Kim Ikang, Mayor of Gwangju Seo-gu, "Zero Welfare Gaps, Leap to a Kind City"

Seo-gu, Gwangju Metropolitan City (Mayor Kim I-gang) aims to create a welfare gap-zero kind city in 2025, where sharing and happiness become everyday life through livelihood stability and warm living welfare.

In his New Year's address, Mayor Kim I-gang said, "Despite the difficult economic conditions last year, we communicated with residents to rediscover the value of 'Kind City Seo-gu' and introduced various low-budget, high-efficiency policies," adding, "In the new year, we will further develop these by strengthening policies that residents can feel, such as livelihood stability, living welfare, and meticulous care, providing small but certain happiness (So-hwak-haeng)."

View of Seogu District Office. Provided by Seogu District.

Seo-gu defines 2025 as an important year to reap the fruits of the 8th popular election term and plans to spread the value of ‘Kind City Seo-gu,’ where sharing, consideration, solidarity, and cooperation become everyday life.

To this end, together with ‘012 Seo-gu Partners,’ Seo-gu plans to eliminate welfare blind spots and become a model city for community-integrated care, completing the care city Seo-gu.

Also, to realize a resident-centered ‘warm living government,’ Seo-gu will further develop the village BI (Brand Identity) project reflecting the characteristics of each neighborhood and activate resident-led village policy participation groups and village choirs to implement a ‘warm Seo-gu where residents’ opinions become policies.’

In particular, under the triple high conditions of high interest rates, high prices, and high exchange rates, various support measures to revive the ordinary people’s economy were also presented. Through master craftsmen’s know-how transfer programs and field-centered customized consulting, Seo-gu plans to revitalize the stagnant alley markets and traditional markets and establish a foundation for sustainable economic growth by creating customized jobs for each generation and class.

Along with this, to realize a ‘meticulous welfare city,’ Seo-gu plans to strengthen the public-private cooperation system centered on ‘Seo-gu Honors’ and proactively prepare for the government’s ‘Integrated Care Support Act’ (scheduled to be implemented in March 2026) to build an environment where anyone can spend a healthy and happy old age in their place of residence.

Mayor Kim I-gang of Seo-gu said, “Over the past two and a half years, I have directly communicated with residents on the ground and realized the truth that ‘only by standing together can we stand tall,’” adding, “I will work together with 280,000 residents to complete a kind city where sharing, consideration, solidarity, and cooperation become everyday life.”