Jeongseon County in Gangwon Province announced on December 22 that it has achieved a triple crown in government awards, being recognized for its outstanding policy achievements in the "Public Transportation Management, Service, and Policy Evaluation" conducted by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.
Jeongseon County received the Prime Minister's Commendation by ranking first nationwide in the rural bus management and service evaluation category at the government assessment in the public transportation sector held on the 19th at the Grand Hill Convention in Seoul. Provided by Jeongseon County
On December 19, at the government assessment in the public transportation sector held at the Grand Hill Convention in Seoul, Jeongseon County received the Prime Minister's Commendation by ranking first nationwide in the rural bus management and service evaluation category. In the public transportation policy evaluation, the county ranked second nationwide among county-level local governments and received the Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Commendation. In the individual category, Kim Seungyeon, an official at the Transportation Management Office, was also awarded the Minister's Commendation for his outstanding contributions to policy implementation.
With these awards, Jeongseon County has achieved success in both the organizational and individual categories, once again proving its status as a leading local government in public transportation. Notably, by being selected as an excellent institution for the third consecutive time in the public transportation policy evaluation, the county has been officially recognized for its ongoing policy improvements and administrative capabilities, rather than just short-term achievements.
In particular, receiving the Prime Minister's Commendation by ranking first nationwide in the rural bus management and service evaluation highlights the significance of Jeongseon County's efforts to strengthen the public nature and stability of its public transportation system. The high scores were attributed not only to the introduction of new systems, but also to policies focused on tangible service improvements that residents can directly experience.
The public transportation policy evaluation is a system jointly conducted by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and the Korea Transportation Safety Authority. Every two years, it comprehensively assesses the public transportation policies of local governments nationwide and selects outstanding local governments. This year, the evaluation divided 160 local governments into four groups, and Jeongseon County was chosen as an excellent policy local government in Group D, which includes the largest number of counties.
Since becoming the first inland region nationwide to introduce a fully public bus system in 2020, Jeongseon County has developed its public transportation system centered on the "Wawa Bus." The county was also the first at the county level to establish an ultra-precise bus information system and introduce a boarding bell system at bus stops, both of which earned high marks for user-oriented service improvements in this evaluation.
Additionally, since July 1 of this year, Jeongseon County has operated all public buses on every route free of charge, further expanding its transportation welfare policies. The current full implementation of free public buses goes beyond the previous system, which was limited to certain groups, and now allows not only residents but also tourists and foreigners to use public transportation at no cost. This has lowered the economic barriers to transportation use, enabling anyone to use public transit without financial burden.
Alongside the free bus operation, Jeongseon County continues to improve transportation welfare by reorganizing routes for greater efficiency and convenience, and by enhancing services tailored to residents' needs. These policies are expected to have positive effects not only in addressing local challenges such as population decline and aging, but also in revitalizing the region by improving access to tourist attractions.
Oh Sejun, Head of the Transportation Management Office, stated, "This award is the result of comprehensive evaluation of transportation policies that have been improved step by step in the field to resolve the inconveniences residents face in their daily travel. We will continue to strengthen the Jeongseon-style transportation welfare model so that every resident can travel safely and conveniently, by expanding customized services for our community."
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