Hwaseong City Wins Policy Award at Korea Policy Awards for Suicide Prevention and Respect for Life Policy

First Local Government "Hwaseong Mayor's Suicide Prevention Hotline" Receives High Praise

On August 6, Hwaseong City in Gyeonggi Province announced that it had been selected as the recipient of the Local Government Outstanding Policy Award at the 14th Korea Policy Awards, organized by the Korean Association for Policy Studies.

This award recognizes outstanding policies by comprehensively evaluating the public interest, creativity, and feasibility of policies implemented by local governments nationwide.

The city was selected for its "Suicide Prevention and Respect for Life Policy." This policy includes the "Hwaseong Mayor's Suicide Prevention Hotline," the first of its kind implemented by a local government in Korea, and represents a flagship initiative aimed at spreading a culture of suicide prevention and respect for life throughout the local community.

In particular, the "Hwaseong Mayor's Suicide Prevention Hotline" was the first project approved by Mayor Jeong Myeonggeun, and it is credited with providing an effective response to reducing suicide rates and establishing a culture of respect for life, marking a significant turning point.

Through the operation of the hotline, the city has protected the lives of 1,626 people to date. In addition, Hwaseong City has fostered a suicide prevention environment by promoting policies through public-private-academic cooperation, providing customized case management for high-risk groups, and establishing community-linked support systems.

The city has also continued practical activities such as the Citizen Mental Health Experience Center (T.T ZONE) in collaboration with citizens, the Mind Relief Bus, training of Life Guardians, campaigns to spread a culture of respect for life and improve awareness of suicide prevention, and the establishment of crisis response systems.

The Korea Policy Awards ceremony will be held on August 25 at the Busan Port International Exhibition and Convention Center during the Korean Association for Policy Studies Summer Conference.

Mayor Jeong stated, "Protecting the lives and safety of citizens is the most important responsibility of a local government," and added, "We will continue to actively pursue policies and field-oriented practices so that Hwaseong can serve as a model city of respect for life nationwide."