseong City scored a total of 689.6 points, significantly surpassing the national average of 481.8 points. Hwaseong received excellent scores in most areas, including population vitality, economic vitality, local finance, and industrial infrastructure. Hwaseong City has held the number one spot in the KLCI for eight consecutive years since 2017.

In fact, Hwaseong is considered the most dynamic city in various indicators. According to data from the National Statistical Portal, Hwaseong recorded 6,700 births last year, the highest in the country. This is a large gap compared to other 'special cities' with populations over one million. In Gyeonggi Province, the existing special cities are Suwon with 6,000 births, Goyang with 5,000, and Yongin with 4,900.

The Gross Regional Domestic Product (GRDP) also ranks at the top among basic local governments nationwide, at 91.0417 trillion won. This is higher than Ulsan, a metropolitan city, which has 78 trillion won, and comparable to Busan's 97 trillion won. This high GRDP is supported by 28,590 manufacturing companies and 268,035 manufacturing workers. The average age is also 38.4 years, the youngest among local governments nationwide.

As companies gather, stable jobs increase, and the steady influx of young people leads to a higher birth rate, creating a virtuous cycle.

Jung Myung-geun, Mayor of Hwaseong City, said, "Achieving eight consecutive years as the number one local government in competitiveness, a feat no other local government in the country has accomplished, is a result created together by 1.03 million citizens and public officials." He added, "We will take the launch of the special city next year as an opportunity to establish Hwaseong as a representative city of Korea."