Gyeonggi Province Excels in Resident Participatory Budgeting, Named Top Government for First Time in Six Years

Gyeonggi Province has been selected as the top metropolitan government nationwide in the "2025 Resident Participatory Budgeting Excellence Evaluation," organized by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety.

This award recognizes Gyeonggi Province's achievement in establishing a stable structure where residents' proposals and opinions are actually reflected in policies and budgets, going beyond mere formal participation in the budgeting process. It marks the first time in six years, since 2019, that Gyeonggi Province has been selected as the top government in this category.

Gyeonggi Province has continuously improved its resident participatory budgeting system with the goal of realizing "fiscal democracy with direct resident participation."

To begin with, the province increased the number of members in the Resident Participatory Budget Committee from 150 to 200, and strengthened the foundation for reflecting a more diverse range of residents' voices in the budget by establishing a participation structure that considers region, age, gender, and other factors.

This year, Gyeonggi Province is also promoting the introduction of an artificial intelligence (AI)-based resident participatory budgeting platform, enabling residents to more easily and conveniently submit proposals and monitor the budgeting process. In addition, the province has reinforced cooperation with city and county governments to support the operation of resident participatory budgeting systems tailored to local circumstances.

Gyeonggi Provincial Government

In particular, Gyeonggi Province launched a re-challenge consulting program for proposals that were not selected, ensuring that resident proposals do not simply end with selection or rejection. This initiative, introduced for the first time this year, was highly praised for enhancing the quality of proposals and increasing their potential for actual policy implementation, thereby raising the effectiveness of resident participation.

Furthermore, the province has established a system to reflect residents' opinions throughout the entire budgeting process-from budget formulation to execution and evaluation-through preference surveys, resident evaluations of major fiscal projects, and online resident voting.

Gyeonggi Province plans to further advance the resident participatory budgeting system in 2026. The province will upgrade its AI-based resident participation system and strengthen pre- and post-consulting for resident proposals to create an environment where all residents can understand and participate in the budgeting process. Additionally, by disclosing the criteria and progress of proposal reviews, the province aims to further enhance transparency and trust.

Heo Seungbeom, Director General for Planning and Coordination of Gyeonggi Province, stated, "This award is the result of each and every resident's proposals and participation," adding, "Gyeonggi Province will continue to develop a participatory fiscal model in which residents and the provincial government decide on budgets that are closest to residents' lives together."