Seongbuk-gu Wins Manifesto Best Practices Contest for Third Consecutive Year

Received Excellence Award in Community Strengthening Category

Seongbuk-gu in Seoul (District Mayor Lee Seungro) announced on the 25th that it had received the Excellence Award in the Community Strengthening category at the '2025 National Manifesto Best Practices Contest for Local Government Heads,' hosted by the Korea Manifesto Implementation Headquarters and the Gyeongbuk Research Institute.

Seungro Lee, Mayor of Seongbuk District (sixth from the right), and Seongbuk District public officials are taking a commemorative photo for winning the Excellence Award in the Community Strengthening category at the '2025 National Basic Local Government Heads Manifesto Best Practices Competition.' Provided by Seongbuk District.

Seongbuk-gu has now earned the nickname 'regular winner of the Manifesto Awards,' having won an Excellence Award in 2023, a Grand Prize last year, and another award this year, marking three consecutive years of recognition.

This year's contest, held under the theme 'Resilient City, Humane City,' took place at the National Kyungpook University from July 23 to 24. Out of 226 local governments nationwide, 159 participated, submitting a total of 401 entries for the finals. Representatives of 191 entries that passed the first round engaged in fierce competition, filling the event with enthusiasm from start to finish.

Seongbuk-gu received the Excellence Award in the 'Community Strengthening' category, as its 'Seongbuk-type Public Forum'?a resident-driven public forum network that has fostered community cohesion?was highly recognized as a model case.

To normalize resident participation, Seongbuk-gu established the Seongbuk-type Public Forum network and has operated a variety of field-centered public forums in collaboration with government, civil society, and academia, thereby strengthening community bonds. In addition, the district has continuously promoted the spread of sustainable and flexible local governance models through various initiatives such as the 'On-site Mayor’s Office, Resident Autonomy Council, Libraries, Civic Autonomy Platforms, and Resident Assemblies.' As a result, Seongbuk-gu has developed exemplary cases where residents and the administration jointly become the main agents of policy, achieving outcomes that have expanded to other regions as well.

Lee Seungro, Mayor of Seongbuk-gu, emphasized, "This award is a significant achievement, showing that the public forum network built together with residents is spreading beyond Seongbuk to the entire nation." He added, "I will always listen to the voices of residents and do my utmost to realize a Seongbuk-gu where residents are the true owners, creating a community where everyone grows together."