Gwangju Dong-gu Selected as an Outstanding Institution at the 'Truly Good Local Autonomy' Policy Conference

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Yoon Jamin] Dong-gu, Gwangju Metropolitan City (Mayor Im Taek) announced on the 1st that it was selected as an excellent institution at the ‘Really Good Local Autonomy’ policy conference held at Daejeon Metropolitan City Hall on the 31st.

The Really Good Local Autonomy Policy Conference is co-hosted by the Really Good Local Government Council, the National Association of Mayors, County Governors and District Heads, and the Presidential Committee on Autonomy and Decentralization, and is organized by the Korean Local Autonomy Association.

Under the theme of ‘Strengthening the People with Really Good Local Policies,’ the event was prepared to activate policy exchanges between local governments, with mayors, county governors, and district heads directly introducing excellent policies.

Among a total of 91 local governments participating, after regional evaluations, 12 local governments were finally honored with awards, and Dong-gu received the Chairman’s Award of the National Balanced Development Committee for creating the ‘Maeul Sarangchae (Village Community Space).’

Maeul Sarangchae is a village communication space by district, where residents take the lead to engage in various activities such as welfare, autonomy, and culture and arts. Since the launch of the 7th local government administration, Dong-gu has been focusing on promoting this project aiming for a community of communication and sharing.

Maeul Sarangchae is an open space operated and utilized by residents themselves, a complex space where communication, sharing, and cultural activities are possible. It is equipped with a multipurpose room and a shared kitchen, establishing itself as a neighborhood salon that solves village issues.

Among them, the Hakun-dong ‘Mukkotdong Maeul Sarangchae’ played a command tower role in producing 2,000 masks through the Dong-gu village community network in response to the mask shortage during the COVID-19 crisis, and continuously provided homemade side dishes to neighbors struggling with meals as welfare facilities closed.

Currently, Dong-gu has established and completed six Maeul Sarangchae locations and plans to create them in all 13 neighborhoods by next year.

Mayor Im Taek of Dong-gu said, “I am pleased that the Maeul Sarangchae project, which is a key policy of the 7th local government administration, has stood out among excellent policies nationwide and its achievements have been recognized,” adding, “We will continue to ensure that Maeul Sarangchae becomes a space for sharing and communication, and a community space where residents share their small daily lives.”

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