Goyang City Continues "Communication Meetings" for Fourth Year
Record 129 Meetings Held, Most in City’s History
All Districts to Be Covered by Early December
Promise to "Find Answers On Site" Kept
"Leadership in Communication" Noted as 75% of Citizen Suggestions Resolved
Goyang Special City in Gyeonggi Province (Mayor Lee Donghwan) has placed communication with citizens at the center of its administration over the past three years, implementing a "communication-oriented administration" by visiting sites and reflecting citizens' opinions in policy. Now in the fourth year of the 8th popularly elected term, Goyang has established a system for directly listening to citizens' voices and incorporating them into city governance, holding a record 129 communication meetings-the highest number in the city's history.
Lee Donghwan, Mayor of Goyang Special City, visited Seongsa Creative Innovation Campus on September 18 to hold a communication meeting in Seongsa 1-dong. Provided by Goyang Special City
◆ Communication Meetings by District in the Fourth Year... 455 Citizen Suggestions Heard, 75% Resolved or in Progress
According to Goyang Special City on October 27, the city held a record 129 communication meetings over the three years of the 8th term up to last year. This year, the city continues to actively reflect citizens' voices in municipal affairs by holding meetings in all 44 districts. So far, communication meetings have been held in 21 districts, with plans to complete the remaining meetings by early December.
The meetings are held not only at administrative welfare centers but also at major local facilities and infrastructure that represent each district, such as Goyang Sports Complex (Daehwa-dong), Seongsa Creative Innovation Center (Seongsa 1-dong), Janghang Wetland Ecology Center (Janghang 1-dong), Goyang Flower Exhibition Hall (Janghang 2-dong), and Juyeop Community Center (Juyeop 1-dong), providing residents with new spatial experiences and a sense of presence. At these meetings, Mayor Lee Donghwan listens to local issues directly from residents and explores solutions and directions for development together with relevant department heads.
Of the 455 suggestions received up to last year, the breakdown by type is as follows: 144 for expansion of public facilities, 105 for urban environment improvement, 93 for parking and traffic issues, 34 for disaster prevention and safety, and 79 for other issues such as institutional improvements-most of which are closely related to residents' daily lives. Of these, 123 have been completed and 217 are in progress, meaning about 75% of all suggestions have been resolved or are being implemented.
This year, a total of 153 suggestions have been received through public feedback. The city plans to review these by department and process them as either short-term or mid-to-long-term projects.
Additionally, in the fourth year of the 8th term, the city is also presenting awards to individuals who have contributed to municipal development and community revitalization, encouraging citizens' achievements and expanding the atmosphere of civic participation in city administration.
Lee Donghwan, Mayor of Goyang Special City, is conducting a communication meeting in Jungsan 1-dong on the 16th. Provided by Goyang Special City
◆ Expanding Communication with Regularized "Direct Petition Meetings"... Introducing a "Preemptive Response System" to Address Citizen Inconvenience
Since last year, the city has regularized "direct petition meetings" (mayor consultations), providing more opportunities for citizens to directly present issues to the mayor and discuss solutions.
In 2024, when the system was fully implemented, a total of 41 cases (12 handled directly by the mayor) were processed-a 1.6-fold increase from the previous year. As of the end of September this year, 28 cases (6 handled directly by the mayor) have been addressed. Chronic issues are tackled through direct meetings with the mayor, while cases requiring expertise are addressed by department and bureau heads who provide practical solutions.
Furthermore, in December last year, the city established "On-site Civil Complaints 25," the nation’s first dedicated on-site complaint platform. This system is designed to allow district officials and city hall departments to share and collaborate on civil complaints raised by citizens in real time. The progress of complaints is also easily communicated to citizens, narrowing the gap between the public and the administration.
As of the end of September this year, a total of 1,398 complaints have been received through On-site Civil Complaints 25, with 55% (771 cases) completed and 37% (514 cases) in progress, demonstrating a high processing rate.
Alongside this, the city is newly implementing a "preemptive response system" to proactively identify and address potential citizen inconveniences before they arise. To this end, the city is conducting pre-listening sessions and on-site inspections across all 44 districts, aiming to complete the process by early November.
Lee Donghwan, Mayor of Goyang Special City, is conducting an inspection of the construction site in Seongsa Innovation District as part of the operation of the "Preemptive Response System." Provided by Goyang Special City
◆ 121 Resident Participatory Budget Projects with 5.9 Billion Won Invested Over the Past 3 Years... Final Decisions for 2026 Projects to Be Made in December
The city is also continuously operating the "resident participatory budget system," which enhances transparency and efficiency in budget allocation by allowing residents to directly propose and participate in projects.
Over the past three years (2022-2024), a total of 121 projects worth approximately 5.9 billion won have been implemented through the resident participatory budget system, focusing on areas closely tied to daily life, such as improving citizen convenience, pedestrian environments, safety, and transportation. This has helped address everyday inconveniences that the administration may have overlooked and enabled the implementation of policies reflecting local characteristics.
On October 14, the "2025 Resident Participatory Budget Festival" was held to share the achievements of citizen-proposed projects and promote a culture of participation. The event highlighted the 2025 achievements and best practices, and six outstanding proposals for 2026 were presented.
The outstanding projects proposed for 2026 include: installation of a tensile structure pergola in Modang Park; maintenance of pedestrian paths in Imuljae Park; improvements to the ramp and environment at Neungsan Senior Center; installation of security CCTV on Solbat 1-gil; installation of security CCTV in the restroom at Seojeong Chestnut Tree Children's Park; and establishment of a resource circulation store at Hyocheon Administrative Welfare Center-all aimed at improving the living environment and enhancing safety.
Meanwhile, a total of 250 projects have been submitted for the 2026 resident participatory budget, of which 65 have passed departmental review. On October 23, an adjustment council composed of the mayor, department and bureau heads, and members of the resident participation committee was held, and the final budget allocations are expected to be confirmed after city council deliberations in December.
Going forward, the city plans to further promote the participatory budget system, where citizens propose and decide together, to ensure that policies deliver tangible results that citizens can feel.
Mayor Lee Donghwan stated, "Listening to and reflecting citizens' voices directly on site is both the direction and the answer for city administration. We will find the path together with citizens in the field and build a Goyang City that envisions the future together."
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