Significant Increase in Achievements Compared to Previous Year
Noticeable Upward Trend in Overall County Performance
Hamyang County in South Gyeongsang Province achieved a total of 55 awards in external evaluations conducted by central government ministries and various external professional organizations in 2025, thereby demonstrating the overall policy competitiveness and administrative capabilities of the county government to the public.
The number of external evaluation awards received by Hamyang County has shown a steady increase for three consecutive years, rising from 21 in 2023, to 37 in 2024, and to 55 in 2025. This remarkable expansion of achievements within a short period indicates that both the stability of county administration and the completeness of its policies have improved together.
In particular, this year’s awards comprised 28 from central government ministries, 16 from South Gyeongsang Province, and 11 from other organizations. The number of awards from central government ministries increased significantly from 13 in the previous year to 28, reflecting a notable enhancement in the completeness and external competitiveness of the county’s policies.
This success in external evaluations was achieved across a wide range of areas, including administrative innovation, welfare and safety, agriculture and tourism, and regional revitalization. Strategic policy implementation focused on field-oriented administration and interdepartmental collaboration was highly regarded as a key factor in these achievements.
In the field of administrative innovation, efforts to enhance resident participation and administrative efficiency received high marks. The county was selected as an exemplary local government for the Ministry of the Interior and Safety’s resident participatory budgeting system, and achieved an A grade (top 25%) in the Local Government Productivity Awards. Additionally, Hamyang County was recognized as an outstanding local government in the nationwide local government organization and personnel management evaluation, and was listed as an exemplary case in the 2025 South Gyeongsang Province civil complaint system and service evaluation, thereby earning recognition for its trustworthy administrative capabilities.
In the welfare sector, the county was selected as an outstanding institution in the comprehensive evaluation of youth counseling and welfare projects, as well as in the field of child care services. The county also received commendations for contributions to balanced regional development and regional revitalization (youth villages), demonstrating the results of efforts to strengthen the life-cycle care system.
In the area of safety, Hamyang County received favorable evaluations for disaster response and overall public safety. The county achieved positive results in the Ministry of the Interior and Safety’s 2025 summer water safety management evaluation and the evaluation for strengthening measures against social disasters. The county’s excellent disaster response capabilities were also recognized in the disaster management evaluation and the evaluation of winter natural disaster (heavy snow and cold wave) countermeasures.
Furthermore, the county demonstrated stable administrative capabilities in water management and environmental fields, being selected as an exemplary institution for water management, achieving positive results in the general water supply business operation and management evaluation, the public sewage management evaluation, and the nationwide evaluation of local governments in the water supply and sewage sectors.
In agriculture, the county’s achievements in strengthening regional agricultural competitiveness stood out. Hamyang County achieved results in the 12th Happy Rural Village Making Contest and was highly evaluated at both central and provincial levels in the evaluation of outstanding institutions for rural development projects. Additionally, by winning the 29th South Gyeongsang Province Agricultural and Marine Products Export Tower, the external competitiveness of Hamyang’s agricultural products was further demonstrated.
In addition, through efforts to secure revenue, the county received the 28th Korea Local Finance Grand Prize, was recognized as an outstanding local government in the execution of livelihood recovery consumption coupons, and achieved excellent results in the evaluation of regional gift certificate issuance, thereby strengthening the foundation for a virtuous cycle in the local economy.
Moreover, Hamyang County achieved meaningful results in the tourism sector alongside its success in external evaluations. The county was designated as Korea’s first official tourism road, which recognized the excellence of its differentiated tourism resources and storytelling-based tourism policy. Hamyang was also named a “rising city” by the Korea Tourism Organization, raising its profile as a tourism destination nationwide.
Hamyang County has consistently set the improvement of residents’ quality of life as its top priority, focusing on discovering effective policies and operating administration with a performance-oriented approach. These efforts have had a positive impact on both quantitative and qualitative aspects of external evaluations, resulting in not only an increase in the number of awards but also an improvement in their quality.
Furthermore, the increase in external evaluation awards is expected to serve as a key foundation for enhancing not only the credibility of county administration but also Hamyang County’s competitiveness in securing national and provincial funding and in being selected for various public projects in the future.
A Hamyang County official stated, "The increase in external evaluation awards for 2025 is the result of joint efforts by residents and public officials," and added, "We will continue to pursue administration proven by results, leading to changes that residents can feel and sustainable regional development."
Meanwhile, Hamyang County plans to thoroughly analyze the results of this evaluation, spread exemplary cases throughout county administration, and improve areas that need enhancement, thereby further increasing the completeness of its policies.
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