Eunpyeong-gu Resident Participatory Budgeting 10th Anniversary Event Successfully Concluded

Sharing 10 Years of Achievements and Preparing for the Next Decade... Various Events Including Commemorative Photo Exhibition, Grand Debate, and Talk Concert Held

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Eunpyeong-gu (Mayor Kim Mi-kyung) operated the 10th anniversary week of the Resident Participatory Budgeting System from the 9th to the 13th, holding various events including a grand debate.

Over the five days starting from the 9th, a commemorative photo exhibition was held, followed by a grand debate at 10 a.m. on the 11th, and a talk concert at 3 p.m. on the same day. These events provided an opportunity to share the history and achievements of the past 10 years with residents and to envision the future of the Resident Participatory Budgeting System.

The commemorative photo exhibition showcased records unique to Eunpyeong-gu, including roundtable discussion-style resident assemblies aiming for deliberative democracy, youth assemblies in the form of Landsgemeinde, main budget reviews, public-private budget councils, the Tomorrow Eunpyeong debate marking the transition of the 7th elected administration, and online assemblies. On-site photo printing events were also held, allowing residents to print photos filled with memories of their participation, which received enthusiastic responses from attendees.

Additionally, to mark the 10th anniversary week of the participatory budgeting system, appreciation plaques were presented to committee members who served in the 3rd and 4th resident participation committees, recognizing their dedication and efforts.

At the grand debate, starting with presentations by Dr. Im Seong-il, former researcher at the Korea Institute of Local Administration, and Jo Jae-hak, Eunpyeong-gu’s Cooperation Coordinator, the current status of resident participatory budgeting was reviewed. The discussion covered the entire process from budget formulation, execution, to evaluation, exploring resident proposal system reforms and online assemblies aimed at lowering barriers to participation, highlighting features unique to Eunpyeong-gu.

Furthermore, cautioning against a situation where only the system remains without residents, the essence of resident participation was revisited. Various measures for future development were proposed, including ways to enable more residents to participate more deeply.

The talk concert was attended by Mayor Kim Mi-kyung and panelists from various fields, who shared their experiences and memorable activities related to participatory budgeting in their respective areas.

Kim Mi-kyung, Mayor of Eunpyeong-gu, stated, “I have been involved since the first phase when Eunpyeong-gu’s participatory budgeting began, and after 10 years of many discussions and various attempts, we have come this far. I am grateful to everyone who has participated.” She added, “We will continue to create opportunities to hear more diverse voices from residents.”

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