[Photo] Kim Young-jong, Jongno-gu Mayor, Elected Permanent Chairman of the Local Governments for Happiness Realization Association

[Asia Economy Reporter Jong-il Park] On the 16th at 11 a.m., Kim Young-jong, Mayor of Jongno District, was elected as the 2nd Standing Chairman at the 5th Regular General Meeting of the Happiness Realization Local Government Council held at Ferrum Tower in Jung-gu (19 Euljiro 5-gil).

The Happiness Realization Local Government Council is an administrative council established in 2018 with the primary policy goal of residents' happiness, aiming to create happy local communities. It currently has 37 local governments nationwide as members.

Over the past two years, the council has consistently worked to realize related policies by developing happiness indicators, operating happiness policy education and training programs, holding quarterly happiness policy forums, and publishing happiness newsletters.

With this election as Standing Chairman, Kim Young-jong, Mayor of Jongno District, will lead the Happiness Realization Local Government Council for the next two years, promoting various joint projects that enhance residents' happiness through sharing happiness policies among local governments and fostering solidarity and cooperation.

Following the regular general meeting, from 1 p.m., a Nordic Happiness Policy Symposium was held under the theme "The Secret of the Nordic Happiness States." Ambassadors from three Nordic countries with high happiness indices (Denmark, Sweden, Finland) were invited to share the secrets of happiness, and domestic Nordic experts such as Professor Choi Hee-kyung from Kyungpook National University and Professor Seo Hyun-soo from Korea National University of Education provided insights into the core of happiness policies.

Mayor Kim Young-jong stated, "As COVID-19 prolongs, the role of local governments in realizing happiness is becoming increasingly important. At this time, I will undertake this heavy responsibility to establish a close cooperative system among local governments so that happiness can be firmly established as a policy."

Meanwhile, Jongno District established the nation's first dedicated happiness team in January 2015, enacted Seoul's first "Resident Happiness Promotion Ordinance" in 2017, and developed the Jongno Happiness Indicator in 2018.

Additionally, the Jongno Happiness Dream Project, which discusses and implements happiness in Jongno based on resident participation, is actively underway. In this way, the district prioritizes residents' happiness as the top value in district administration and strives to devise practical measures to enhance residents' happiness.

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