Gwangju Dong-gu Achieves Remarkable 6th Place Overall in the 2021 National Local Government Evaluation

High Evaluation for Efforts to Develop Regional Specialized Cultural Tourism Content and Improve Financial Management

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Cho Hyung-joo] Dong-gu, Gwangju (Mayor Im Taek) announced on the 22nd that it achieved an impressive 6th place overall ranking among 69 autonomous districts in the ‘2021 National Local Government Evaluation’.

This remarkable achievement marks a leap of ten places from last year’s 16th place overall ranking, making Dong-gu the only autonomous district in Gwangju to rank alongside metropolitan areas such as Gangnam-gu in Seoul in the top tier.

Now in its fifth year, the ‘2021 National Local Government Evaluation’ is conducted annually to promote competitiveness among local governments and enhance public welfare.

This evaluation was conducted in two categories: administrative services and financial capacity. The administrative services category covered 36 items across six fields including social welfare, community health, culture and tourism, and education, while the financial capacity category evaluated 12 items across six fields related to financial conditions and soundness.

Among the evaluation categories, districts with higher scores in administrative services tended to rank higher overall. Dong-gu contributed to its improved overall ranking by placing within the top 10% in the culture and tourism (6th place) and community health (10th place) sectors of administrative services.

Despite being a city with a population under 500,000, Dong-gu’s ability to stand shoulder to shoulder with top-ranking districts such as Gangnam-gu in Seoul and Yeonsu-gu in Incheon is attributed to its unique priority projects. These projects have become benchmarks for other local governments, providing residents with a tangible sense of administrative effectiveness, according to Dong-gu officials.

Specifically, to respond proactively and effectively to the COVID-19 pandemic crisis, Dong-gu was the first in Gwangju to establish and operate the ‘Dong-gu Permanent Screening Clinic.’

Opened on July 22, the screening clinic is equipped with a positive and negative pressure central control system, automatic ventilation, and heating and cooling systems, providing an optimal environment for both medical staff and visitors, thus taking a preemptive approach to infectious disease control ahead of other districts.

Alongside this, amid the COVID-19 crisis, Dong-gu adopted a contrarian strategy by focusing on the culture and tourism industry. Last year, it secured 4 billion KRW in national and city funds through the ‘Asia Culture Plaza Content Development’ project, investing heavily in projects such as the ‘Light Fountain Construction Project,’ which will serve as a core content for establishing the ‘Garden of Light’ in the Culture Complex area, continuously striving to develop unique cultural tourism content exclusive to Gwangju.

In terms of financial capacity, Dong-gu led sound fiscal management by reducing budget debt ratios and efficiently organizing administrative operating expenses. The district’s efforts to improve financial management were highly recognized, receiving awards such as the Ministry of the Interior and Safety’s Best Local Finance Analysis Institution in 2019, Excellent Institution in Local Finance Expansion Evaluation for two consecutive years (2018-2019), and Best Institution for Prompt Local Finance Execution in 2021.

Mayor Im Taek of Dong-gu stated, “Despite the difficult circumstances posed by COVID-19, this solid achievement clearly demonstrates the administrative capabilities and urban competitiveness of Dong-gu in the 7th local government term, transforming from a declining city image to a promising cultural tourism city of the future.” He added, “We will continue to do our utmost to provide higher quality administrative services to residents and lay the foundation for regional development.”

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