Seongdong-gu Wins 'UN Public Administration Award' Trophy After Over a Year

Seongdong-gu Shares Joy with Key Figures of the 'Hyo Sarang Primary Care Physician' Project on the 6th... Globally Recognized Seongdong-style Age-friendly Policy, Continues to Expand Leading Care Services Using AI and IoT Technologies

Seongdong-gu received the trophy just over a year after winning the UN Public Administration Award.

[Asia Economy Reporter Jong-il Park] Seongdong-gu (Mayor Jeong Won-oh) finally received the trophy one year after winning the world's most prestigious award in public administration, the "UN Public Service Awards (UNPSA)," on the 6th.

The award ceremony, which had been postponed due to the spread of COVID-19, was held last month in Dubai (United Arab Emirates). Seongdong-gu, officially invited by the UN as the award recipient, was scheduled to participate directly in the '2021 United Nations Public Service the Award Ceremony (UNPSF&A)' and receive the honor.

However, considering the serious situation due to the spread of the Omicron variant of COVID-19 and the concerning increase in confirmed cases, the district strengthened quarantine measures and took preemptive action by staying on site, temporarily putting aside the joy of the award, which was accepted by the Deputy Consul General at the Dubai Consulate General.

The district, which is implementing leading senior care services using smart technologies such as AI speakers, smart sensors, IoT (Internet of Things), and ICT (Information and Communication Technology) dementia relief systems, won the 'UN Public Service Award' in June 2020.

Known as the Nobel Prize of public administration, the 'UN Public Service Award' is jointly organized by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA) and UN Women, the entity for gender equality and women's empowerment, to raise awareness of the importance of public administration and to discover and disseminate innovative policies. It is awarded to only one country per category.

Among them, Seongdong's ‘Hyo Sarang Health Primary Care (HYO Policy)’ was selected in the category of ‘Delivering inclusive and equitable services for all,’ attracting global attention.

‘Hyo Sarang Health Primary Care’ is a project that has been operating since 2017, where a team of doctors and nurses called the Hyo Sarang primary care team visits seniors aged 75 and older who have difficulty managing their own health, providing health, welfare, and medical services. It is a unique age-friendly policy of Seongdong-gu, where health, welfare, and the community work together to support disease management, dementia and depression assessments, and medical expenses.

On the 6th, Seongdong-gu received a certificate and trophy from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea and held a meeting to encourage the key figures behind the ‘Hyo Sarang Primary Care Project’ and their efforts, asking for continued interest and cooperation from the local community, celebrating together.

At the meeting, Lim In-su (age 76), president of the Korea Senior Citizens Association, said, “Seongdong-gu’s Hyo Sarang Primary Care is a commendable project that becomes a reliable doctor for those with health difficulties and a kind neighbor for those who are lonely,” adding, “As seniors may feel even more isolated due to the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic, please continue your dedicated efforts as you have been doing.”

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