Gangdong District Wins Excellence Award at Seoul Active Administration Best Practices Competition

Achievement Recognized for Supporting Welfare Information Vulnerable Groups

Gangdong District in Seoul (District Mayor Lee Soohee) announced on September 15 that it received the Excellence Award in the autonomous district category at the "2025 Active Administration Best Practices Competition" hosted by the Seoul Metropolitan Government.

Welfare Comprehensive Counseling Desk On-site. Provided by Gangdong District.

Every year, the Seoul Metropolitan Government discovers and awards outstanding administrative cases in three categories: the main office, autonomous districts, and public corporations or agencies. This year, 23 cases were submitted in the autonomous district category. The award levels were determined through document review, citizen voting, monitoring group evaluation, and final deliberation by the Seoul Active Administration Committee.

The case for which Gangdong District received the Excellence Award is the "Safe Living Guarantee Support Project for Welfare Information Vulnerable Groups." This project was implemented for residents who could not receive support or gave up midway due to a lack of information about welfare systems. The core of the project is to analyze income and asset data identified during the basic pension application process and connect residents to various welfare services, such as Seoul-type livelihood benefits and public utility fee reductions, to support their financial stability.

The district established its own variable system to proactively identify households in crisis. Households with no income, those with a history of welfare counseling, and those in need of care due to deteriorating health were prioritized for monitoring. When signs of crisis were detected, customized welfare services were provided through consultations at local community centers, thereby strengthening the welfare safety net.

Initially, the project focused on seniors aged 65 and older, but it has recently expanded to include people with disabilities and at-risk youth, allowing more residents to benefit from the program.

Lee Soohee, Mayor of Gangdong District, stated, "This award recognizes our efforts to proactively identify and support neighbors struggling due to a lack of welfare information," and added, "We will continue to strengthen the welfare safety net so that vulnerable groups such as seniors, people with disabilities, and youth can live with peace of mind."