Nowon-gu Named “Outstanding District” in Health Promotion Project... Receives Ministerial Commendation

Improving Residents' Health and Promoting Health Equity

Nowon-gu in Seoul was selected as an outstanding institution in the comprehensive category at the “2025 Local Government Integrated Health Promotion Project Performance Conference” hosted by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, and received a ministerial commendation.

Award ceremony for the Health Promotion Project. Provided by Nowon-gu.

The Integrated Health Promotion Project is an initiative in which local governments take the lead in planning and implementing services, programs, and the creation of healthy environments that reflect local characteristics and residents' needs, with the goal of improving the health level of the community.

Nowon-gu received high marks for its operation of customized health promotion programs for residents, prevention and management of chronic diseases, strengthening of community cooperation systems, and efforts to reduce health disparities among vulnerable groups. In particular, the district improved medical accessibility by operating six regional health management centers and a “mobile health bus” equipped with examination equipment. Nowon-gu’s pioneering initiatives?such as the nation’s first Nowon-style smoking cessation success support service, training and dispatching exercise coaches to senior centers, and rehabilitation exercise classes for people with disabilities?were recognized as resident-driven efforts to create a healthy environment.

The Nowon-style smoking cessation success support service uses fines collected from smoking violations in non-smoking areas as funding to provide incentives for successful smoking cessation. This program has proven effective, achieving a 36-month smoking cessation success rate of 17.3%. Customized services, including exercise coaches for seniors and rehabilitation exercise classes for people with disabilities, are also expanding participation among vulnerable groups.

Oh Seung-rok, Mayor of Nowon-gu, stated, “This award is the result of Nowon-gu consistently prioritizing the health of our residents.” He added, “We will continue to further advance our customized health promotion projects and build ‘a healthy city where everyone in Nowon can enjoy health without discrimination.’”