Gwangsan-gu Gwangju Wins Grand Prize at Korea Governance Awards

Praised for Initiatives Such as the Nation’s First “1313 Neighbor Care”

Gwangsan-gu, Gwangju announced on the 16th that it has received the Grand Prize in the Governance category at the 8th Korea Governance Awards. The 'Korea Governance Awards' are presented to local governments and organizations that have promoted innovative local administration and improved the quality of life for residents through creative and outstanding policy initiatives.

The district was selected for the Grand Prize in the Governance category, receiving high praise for its citizen-participatory social dialogue for the creation of a sustainable job zone, the nation's first "1313 Neighbor Care" initiative, and educational programs for the mutual growth of youth with migrant backgrounds.

The citizen-participatory social dialogue, which the district is focusing on, centers on citizens directly asking and answering questions about jobs to design a sustainable employment system. This is the world's first bottom-up social dialogue led by citizens in their communities and workers in their workplaces. This year, the district will continue with the production of a green paper and subsequent white paper through ongoing social dialogue.

The 1313 Neighbor Care project is attracting attention as a welfare innovation model that prevents social isolation and disconnection by building a resident-led safety net based on collaboration among the public sector, private sector, industry, and academia. Last year, the project was implemented in 12 neighborhoods, resulting in a positive decrease in at-risk groups for social isolation. This year, it will be expanded to all 21 neighborhoods in Gwangsan-gu.

Mutual growth education to help youth with migrant backgrounds adapt to and grow within the local community is also powered by cooperation between the public sector, private sector, and academia. Reflecting the fact that 56% of Gwangju's foreign residents live in the district, Gwangsan-gu has received positive feedback for operating a variety of educational programs, such as art play classes and Korean language classes, where youth with migrant backgrounds and Korean youth interact together.

Exterior view of Gwangsan District Office, Gwangju.

Park Byungkyu, the head of the district office, said, "We will continue to support citizens so that they can become the main agents of new and beneficial sustainable innovation."