Gwangju City Council Member Hong Giwol Wins Korea Governance Grand Prize

Representative Proposal of the "Population Education Activation Ordinance"
Establishment of Systems Including Formation of Population Education Support Council

Hong Giwol, a member of the Gwangju Metropolitan Council, received the Grand Prize in the Regional Development category at the 8th Korea Governance Awards ceremony held on the 15th at the Gwangju Holiday Inn Hotel. Photo by Gwangju Metropolitan Council

Gwangju City Council member Hong Giwol (Dong-gu 1, Democratic Party of Korea) announced on the 16th that she received the Grand Prize in the Regional Development category at the 8th Korea Governance Awards ceremony held at the Gwangju Holiday Inn Hotel on the 15th.

Hong was recognized for her leadership in establishing legal and institutional foundations for systematic education on the importance of population in the era of local extinction crisis, by proposing the "Gwangju Metropolitan Office of Education Population Education Activation Ordinance."

In particular, she received high praise from the judges for stipulating matters regarding the formation and operation of the Population Education Support Council, enabling thorough review of the development and dissemination of population education programs and the operation of leading schools for population education.

She also emphasized the function and role of the ordinance by including provisions to prevent the annual net outflow of local youth population and to discover and provide support projects and essential programs for population education. Furthermore, she established grounds for conducting joint research with relevant academic societies and experts to implement population education in response to changes in the school-age population and social environment.

Hong stated, "The population education ordinance will help local students recognize the importance of population and foster a correct perspective on balanced regional development, such as balanced population distribution and activities between regions, through appropriate education." She emphasized, "At a time when the net outflow of young people is approaching 70%, we must build local jobs, housing, education, and cultural infrastructure to create a Gwangju where young people choose to stay."