Association of Local Governments for Village Making Holds 2nd Regular Meeting

Discussing Strategies for Expanding Residents' Sovereignty and Revitalizing Village Communities

The Association of Local Governments for Village Making (Chairman: Kim Ikang, Mayor of Seo-gu, Gwangju) held its "2nd Regular Meeting of 2025" over two days starting from September 18, at the Kim Daejung Convention Center and throughout Seo-gu, Gwangju.

The Association of Local Governments for Village Making held its "2nd Regular Meeting" over two days, from the 18th to the 19th, at the Kim Daejung Convention Center and throughout Seo-gu, Gwangju. Photo by Seo-gu, Gwangju

Established in 2015 and celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, the association aims to realize local autonomy, drive community innovation, and improve residents' quality of life. Its membership includes three metropolitan governments (Incheon, Daejeon, and Jeju) and 31 basic local governments.

This meeting was organized by the newly appointed advisory committee, which took office in June, and featured a forum under the theme "The Era of Residents' Sovereignty: The Direction for Village Autonomy." Presentations and discussions were held on expanding residents' sovereignty, including the institutionalization of residents' councils, as well as strategies for revitalizing village communities.

In addition, the meeting included a report on the progress of 2025 projects, a review of the 2026 project plans, and presentations of outstanding local government cases: Seo-gu, Gwangju's "Living Government by Your Side," Yeongam-gun, Jeollanam-do's "Building a Village Brand Model," and Gwangsan-gu, Gwangju's "Establishing a Village-Based Care System."

On the following day, a program was held to visit "Cheongchun Balsan, Village of Memories and Art" in Yang 3-dong, Seo-gu, Gwangju, allowing participants to directly observe a local case study.

Chairman Kim Ikang stated, "With the participation of the expert advisory committee, policy discussions have become more systematic and in-depth. This regular meeting served as an opportunity to concretize an autonomy model suited for the era of residents' sovereignty and to establish practical directions for the sustainable development of village communities."