Hanam Citizens' Participation Innovation Committee Shares Three Years of Achievements and Efforts to Address City Challenges

The Citizens' Participation Innovation Committee, a policy think tank of Hanam City in Gyeonggi Province, has presented policy advisory proposals for five tasks in the second half of 2025, including "Alleviating Traffic Congestion through the Construction of Access Roads around Hwangsan Intersection."

The Citizens' Participation Innovation Committee, a policy think tank of Hanam City, presented policy advisory proposals for five tasks in the second half of 2025, including "Alleviating Traffic Congestion through the Construction of Access Roads around Hwangsan Intersection." Provided by Hanam City

The Citizens' Participation Innovation Committee was established in December 2022 to propose policy development strategies linked to Hanam City's major projects and to provide advice and solutions for key issues. Experts and citizen representatives in the fields of employment, urban development, transportation, welfare and culture, and education are actively participating in the committee.

Each subcommittee, in order to address the tasks selected in June for the second half of the year, held meetings and conducted benchmarking from July to September. Through this process, they developed professional and administratively feasible advisory proposals.

First, the employment subcommittee, under the theme "Strengthening Corporate Competitiveness through AI Technology," emphasized the need for practical, company-centered AI-related policies. The committee members visited the Gyeonggi Creative Economy Innovation Center to benchmark Gyeonggi Province's AI activation policies and proposed the introduction of an educational platform to enhance AI capabilities among Hanam City business leaders.

The urban development subcommittee raised the need for a comprehensive review of Hanam City's urban planning ordinances to improve the city's urban planning system. They suggested specific improvements, such as reflecting appropriate floor area ratios for commercial zones, securing essential infrastructure tailored to local needs, and promoting mixed-use development where residential and business areas coexist.

The transportation subcommittee reviewed the direction of the basic plan for transportation system improvement to alleviate traffic congestion through the construction of access roads around Hwangsan Intersection. They proposed phased implementation based on the results of effectiveness analyses and residents' feedback.

The welfare and culture subcommittee, aiming to enhance the competitiveness of Hanam City's signature local festivals, benchmarked the Yeoju Ogoknaru Festival and the Ceramic Festival, both selected as leading festivals in Gyeonggi Province. They proposed discovering new festival content for Hanam, expanding budgets, and improving visitor convenience. Their proposals were reflected in the 2025 Hanam Iseongsanseong Cultural Festival held in September, where, during the pre-event at Seokbadae Market, collaboration with the merchants' association enabled the sale of food items under 5,000 won and thorough self-managed hygiene, contributing to the event's success.

The education subcommittee, to establish a children's English library and develop specialized content, benchmarked English libraries in Songpa and Gangnam. They presented various advisory proposals for the Hanam Children's English Library, which is scheduled to open in 2026, including differentiated operational concepts, diverse curation, and citizen participation programs.

The advisory proposals for the five tasks presented this time will be reviewed by the relevant departments and reflected in city policies.

Lee Hyunjae, Mayor of Hanam City, stated, "I urge the Citizens' Participation Innovation Committee to actively drive change in Hanam as a partner in policy design together with the city."

Meanwhile, the major achievements of the Citizens' Participation Innovation Committee, which has been active for three years since its launch in 2022, were also shared on this day. The committee has contributed a total of 20 policy advisory proposals in five areas, including employment, urban development, and transportation, which have been reflected in city policies. Through 74 written consultations, the committee has provided practical assistance in solving Hanam City's key issues.

In particular, the education subcommittee has provided ongoing advice for the establishment of "HiLearn," an integrated online education platform, to bridge educational gaps between regions and create an online one-stop learning environment accessible anytime, anywhere. The committee's input was incorporated throughout all stages, from planning and operational activation to improving quality and strengthening promotion. As a result, "HiLearn" became the only integrated online education platform in Gyeonggi Province and officially launched in May, establishing itself as a customized educational service available to all citizens.