Best for 2 Consecutive Years... Double Crown Achievement Following Government Joint Evaluation
Achieved Highest Grade in 102 out of 104 Categories... High Ratings in Citizen-Perceived Indicators Such as Welfare and Jobs
Selected as Excellent City/County for 10 Consecutive Years, Securing 400 Million KRW in Financial Incentives Following 2.7 Billion KRW
Goyang Special City in Gyeonggi Province (Mayor Lee Dong-hwan) is proving itself as a ‘well-performing city’ by achieving top results consecutively in the comprehensive evaluation of cities and counties in Gyeonggi-do. Following two consecutive years of top achievement in the government joint evaluation, it also achieved the remarkable feat of winning two crowns for two consecutive years in the comprehensive evaluation of cities and counties in Gyeonggi-do announced last month.
Goyang Special City awarded the Grand Prize for Excellence in the 2024 Manifesto Best Practices. Provided by Goyang Special City.
The comprehensive evaluation of cities and counties divides the 31 cities and counties in Gyeonggi-do into three groups based on population size and ranks each local government’s overall administrative capacity using national agenda items and major provincial policy indicators. Goyang was selected as the top city among the 10 cities in Group Ⅰ with a population of over 500,000 (Suwon, Yongin, Hwaseong, Seongnam, Bucheon, Namyangju, Ansan, Pyeongtaek, Anyang). This is the third time it has been selected as the best institution, following 2021 and 2023.
The comprehensive evaluation is conducted by combining the current year’s comprehensive evaluation results as of the end of September (80%) and the previous year’s government joint evaluation results as of the end of December (20%). The evaluation at the end of September reflects about 70 government joint evaluation-linked indicators and about 30 provincial policy indicators equally at 50% each, assessing administrative capabilities across all fields such as jobs, economy, welfare, culture, and environment.
In this year’s comprehensive evaluation, Goyang achieved an S grade in 102 out of 104 evaluation indicators, scoring 101.53 points, which is higher than the average of 100.4 points among the 31 cities and counties. Bucheon City ranked second with 101.38 points, and Seongnam City ranked third with 100.97 points.
In this evaluation, Goyang stood out with higher scores than other cities and counties in the fields of jobs, welfare, and environment. Specifically, it received high evaluations in ▲expansion of senior jobs ▲achievement rate of employment support services ▲public childcare utilization rate ▲collection rate improvement of environmental improvement charges ▲per capita recyclable resource separation collection amount ▲priority purchase rate for environmental friendliness and social value expansion.
In particular, as of the end of November, Goyang’s senior jobs numbered 8,853, the largest scale among the 31 cities and counties in Gyeonggi-do. The city is expanding market-type jobs that are competitive and capable of generating profits to provide various social participation opportunities. Market-type business groups such as Haengju Farm, Grandmothers and Sewing Machines, and Senior Convenience Stores won first place and the grand prize in the economic inequality mitigation category at this year’s ‘National Basic Local Government Manifesto Best Practice Competition.’
In employment support services, the Goyang Integrated Job Center, which acts as a job control tower, was recognized for its steady efforts. The city has placed professional career counselors in 13 base counseling centers and operates various job support projects such as job fairs and specialized high school employment support. As of last month, about 6,000 people have succeeded in finding jobs through the Goyang Integrated Job Center.
The public childcare utilization rate, which aims to create a safe and high-quality childcare environment, also showed a high rate of 39.08% (31 cities and counties average 35.07%, as of the end of September). The public childcare utilization rate is an indicator that evaluates the proportion of children using public childcare institutions among all children attending daycare centers. The city has been continuously expanding public daycare centers, including opening the nation’s first public-private collaborative daycare center, Goyang City Dalbit Daycare Center, in July.
To reduce fine dust, the collection rate of environmental improvement charges imposed on diesel vehicle owners was 38.1% (national average 33.7%), ranking first among the 10 cities in Gyeonggi-do with populations over 500,000. The newly implemented on-demand charging system for vehicles with changed ownership, introduced nationwide for the first time this year, played a role in preventing arrears. Previously, environmental improvement charges were levied twice a year regularly, which caused inconvenience and high arrears rates due to charges being applied after vehicle ownership changes or scrapping.
Additionally, thanks to the efforts of 44 neighborhoods actively collecting recyclable resources generated in single-family residential areas and from used batteries, the per capita recyclable resource separation collection amount scored high among the 10 cities. The city also actively participates in expanding environmental friendliness and social value by encouraging priority purchases of village enterprises, self-support enterprises, products made by people with disabilities, and green products.
The opening ceremony of Goyang City Moonlight Daycare Center, the nation's first public-private collaboration. Provided by Goyang Special City
Goyang has secured a total of 2.79 billion KRW in prize project funds over 10 consecutive years of being selected as an excellent city and county. This year, by achieving the top rank in the comprehensive evaluation of cities and counties, it will receive an additional financial incentive of 400 million KRW.
The prize project funds contribute to fiscal soundness by discovering projects necessary for improving citizen safety and welfare or projects that are difficult due to the city’s financial conditions and budgeting accordingly. The city has used the prize project funds received so far to promote improvements such as the environment of the Together Care Center, installation of bicycle parking lots, purchase of dedicated vehicles for child abuse investigations, and improvements to the local self-support center environment.
Especially this year, among seven pre-registered projects, priorities were decided through an online citizen survey, and pilot projects for safety signs in school zones and remodeling of the Tomorrow Dream Workshop youth space are underway. The city plans to establish a plan for using incentives next year and is committed to enhancing administrative capabilities during the remaining period, as the results of this December will be included in next year’s comprehensive evaluation of cities and counties.
Mayor Lee Dong-hwan of Goyang Special City said, “This evaluation is an achievement made together with 1.08 million citizens, and it is especially meaningful because it received high evaluations in livelihood policies such as jobs and welfare that citizens can feel. Having been recognized for balanced administrative capabilities across all fields of city administration following last year, we will continue to establish ourselves as a city that sets the ‘standard’ for administration by providing high-quality administrative services.”
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