Seong Jang-hyun, Yongsan District Mayor, Receives 'Freedom Award' from World League for Freedom and Democracy

Excelling in International Exchange Projects with Quy Nhon City, Vietnam, and Dedicating Efforts to the 'Defense of Liberal Democracy' Veterans Affairs Program

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] On the 28th, Seong Jang-hyun, Mayor of Yongsan-gu, received the 'Award of Freedom' from the World League for Freedom and Democracy (President Yao Yingqi) at the headquarters of the Korea Freedom Federation located in Jung-gu, Seoul.

He is the first among Seoul’s district mayors to receive this honor. It is an international recognition of his contributions to the realization of liberal democracy.

Mayor Seong particularly stood out in international exchange projects under the banner of ‘peace.’ A representative example is the 25-year friendship exchange with the Vietnamese sister city, Quy Nhon (Quynhon) in Binh Dinh Province.

Quy Nhon, located in central Vietnam’s Binh Dinh Province, was where the Korean Tiger Division was stationed during the Vietnam War. In 1996, Mayor Seong visited Quy Nhon as a district council member, and the following year, the two cities established a sister city relationship.

Since taking office as mayor in the 5th local election term (2010), Mayor Seong has strengthened exchange projects with Quy Nhon, achieving results in various fields such as ▲supporting outstanding students from Quy Nhon to study abroad ▲operating the Quy Nhon Sejong Institute ▲building houses of love ▲establishing kindergartens ▲supporting the opening of a cataract treatment center.

In 2016, he attracted attention by creating Korea’s first Vietnamese-themed street in the Itaewon Bogwang-ro 59-gil area. At that time, ‘Yongsan Street’ named after a foreign city was also established in Quy Nhon, the first of its kind in Vietnam.

For these contributions, Mayor Seong received the Friendship Medal from the Vietnamese President and a commendation from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in 2018. Recently, he has been expanding city diplomacy projects into the private and economic sectors.

Mayor Seong has also devoted efforts to veterans’ affairs to ‘protect liberal democracy.’ Since taking office in the 5th local election term, he has welcomed the New Year every January 1st by paying respects at Uiyeolsa Shrine in Hyochang Park (177-18 Hyochangwon-ro). Additionally, since 2011, he has held the annual ‘Memorial Ceremony for the Seven Patriots of Hyochangwon’ (Kim Gu, Lee Bong-chang, Yoon Bong-gil, Baek Jeong-gi, Lee Dong-nyeong, Jo Seong-hwan, Cha Ri-seok).

In 2016, he began the permanent opening of Uiyeolsa Shrine, utilizing it as a living history education site for citizens. Last year, marking the 100th anniversary of the March 1st Movement, he held the ‘Patriots’ Tribute Ceremony’ at Hyochang Park, reaffirming the ancestors’ will for national self-determination.

Furthermore, Mayor Seong was inaugurated as the representative chairman of the Korea Association of Mayors, Governors and District Heads in 2018. He led initiatives such as the ‘Gyeongju Declaration for Local Autonomy’ (October 30, 2018) and the ‘Resolution to Promote Grassroots-Centered Local Autonomy and Balanced Regional Development’ (April 12, 2019) to strengthen decentralization. He has contributed to realizing grassroots democracy through the operation of residents’ autonomy committees, village development, and urban regeneration.

A district official said, “Mayor Seong has made great efforts to increase administrative satisfaction among all residents regardless of age, nationality, race, or economic disparity,” adding, “The mayor’s role was crucial in enabling the district to carry out stable public services.”

The World League for Freedom and Democracy is an international non-governmental organization headquartered in Taiwan. It upholds freedom and democracy as its core values and currently includes 139 countries. Since 2001, the league has been identifying individuals who have contributed to the promotion of liberal democratic values, world peace, and the protection of liberal democracy, awarding them the Award of Freedom.

Mayor Seong Jang-hyun of Yongsan-gu said, “Today, I received another meaningful award,” and added, “I will continue to fulfill my duties for free administration, peaceful exchanges, social integration, and the realization of grassroots democracy.”

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