Gwangju Seo-gu Receives Consecutive Awards in Autonomy, Welfare, Environment, and Other Sector Evaluations

Published 16 Dec.2021 11:18(KST)

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Shin Dong-ho] The administration of Seo-gu, Gwangju Metropolitan City (Mayor Seo Dae-seok) is receiving high acclaim from outside and achieving remarkable awards in various evaluations.

According to Seo-gu on the 16th, Seo-gu achieved excellent results in evaluations across various fields such as resident autonomy, welfare, environment, and health, which are core to district administration.

Recently, Seo-gu was ranked first among autonomous districts in Gwangju in the ‘2021 Government Joint Evaluation,’ securing a financial incentive of 110 million KRW and gaining recognition for its top-level administrative capabilities.

The Government Joint Evaluation is a system that comprehensively assesses the administrative capacity and performance of local governments across 17 cities and provinces (including city, county, and district results), making this achievement even more meaningful.

At the 20th National Resident Autonomy Expo, Pungam-dong in the resident autonomy category, Sangmu 1-dong in the learning community category, Hwajeong 4-dong in the special contest category, and Pungdure each won the grand prize.

Additionally, Nongsung 1-dong and Yang 3-dong received excellence awards and encouragement awards respectively, continuing the honor of being ‘selected as the best resident autonomy case nationwide for six consecutive years,’ further solidifying Seo-gu’s position as a leading local government in resident autonomy.

Seo-gu’s administrative capabilities also shone in the welfare sector.

In October, Seo-gu won the grand prize, the highest award, and excellence awards all at once in this year’s regional welfare project evaluation hosted by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, receiving institutional commendations and a prize money of 95 million KRW.

Furthermore, Seo-gu elevated the status of ‘Seo-gu, the Welfare Hub of Korea’ by winning top awards in the Medical Aid Case Management Project contest, the Senior Job and Social Activity Support Project evaluation, and the Regional Self-Sufficiency Center performance evaluation.

These results are interpreted as the true value of Seo-gu’s unique welfare policies such as ‘AI Integrated Care,’ ‘Our Neighborhood Guardian Angel,’ and ‘Hope Delivery Box,’ implemented throughout the year to care for vulnerable groups and stabilize their lives, especially under the COVID-19 situation.

In the environmental field, Seo-gu was the only local government to receive a ministerial commendation at the Korea Energy Awards hosted by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy for its contribution to carbon neutrality and energy efficiency improvement in the era of climate crisis.

Selected for the Renewable Energy Convergence Support Project contest for three consecutive years, Seo-gu built solar power facilities with a total capacity of 3,395 kW and received favorable evaluations for raising awareness among local residents about the climate crisis and energy independence.

Seo-gu also achieved visible results in the health sector.

It was selected as an excellent local government for the ‘Mom Comfortable Pregnancy Service’ hosted by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety this year. The Mom Comfortable Pregnancy Service provides pregnant women with integrated guidance and application for support projects both online and offline. Seo-gu received high marks for actively promoting and exemplary provision of this service, which garnered strong positive responses from pregnant women.

Moreover, Seo-gu has won 25 awards in various evaluations including the top district in the comprehensive local tax administration evaluation. Currently, Seo-gu’s ‘Seo-gu Type AI Integrated Care Model Leading National Expansion!’ is in the final round of the Korea Good Policy Competition hosted by MBN, awaiting the announcement of results.

Mayor Seo Dae-seok said, “Despite the severe situation caused by COVID-19, the diligent efforts of over a thousand public officials have led to results exceeding expectations in various internal and external evaluations and contests. We will effectively execute the secured project funds to ensure that ongoing projects proceed without setbacks.”