Gwangju Dong-gu District announced on November 25 that it has received the Grand Prize in the environmental sector at the '2025 Local Government Content Awards.' This recognition comes as a result of the nationwide acclaim for the 'Kkodume Resource Circulation Village,' the flagship achievement of the district's 'Public-Private Partnership-Based Smart Green City Project,' which has been underway since 2022.
This project was launched in January 2022 to address local environmental issues, including the increase in illegal waste dumping in aging residential areas, the lack of designated disposal sites in commercial and single-family home districts, the absence of arrival information for waste collection trucks, and the expiration of citizen points due to the lack of a resource circulation platform. Centered around the Eco-Friendly Resource Circulation Center, which opened in April last year, the project simultaneously supported offline activities and established an integrated online system, thereby reducing resident inconvenience and expanding participation.
This award recognizes innovative achievements such as: ▲ the nation's first government-supported, resident-led resource circulation community, 'Kkodume Resource Circulation Village'; ▲ the establishment of 'Donggurami On,' an AI-based, resident-driven integrated resource circulation platform; ▲ the first nationwide implementation of a garbage truck arrival information system based on GPS big data analysis; ▲ the development of an AI-based pay-as-you-throw bin (patent pending, with a 3% royalty stake secured); and ▲ the operation of a pilot project for mobile paper pack collection, linked with cafes, senior employment programs, and the resource circulation platform.
Through this project, all activities-from resource disposal and collection to point accumulation and participation-have been connected into a single integrated ecosystem, resulting in positive outcomes such as waste reduction, increased participation rates, and the establishment of a resident-driven management system.
Dong-gu District plans to further advance the 'Donggurami On' platform, expand the installation of AI-based pay-as-you-throw bins, and strengthen the functions of the Eco-Friendly Resource Circulation Center, with the goal of spreading this sustainable, resident-participatory resource circulation model nationwide.
Lim Taek, Mayor of Dong-gu District, stated, "This award is particularly meaningful because it recognizes an innovation in living environments that was not led by the administration, but rather designed and implemented directly by residents," adding, "Going forward, we will expand the smart green city model across all of Dong-gu, building on the foundation of the Kkodume Resource Circulation Village."
Meanwhile, the '2025 Local Government Content Awards' is organized by Local Government TV and others, and the award ceremony will be held at the National Assembly Members' Hall Grand Conference Room at 3:00 p.m. on November 27.
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