Park Mijeong, Gwangju City Council Member, Receives '33 Notable People of Korea Award'

Award in Contribution to Local Autonomy Development
Expansion of 'Gwangju-type Integrated Care' to National Policy
Transportation Allowance Support 'From Legislation to Implementation'

Park Mijeong, Gwangju City Council member.

Park Mijeong, a member of the Gwangju Metropolitan Council (Democratic Party of Korea, Dong-gu District 2), announced on the 6th that she received the "Contribution to Local Autonomy Development" award at the "2024 Korea 33 People Awards" ceremony held recently at the Eroom Center in Yeouido, Seoul.

The "Korea 33 People Awards" were established to discover and widely recognize individuals and organizations that have contributed to the development of Korea in various fields such as international affairs, politics, and society.

Park was honored with the award in recognition of her achievements in expanding locally developed policies into core national policies, thereby improving the quality of life for citizens.

Holding a doctorate in social welfare, Park is credited with designing and initiating the legislation for "Gwangju-daum Integrated Care," which is recognized as opening a new horizon in public care. This universal welfare model, the first of its kind in the nation, has led to the enactment of the "Community Integrated Care Support Act" in the National Assembly and is set to be implemented nationwide in 2026.

In addition, the "Gwangju Children and Youth Transportation Fee Support," which Park has long advocated for, will be implemented as part of the "Gwangju G-Pass" project starting in 2025. This support for children and youth transportation fees originated as a proposal from the Youth Assembly in 2018, and, after legislative action by the Gwangju City Council, became the first case in the country to be realized as an actual policy.

This is regarded as the result of Park's more than six years of legislative efforts, including negotiations and persuasion with Gwangju City and the Gwangju Office of Education, to guarantee mobility rights for youth and others.

Park stated, "To strengthen the capabilities of local councils and realize local autonomy, it is essential to continuously discover and disseminate innovative and excellent ordinances and policies," adding, "I will always communicate with citizens and devote myself even more to legislative activities for the maturation of local politics and the stability of people's livelihoods."