Gwangju Seo-gu Wins Top Award for District-wide Designation as Golmok-type Commercial Area

Manifesto Best Practices Competition for Heads of Local Governments Nationwide

Gwangju Seo-gu (District Mayor Kim Ikang) has been selected as the top case in the manifesto category for its policy of designating the entire district as a Golmok-type commercial district, the first such initiative in the country.

On July 28, Seo-gu announced that it had won the top award in the economic and local industry category at the "2025 National Basic Local Government Heads Manifesto Best Practices Competition," co-hosted by the Korea Manifesto Practice Headquarters and the Gyeongbuk Research Institute, for its policy of designating the entire district as a Golmok-type commercial district.

The "Manifesto Best Practices Competition" was held at Andong Kyungpook National University under the theme "Resilient Cities, Humane Cities," with 191 outstanding cases from across the country competing in seven fields: economy and local industry, reduction of inequality, response to demographic changes, safety and disaster management, climate and environmental ecology, social capital, and community strengthening.

The district presented the process and achievements of designating the entire district as a Golmok-type commercial district (a total of 119 locations) under the theme "Seo-gu's Golmok-type Innovation Model: Designing Sustainability Beyond Local Currency."

The judging panel evaluated the case as "a bold attempt to designate the entire district as a Golmok-type commercial district, demonstrating high scalability and feasibility as a strategy for revitalizing the local economy."

This year, the district set "Restoration of the Livelihood Economy" as its top administrative goal, focusing all administrative efforts on revitalizing the local economy. As a result, the number of stores accepting Onnuri gift certificates was greatly expanded, creating a virtuous consumption ecosystem that increased both consumer benefits and small business owners' sales.

Seo-gu District Mayor Kim Ikang stated, "This achievement, which is both the first and only of its kind nationwide, was made possible by field-oriented communication and proactive public administration. We will continue to make new history in local autonomy," adding, "We will do our utmost to realize 'Seo-gu, the Good City' by always standing with our residents."