Busan City Ranks First Nationwide Among Cities and Provinces in This Year’s ‘Self-Sufficiency Sector Evaluation’

Ministry of Health and Welfare-led, Busan City Honored with the Most Awards Nationwide Among Cities and Provinces, Achieving the Best Results

Nation's First Independent Building for Metropolitan Self-Sufficiency Center, Establishment of Busan-style

Busan City was selected as the top outstanding institution among all cities and provinces nationwide in the ‘2023 Local Government Self-Sufficiency Sector Evaluation’ hosted by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, receiving the Prime Minister’s Award.

Busan City Hall.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare evaluated 243 local governments nationwide (17 metropolitan and 226 basic) based on their efforts and contributions to the development of self-sufficiency projects, operational performance, and other criteria across 4 categories and 11 detailed quantitative and qualitative evaluation indicators. They selected 22 local governments (3 metropolitan and 19 basic) that produced excellent policy outcomes as outstanding institutions and awarded prize money.

Among the three metropolitan local governments selected as outstanding institutions, Busan City ranked first, solidifying its status as a leading local government in the self-sufficiency sector.

Through this Prime Minister’s Award, the city was recognized for leading and actively promoting multifaceted self-sufficiency policies aimed at creating “Busan, a city where people want to live again,” the slogan of the 8th elected administration.

The city secured the first independent building for a metropolitan self-sufficiency center nationwide, newly establishing the Busan-type self-sufficiency support platform. The center, which was previously operated on one floor, has been expanded to a four-story independent building, significantly enhancing self-sufficiency infrastructure. It has created five new jobs for vulnerable groups, and the entire 200-pyeong building is fully utilized to support the self-sufficiency of vulnerable populations.

Additionally, to support the successful independence of socially disadvantaged groups, Busan City ▲broke down policy silos between ministries and agencies for the first time nationwide and established an AI-based integrated welfare-employment-finance counseling chatbot called ‘Jalip Kkuldanji’ to provide 24-hour one-stop independence support; ▲operated the Busan-type Youth Asset Formation Support Project; ▲developed distinctive Busan self-sufficiency joint brands such as Salad and Yonggamhan Sikdang, contributing to their nationwide spread; and ▲supported over 7,000 self-sufficiency jobs, making every effort to promote multifaceted self-sufficiency projects filled with hope and opportunity, thereby producing excellent policy outcomes.

Moreover, Busan City received the greatest number of awards in this year’s evaluation across various categories, with regional self-sufficiency centers, self-sufficiency enterprises, and meritorious individuals being recognized for their achievements.

▲In the regional self-sufficiency center performance evaluation, 10 Busan regional self-sufficiency centers were selected as outstanding institutions; ▲in the regional specialized project evaluation, 6 projects from 5 Busan regional self-sufficiency centers were selected; ▲5 individuals were selected as meritorious persons in the self-sufficiency sector; ▲the highest honor in the self-sufficiency contribution essay category, the grand prize, was awarded; and ▲Busan self-sufficiency enterprise Dream ENG was simultaneously selected as an outstanding self-sufficiency enterprise and self-sufficiency master, marking the highest number of awards in the self-sufficiency sector among all cities and provinces nationwide and achieving the best results.

Mayor Park Hyung-jun stated, “This award is the result of Busan City, district offices, 19 metropolitan and regional self-sufficiency centers, and the public and private sectors working as one team, each doing their best to support the successful independence of vulnerable groups. It is especially thanks to the participants in self-sufficiency projects who work hard and add hope for tomorrow,” and added, “Despite difficulties, to create ‘Busan, a city where people want to live again’ with hope and opportunity to rise again, our city will continue to promote exemplary self-sufficiency projects that serve as a model for other cities and provinces.”

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