Seongdong-gu, 2022 Resident Participation Budget Proposal Project Call for Applications

Until April 16, Open Call for Resident Participation Budget Proposal Projects up to 50 Million KRW within 1.5 Billion KRW This Year... Strengthening Resident Leadership by Changing Final Project Method to Resident Assembly, Enhancing Understanding and Interest through Online Resident Participation Budget School

Last year selected Haengdang 2-dong 'Telling the Story of Dojanggol on the Retaining Wall' Project

[Asia Economy Reporter Jongil Park] Seongdong-gu (Mayor Jeong Won-oh) is accepting proposals for the 2022 Seongdong-gu Resident Participatory Budget projects until April 16.

The 'Resident Participatory Budget System' is a system where residents directly participate in the budgeting process, including discovering resident-benefit projects needed in the area and deciding the priority of budget allocation, to increase transparency in financial management and realize participatory and direct democracy.

Last year, 2,887 people voted through a combination of online meetings and voting, gathering diverse resident opinions, resulting in the selection of 51 projects with a total budget of about 1.5 billion KRW.

Among them, Haengdang 2-dong (administrative dong) was selected for a mural project titled 'Painting the Story of Dojanggol on the Retaining Wall,' which reflects the area's origin, receiving praise from residents for transforming a plain gray retaining wall into a landmark street.

This year, to encourage continuous resident participation in the participatory budget system, the final project selection method will be changed from the Resident Participatory Budget Committee to a Resident General Assembly, strengthening resident leadership.

Additionally, projects closely related to residents' lives and capable of solving local issues will be prioritized, and promotion of the participatory budget system will be enhanced.

In particular, the 'Online Resident Participatory Budget School,' operating from March 22 this month, is expected to increase participants' understanding and interest in the participatory budget system. Compared to last year, the number of sessions has been increased, and the 'Online Resident Participatory Budget School,' conducted over two weeks, will be held in two courses?basic and advanced?for resident participatory budget committee members and residents involved in the process, featuring four sessions of case-centered lectures by expert instructors.

The total budget for this year's proposed projects is 1.5 billion KRW, and any Seongdong-gu resident (including those within the living area) can freely propose projects within 50 million KRW on any theme such as culture/events, autonomous administration, welfare/environment, parks, etc.

Submitted proposals will be reviewed by local meetings by dong and undergo eligibility checks by the project implementation departments. Priority will be determined through the Seongdong-gu Resident Participatory Budget Committee's review in July, and final selection will be made through on-site voting at the Resident General Assembly by dong in August.

Applications can be submitted online via the Seongdong-gu website, or by receiving the form and applying by mail or in person (at the District Office Planning and Budget Division or each dong resident center).

Detailed information can be found on the Seongdong-gu website.

Jeong Won-oh, Mayor of Seongdong-gu, said, "Through the Resident Participatory Budget System, we have been able to discover and implement various projects from the residents' perspective, and ideas that residents can actually feel in their daily lives are the foundation of life-centered administration," adding, "We hope for the interest and participation of many residents again this year."

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