A City Redesigned from the Ground Up: Gumi Emerges as a "City Where People Want to Live" Through Overhauled Living Infrastructure

Rebuilding Transportation, Safety, Environment, and Water Systems
Dramatic Improvement in Residential Conditions
Population Recovery on the Rise
"Delivering Tangible Changes That Transform Daily Life"

Gumi City in North Gyeongsang Province is rebuilding its urban fundamentals, shedding its past image as a "gray industrial city" and transforming into a "city where people want to live."

By overhauling core living infrastructure?such as transportation, safety, environment, and water?that forms the foundation of citizens' daily lives, and reorganizing its overall administration so that residents can experience tangible changes, the city is being recognized for achieving both population recovery and an improved urban image.

In particular, the population decline, which stood at 4,417 people in 2022, was reduced to a decrease of 686 people in 2024, marking an 85% reduction in the rate of decline. In June of this year, the city recorded a net inflow of 308 residents, marking a significant turning point.

◆ Full-scale Era of Metropolitan Transportation Networks... Strengthening Transportation Welfare

The Daegu-Gyeongbuk Metropolitan Railway (Daegyeong Line), which opened in December last year, has positioned Gumi at the center of the metropolitan living zone, signaling the start of a transportation revolution. The city expanded its city bus fleet from 186 to 226 vehicles and shortened the average interval between major routes to within 15 to 18 minutes, dramatically overhauling the public transportation system.

In addition, the city plans to complete the construction of a high-precision Bus Information System (BIS) within this year.

Efforts to expand transportation welfare for citizens are also accelerating. Starting in July, the city will implement a free public transportation policy for seniors aged 70 and above and is currently operating 150 voucher taxis for transportation-vulnerable groups.

Furthermore, the usage period for the K-MOM taxis, dedicated to pregnant women, has been extended from one month to one year after childbirth. In the second half of this year, the city plans to introduce 12 demand-responsive rural buses to alleviate transportation blind spots.

◆ Proactive Safety City Focused on "Prevention First"

Gumi City is enhancing its disaster response system through a safety strategy that emphasizes "prevention first" rather than "post-incident response." Since February 2025, the city has operated a 24-hour disaster situation room, and the Integrated Control Center monitors the entire city in real time with a total of 4,829 CCTV cameras.

Additionally, the city has established an AI-based urban stream flood response system, significantly strengthening its capacity to respond to natural disasters during the summer.

As a result of this systematic safety management, Gumi has been recognized as the safest city in external evaluations, including ranking first in North Gyeongsang Province in the "2025 Regional Safety Index" and being selected five times as the "Best Integrated Control Center."

The city is also pursuing a variety of customized safety policies, including: providing a three-item safety set (CCTV, SOS bell, emergency dispatch) for single-person and female households; distributing smart safety vests and lighting devices to field workers; opening the first ever Korea Workers’ Compensation and Welfare Service Gumi Clinic among local governments; and establishing the province's first neonatal intensive care center.

◆ From Urban Landscape to Living Environment... Establishing a "Clean City"

Taking the opportunity of the Asian Athletics Championships held in May, Gumi carried out a comprehensive overhaul of the urban environment, earning praise from both local and external visitors.

The city operates a "Neighborhood Clean Team" in which citizens directly participate, making cleanliness activities routine. Road paving and facility maintenance have also been strengthened to improve overall urban cleanliness.

In addition, the city has established a proactive patrol and immediate restoration system for road facilities, completely revamped the household waste collection system, and installed pilot recycling bins, thereby realizing the goal of a "clean city 365 days a year."

◆ Enhancing Tap Water Reliability... Comprehensive Innovation of Water Management System

As the "city of water," Gumi has fundamentally restructured its water management system so that citizens can trust and drink tap water. The modernization of water purification plants and the establishment of an emergency water supply system have greatly improved both safety and reliability. As a result, the city was selected as the top institution in the province in the "2024 Comprehensive Water Management Evaluation" organized by the Ministry of Environment.

Investment in water supply and sewage systems continues to increase. The budget for these sectors has risen by 41%, from 193.8 billion won in 2022 to 273.3 billion won in 2025. The city was also selected for the Ministry of Environment's "Aged Water Supply Pipeline Improvement Project," securing a total of 43.1 billion won for a comprehensive six-year upgrade.

Mayor Kim Jangho stated, "Transportation, safety, environment, and water are the basic functions of a city most closely tied to citizens' daily lives and are key to quality of life. We will continue to strengthen the city's fundamentals to create a premium residential city where anyone would want to live."