Gwangju Nam-gu 'Pureungil Saturday Market' Dispute Resolution Best Practice

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Park Jin-hyung] The Gwangju Nam-gu Pureungil Saturday Market, a collaborative work of communication and coexistence, is attracting attention from local governments nationwide.

Nam-gu announced on the 15th that it was selected as an excellent local government, the only one among Gwangju and Jeonnam local governments, at the '2021 Local Government Deliberation-Based Resident Participation and Cooperation·Dispute Resolution Best Practice Competition' hosted by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety.

The Ministry of the Interior and Safety holds an annual competition for local governments nationwide to activate resident participation in the policy decision-making process and enhance conflict resolution capabilities when disputes arise. Four local governments, including Nam-gu, were selected as excellent local governments in the cooperation and dispute resolution field.

The Pureungil Saturday Market won two awards this year in policy project evaluation fields conducted by reputable institutions and civic groups.

Following the grand prize at the '2021 National Basic Local Government Manifesto Best Practice Competition' held in September, hosted by the Korea Manifesto Practice Headquarters, it also received favorable reviews at the competition hosted by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety.

The reason the Pureungil Saturday Market attracted great attention is that it resolved disputes through communication and coexistence instead of regulation and crackdown to eliminate illegal street vending in Pureungil Park.

In particular, a public-private joint cooperation system was established to resolve conflicts among street vendors, stores around Pureungil Park, and residents, leading to an agreement on mutual concession, coexistence, and the creation of a space for the social community among stakeholders, thus putting an end to a long-standing dispute.

Kim Byung-nae, the district mayor, said, “Through the operation of the Pureungil Saturday Market, we were able to revitalize the stagnant alley commercial district,” adding, “We have found solutions to problems at the site of disputes, and we plan to continue to carry out district administration with on-site communication and an open mind.”

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