Gwangju Seo-gu Shines in Strengthening On-site Communication and Transforming Administrative Paradigm in the 8th Elected Term

Two Crowns at the Korea Local Autonomy Management Awards: Grand Prize and Resident Autonomy Division Award

Seo-gu, Gwangju Metropolitan City (Mayor Kim Ikang) has begun to shine just one year after the launch of the 8th local government administration by strengthening on-site communication and shifting the paradigm of administration.

On the 5th, Seo-gu announced that it had won two prestigious awards, including the Grand Prize and the Resident Autonomy Division Award, at the 28th Korea Local Autonomy Management Awards hosted by the Korea Public Autonomy Research Institute, a respected organization in the field of public autonomy research.

The Korea Local Autonomy Management Awards, boasting 28 years of history and prestige, annually select and award outstanding local governments nationwide based on quantitative and qualitative evaluations of local administrative innovation, contributions to regional development, resident satisfaction surveys, and interview assessments.

Seo-gu attracted attention by presenting a new administrative paradigm under the slogan "A Living Government by Your Side." Seo-gu established a collaborative system by dividing its 18 administrative neighborhoods into four hub neighborhoods and connected neighborhoods, which is also an innovation model recognized by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety.

Seo-gu also received praise for actively promoting resident participation projects by discovering Brand Identities (BI) that reflect the unique identity, characteristics, history, and stories of each neighborhood.

Yang 3-dong (a village of memories and art radiating youth) was recently selected as a final recipient of the Local Branding Activation Support Project at the living area level hosted by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, and Geumho 1-dong (a village of coexistence) was designated as a target site for the Neighborhood Commercial District Development Project hosted by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups.

Dongcheon-dong (Dadok Dadok Book Village) was selected as an executing institution for the 2023 Reading Academy contest hosted by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. The village branding strategy reflecting BI has been consecutively selected for central government projects, becoming a new driving force for regional development.

Additionally, “Baro Munja Harangkke,” which has become a communication hotline between the mayor and residents, has been highly evaluated for significantly contributing to administrative trust through prompt and accurate civil complaint handling.

Introduced in August last year, “Baro Munja Harangkke” allows the mayor to directly check residents’ civil complaints and policy proposals in real time, and within 48 hours, after review by the responsible department, sends responses regarding the results of complaint handling and future plans, making it a highly satisfactory policy for residents.

Moreover, Seo-gu received high marks for proposing new models of integrated care, including the expansion of barefoot walking trails throughout Seo-gu for residents’ health, the operation of the nation’s first home medical care center, and the establishment of the country’s only smart care service for the elderly.

Kim Ikang, Mayor of Seo-gu, said, “The valuable awards are the result of going into the field, where public officials and residents continuously communicate, determine the direction of change and innovation, unite in spirit, and work together. We will strive even more to complete a new local autonomy model where kind and warm-hearted people are respected and favored, and where positive influence permeates residents’ lives.”

Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Shin Dongho yjm3070@asiae.co.kr

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