Seongdong-gu Dasan Mokmin Grand Prize Main Award (Minister of the Interior and Safety) Recipient

Jung Won-oh, Mayor of Seongdong-gu, Receives High Praise for 'Smart Inclusive' Administration Ensuring No One Is Left Behind in the 6th and 7th Local Governments

[Asia Economy Reporter Jong-il Park] Seongdong-gu (Mayor Jeong Won-oh) has been selected as the grand prize winner of the 13th Dasan Mokmin Award hosted by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety.

The 'Dasan Mokmin Award' is a prestigious award that recognizes and honors local governments practicing the spirit of public service (Mokmin spirit) of Dasan Jeong Yak-yong in administrative fields. Each year, only three local governments receive this honor.

This year's Mokmin Award recipients were selected through a rigorous three-month evaluation process, which included a first round of public data review and a second round of interviews with officials. The evaluation focused on policy cases in three areas: Self-discipline (律己, Yulgi), Public Service (奉公, Bonggong), and Love for the People (愛民, Aemin), as well as the local leader's commitment to practicing the Mokmin spirit.

Seongdong-gu's award is regarded as the result of Mayor Jeong Won-oh's consistent citizen-centered administration, which has embodied the Mokmin spirit of Yulgi, Bonggong, and Aemin through sincere communication based on 'kindness' over the past six years, from the 6th to the 7th elected terms.

First, in the 'Yulgi (Self-discipline) category,' all employees practiced integrity in daily life, achieving a Grade 2 rating for two consecutive years in the comprehensive integrity evaluation of public institutions conducted by the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission. Seongdong-gu was the first local government nationwide to obtain anti-corruption management system certification. It also earned the highest grade (SA) five times in the Korean Manifesto Implementation Evaluation, demonstrating a commitment to fulfilling promises. Additionally, in the 2020 Seoul Survey on urban policy indicators, Seongdong-gu was recognized as the most trusted autonomous district in Seoul.

In the 'Bonggong (Public Service) category,' Seongdong-gu received high praise for pioneering and legislating the 'Ordinance on Prevention of Gentrification (Displacement)' and the 'Ordinance on Protection and Support for Essential Workers.' Innovative projects that transformed residents' proposals into policies through the online living lab 'Seongdong Residents’ Hall'?such as the 'Seongdong-type Smart Crosswalk' and the 'Recycling Separation Label Removal Stick'?were also recognized as exemplary cases in grassroots democracy development.

Lastly, in the 'Aemin (Love for the People) category,' the 'Hyo Sarang Health Primary Care Physician' project, which was the first nationwide to activate primary medical care and community care for seniors aged 75 and older, won the 'UN Public Service Award.' The operation of the 'Seongdong Future Job Corporation,' the first local government-run stock company creating jobs for seniors, attracted nationwide attention as a distinctive Seongdong-gu initiative.

Furthermore, efforts to lead carbon-neutral city development through life-friendly low-carbon policies, such as the currently operating 28 future-type bus stops called 'Seongdong-type Smart Shelters' and the flagship 'Seongdong Purumi Recycling Station,' were highly evaluated.

Mayor Jeong Won-oh said, "Receiving the Dasan Mokmin Award is a great honor as a local leader and as a public servant." He added, "This award is especially meaningful as it is the fruit of the efforts of employees who have quietly fulfilled their duties amid the unprecedented disaster of COVID-19." He also expressed his commitment, saying, "Going forward, all Seongdong-gu employees will continue to be public servants who are always a source of strength for our citizens, striving to make Seongdong a city where people want to live long."

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