Governor Park Junghyun of Buyeo Vows to Eliminate Happiness Gaps Across Generations and Regions

Bridging the Happiness Gap and Ensuring Fair Opportunities for All Generations and Regions at the 2025 Happiness Policy Festival

"Happiness is not the exclusive right of a particular generation or region, but a fundamental right of life that everyone should enjoy."

On August 8, Park Junghyun, the governor of Buyeo County, presented policy directions to bridge the happiness gap between generations and regions at the "2025 Korea Happiness Policy Festival" held at the National Buyeo Museum.

In particular, Park emphasized that "the region and era in which one is born create inequality in happiness," and stressed the need to "improve unfair starting lines and guarantee fair opportunities for all generations and regions."

Park added, "We will continue to take practical steps to turn the voices of county residents into policy and to expand local experiences into a national vision."

According to Buyeo County on August 11, the county has proposed to the government: ▲shortening the mandatory service period for public health doctors and making their compensation more realistic; ▲establishing an Immigration Office; and ▲amending the Innovation City Act.

In addition, the county has independently promoted resident-oriented happiness policies such as ▲providing a farmers' allowance and ▲operating the local currency "Goodtrae Pay."

The event was attended by more than 500 people, including Democratic Party lawmakers Lee Haesik, Choi Hyukjin, and Park Junghyun; Jeong Wonoh, mayor of Seongdong District, Seoul; Kim Dongon, governor of Cheongyang County; Woo Seunghee, governor of Yeongam County; Kim Jaeseon, mayor of Jung District, Daejeon; as well as politicians, scholars, experts from across the country, and residents of Buyeo County.

The keynote speech was delivered by Karma Tshiteem, former chairman of the Gross National Happiness Commission of Bhutan and architect of the GNH policy, who presented examples and practical measures for operating a happiness-based nation.

During the international forum panel discussion, lawmakers and local government leaders discussed the direction of national happiness policies, while the subsequent talk concert shared on-the-ground experiences of happiness policies for each generation by local governments.