Gwangju Seo-gu Announces 'SsoGood Top 5 News' Including Cheonwon Guksi

Seo-gu, Gwangju Metropolitan City (Mayor Kim Ikang) announced on the 26th the selection of the ‘So-Good 5 Major News’ focusing on policies that attracted attention this year.

Emphasizing residents’ small but certain happiness (sohwakhaeng) and field-centered communication administration, Seo-gu selected ▲ Barefoot Road creation ▲ Direct text message phone for the mayor ‘Baro Munja Harangkke’ operation ▲ Sharing representative brand ‘Cheonwon Guksi’ ▲ Paradigm shift in local festivals ▲ Achievements proven by awards as the representative news of 2023.

Seogu selected and announced the 'So-Good Top 5 News' focusing on the policies that attracted attention this year.
[Photo by Seogu]

▲ Barefoot Road (路) originated from Seo-gu

Amid a nationwide barefoot walking craze, Seo-gu has created barefoot walking paths throughout all 18 neighborhoods, receiving great responses from residents.

Starting with Sangmu Citizen’s Park in December last year, barefoot roads were created in a total of 15 locations including Geumdangsan in Pungam-dong and Ssanghak Children’s Park in Sangmu 2-dong, covering a total length of 6,710 meters. The barefoot walking paths will continue to be developed in neighborhood and children’s parks and plazas with high accessibility for residents by next year.

Seo-gu is also leading the walking culture by training walking instructors, operating walking clubs, and hosting walking challenge events. Next year, it plans to hold the ‘1st Barefoot Road Seo-gu Festival,’ where anyone who wants to walk barefoot can participate.

▲ Communication Hotline ‘Baro Munja Harangkke’

The direct text message phone for the mayor, ‘Baro Munja Harangkke,’ introduced at the beginning of the 8th local government term, has established itself as Seo-gu’s representative communication channel.

In particular, the mayor frequently checks the messages and responds within 48 hours, providing prompt and friendly resolution of civil complaints, which has increased residents’ satisfaction with administration.

Over 3,000 messages regarding daily civil complaints and policy proposals have been received in one year and four months, and recently, messages of gratitude and praise for proactive administration have significantly increased.

▲ Cheonwon Guksi, the representative brand of ‘Together Seo-gu’

‘Cheonwon Guksi’ operated by Seo-gu has become a nationwide sensation.

Starting with the first store in Yangdong Traditional Market in March, and opening branches in Pungam-dong and Hwajeong 4-dong, Cheonwon Guksi has established itself as Seo-gu’s representative welfare brand by creating jobs for the elderly, promoting the consumption of domestic wheat, revitalizing traditional markets, and embracing socially vulnerable groups such as single-person households and youth.

In particular, the sharing refrigerator installed in Cheonwon Guksi stores allows anyone to place side dishes and groceries and take them for free, contributing to the spread of a sharing culture.

▲ Paradigm shift in local festivals

Seo-gu’s festivals have changed dramatically. The ‘Gwangju Seochang Silver Grass Festival,’ where silver grass and evening sunsets create a magnificent view, set a record of 100,000 visitors during the festival period in October this year, establishing itself as a representative healing festival of Gwangju.

Also, the ‘New Spring Healing Concert’ held by the Gwangju Stream in full bloom last spring and ‘Fall in Love’ held on the lawn of the Hajungwoong Art Museum on an autumn night combined classical, musical, and popular music, raising the festival’s prestige. Seo-gu is creating a differentiated culture by organizing the nation’s first village choir groups in all 18 neighborhoods.

▲ Seo-gu’s awards boom

Since the 8th local government term began, Seo-gu has achieved 98 awards in one year and six months, including nationwide firsts, the only ones in Gwangju, and the most ever.

Notably, Seo-gu won the ‘Double Crown’ including the Grand Prize at the 28th Local Autonomy Management Awards hosted by the Korea Public Administration Research Institute, the first among local governments nationwide. It also achieved a triple crown in regional welfare projects, ranked first for three consecutive years in the administrative service category of the Korea Service Quality Index, and received the highest grade ‘SA’ in the evaluation of local government heads’ pledge fulfillment, among other meaningful achievements.

Regarding this, Seo-gu Mayor Kim Ikang said, “The valuable results are the outcome of building trust in administration through direct communication with residents on-site and striving for residents’ happiness. We will continue to do our best to realize the grand principle that ‘Only by standing together can we stand tall’ together with residents and public officials.”

Reporter Shin Dongho, Honam Coverage Headquarters, Asia Economy baekok@asiae.co.kr

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