Yangcheon District Mayor Kim Su-young Leads Discussion at Mokmingwan Club 10th Anniversary International Forum

Exploring the Possibilities and Development Directions of 'Digital Democracy' for Basic Local Governments in the Post-Corona Era

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Kim Soo-young, Mayor of Yangcheon District, attended as the chairperson of the Mokmingwan Club’s 10th Anniversary International Forum held on the 10th at the Jung-gu Community House Masil, leading a heated discussion on the possibilities of non-face-to-face digital democracy triggered by COVID-19.

The Mokmingwan Club is a group launched in September 2010 for communication and research among local government heads to realize grassroots democracy and sustainable regional development. This year marks its 10th anniversary, and Mayor Kim serves as co-representative and chairperson of the steering committee of the Mokmingwan Club.

Held to celebrate the 10th anniversary, this forum was themed “10 Years of Autonomous Innovation, Drawing the Hope of the Republic of Korea.” To prevent the spread of COVID-19, only the chairperson, presenters, and event officials attended in person, and the forum was conducted via live online and offline broadcasts based on four topics.

On this day, Kim Soo-young, Mayor of Yangcheon District, chaired Section 2 titled “Exploring the Possibilities of Digital Democracy amid the COVID-19 Pandemic.” The discussion included Robert Binarson, founder of the Citizens Foundation in Iceland, Kim Mi-kyung, Mayor of Eunpyeong District, Lee Jung-hoon, Mayor of Gangdong District, and Hwang Hyun-sook, team leader of the Public Sphere at Parti Cooperative.

Opening the session, Mayor Kim said, “Due to COVID-19, transitioning to non-face-to-face methods has become an inevitable choice in all fields. It is now time for basic local governments, which have been accustomed to communicating directly with residents on the front lines of administration, to change.” He added, “As an alternative, digital democracy?deliberation and public discourse using digital technology?is gaining attention, and we aim to share our opinions on this topic.”

The presentation began with Robert Binarson introducing the success story of the digital participation platform “Your Priorities,” which he developed and operates.

Following the presentation, Mayor Kim Mi-kyung of Eunpyeong District shared experiences with online deliberation groups and successful residents’ assemblies, while Mayor Lee Jung-hoon of Gangdong District presented cases of creating new educational environments (E-studio) and planning contactless Seonsa culture festivals during the COVID era, continuing the discussion.

Finally, the democratic activist group Parti Cooperative shared their experiences operating a citizen participation platform, concluding the discussion.

They agreed that for digital democracy to settle well without creating new gaps and discrimination, not only the advancement of digital technology but also discussions and joint efforts by local governments and civic organizations are necessary to ensure digital spaces are equally accessible to all.

Mayor Kim Soo-young said, “It was a meaningful time to share good experiences and gain inspiration. We reflected on realizing digital democracy for broader resident participation.” He added, “As the role of local governments becomes increasingly important in the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, we will strive to exchange excellent policies among local governments and develop together.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.