Gwangju Seo-gu Operates Online Policy Platform 'Seo-gu Toktok'

Published 05 Jan.2022 13:41(KST)

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Shin Dong-ho] ‘Seogu Toktok,’ an online platform operated by Seo-gu, Gwangju Metropolitan City, is living up to its name by playing a crucial intermediary role in encouraging citizens' participation in district administration.

According to Seo-gu on the 5th, ‘Seogu Toktok’ is an interactive online policy platform that enables residents to participate in the entire process of district administration in Seo-gu, Gwangju, from policy proposals and discussions to reporting daily inconveniences and online voting.

Since its launch in November 2020, it has received and processed over 60 various civil complaints.

For example, regarding the proposal made by students of Unri Elementary School on December 24 last year, titled “Please create a safe route to school from Unri Elementary School to Dongbu Centreville Apartments,” the Seo-gu District Adjustment Committee reviewed and finally decided to implement it.

This proposal was posted on ‘Seogu Toktok’ after a class meeting by 5th-grade students of Unri Elementary School, and has since gained the support of 31 people, leading to a review of whether to proceed with implementation.

Accordingly, Seo-gu plans to carry out various projects to create a safe route to school, including ▲ installing new crosswalks around school routes ▲ installing visual guideposts to prevent illegal parking ▲ continuous promotion and crackdown to eradicate illegal parking ▲ conducting cleanliness activities and campaigns around school routes in cooperation with Pungam-dong Administrative Welfare Center and Unri Elementary School.

Notably, the significance lies in the fact that to implement this proposal, collaboration and communication among four Seo-gu government departments?Planning Office, Traffic Guidance Division, Cleaning Administration Division, Construction Division?as well as Pungam-dong Administrative Welfare Center, Pungam-dong Residents’ Autonomous Committee, and Unri Elementary School, representing public, private, and academic institutions, are being promoted.

A Seo-gu official said, “Seogu Toktok is a unique online platform of Seo-gu that allows citizens to freely participate in district administration and express their opinions,” adding, “We hope for citizens’ interest and active participation so that good ideas can continue to be shared and deliberated.”