41 Projects Discovered Across Four Categories
Local Subsidy Integration Model Wins Grand Prize
Sokcho City, which is emerging as a leading city in AI-driven administration, announced the final results of the 'Sokcho City AI Competition (SOKCHO AI Challenge)' on December 19, following the completion of the evaluation process that demonstrated the AI utilization capabilities of public officials.
Screenshot of the award-winning work by Team Leader Min Hyungki, Specialist in Local Subsidies and Policy Administration Integration. Provided by Sokcho City.
This competition was held as a practical event, building on Sokcho City's ongoing data-driven administrative innovation efforts since last year. Public officials directly applied AI to their work to propose practical administrative solutions.
A total of 41 projects were submitted across four categories, resulting in fierce competition. By category, there were 14 entries for official documents and report advancement, 10 for automating civil service FAQ responses, 4 for summary, table, and chart dashboards, and 13 for promotional content (such as cards, posters, and videos).
The judging panel for this competition consisted of seven members, including the Deputy Mayor and external AI experts, ensuring fairness and expertise. The judges commented, "The overall quality and practical applicability of the entries far exceeded expectations, confirming that Sokcho City's public officials have already reached a significant level of proficiency in utilizing AI."
The grand prize was awarded to Min Hyungki, Administrative Team Leader at the Joyang-dong Community Service Center. Team Leader Min received high praise from the judges for his work, 'Korea Local Subsidy Policy Administration Integration Specialist,' which presented a model for integrating and streamlining the complex management of local subsidies using AI. The grand prize winner will receive a mayoral commendation and a prize of 500,000 KRW.
Additionally, the top prize in each category went to: Yeonhwa Kang, Head of the Daepo-dong Community Service Center, for 'Innovation in Snow Removal Management Using AI and GPS' in the official documents and report advancement category; Byungrok Hwang, Team Leader of the Local Economy Division, for 'One-Click Construction Project Cost Estimation' in the civil service FAQ automation category; Sungjae Heo, Officer at the Environmental Division, for 'Why Did They Cross Here?' in the summary, table, and dashboard category; and Minhee Choi, Officer at the Citizen Communication Division, for 'Sokcho City Public Promotion Materials Standard Production Guide Prompt' in the promotional content category.
In addition to these, a total of 17 individuals received awards, including excellence and encouragement prizes. Each top prize winner received 200,000 KRW, and the total prize money awarded amounted to 2.1 million KRW.
In the second half of 2024, Sokcho City established a ChatGPT 4.0 environment for all employees and systematically strengthened internal AI utilization capabilities through 12 hands-on training sessions and the operation of an AI club. Notably, this competition went beyond simply collecting ideas; it served as a key step toward building a standardized 'AI Administrative Reference' to be used across all departments starting next year.
The city plans to compile the outstanding results from this competition into work manuals and casebooks to be distributed and utilized across all departments.
Lee Byungseon, Mayor of Sokcho City, stated, "This AI competition was a practical event in which our public officials independently discovered ways to utilize AI. Going forward, we will ensure that AI is seamlessly integrated into all administrative fields, making a decisive leap toward becoming a smart city that delivers prompt and accurate administrative services that citizens can truly experience."
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