Nowon-gu Wins Grand Prize for Outstanding Local Community Activity Case Competition

Gongneung-dong Kkummaeul Community Activity Case 'Creating Small Changes in the Village We Live In' Wins Best Field Activity Award

[Asia Economy Reporter Jongil Park] Nowon-gu (Mayor Oh Seung-rok) won the grand prize in the ‘2020 Excellent Cases of Local Community Activities Contest.’

The ‘Excellent Cases of Local Community Activities Contest,’ hosted by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, is a system that selects and shares outstanding cases where local communities lead the discovery and resolution of local issues, thereby contributing to the revitalization of the community.

The district introduced the activity case of Gongneung-dong Dream Village Community titled ‘We are making small changes in the village we live in’ and was selected for the grand prize in this contest.

The ‘Gongneung-dong Dream Village Community’ is a local council voluntarily formed in 2012 in Gongneung-dong, leading local changes through various village activities centered around the Gongneung Youth Culture Information Center. Currently, more than 40 institutions and organizations, including Gongneung Happiness Power Plant, Anmaeul Newspaper, Deesallim Cooperative, and Down Welfare Center, participate in the activities.

Looking at the main activity cases of the Dream Village Community, they first carry out youth education, culture, and welfare activities linked with the village community. The Dream Village Community holds the ‘Wagle Wagle Children’s Grand Festival’ and the ‘Youth Festival Kkumnarsha’ every May and September. Both festivals involve children, youth, local residents, and the village community in all processes from planning to evaluation. These festivals, created by the whole village, attract 2,000 to 3,000 visitors annually due to their popularity.

Resident-led operation of village community spaces and village circular economy activities are also active. Book Cafe Darak, Youth Rest Cafe Kkotdabang, and Deesallim Store Dundeunhan Bottari are village spaces operated by residents. ‘Village and Madi,’ operated by the Dream Village Cooperative, uses part of the generated profits for the development of Gongneung-dong and for marginalized groups, thereby revitalizing the village circular economy.

Additionally, the ‘Stepping Stone Village Fund,’ where village residents collect public funds to help children and youth in urgent need within the area, and the ‘Face Mask Production and Delivery of Quarantine Supplies Project’ for vulnerable groups received favorable evaluations.

Meanwhile, this year’s contest was selected through a comprehensive evaluation by a judging committee composed of local community experts, assessing sustainability, originality, public interest, and potential for dissemination of excellent cases. A total of 11 cities and provinces, including Nowon-gu, were honored with awards in eight field activity cases and three media activity cases. These excellent cases will be shared and disseminated through the Local Community Forum held online on the 16th.

Mayor Oh Seung-rok said, “I hope that our district’s excellent local community activity cases will be widely spread through this competition,” and added, “We will continue to spare no support for the revitalization of village communities.”

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