Which of Seoul's 25 Districts Ranks First in Happiness Index?

Mapo-gu Ranks 1st in Happiness Index in 2023 Seoul Survey, Soaring from 10th in 2022 in One Year... Excelling in Residential Walking Environment, Sports Participation, Disability Awareness, Social Fairness, and Pride
District Mayor Park Gang-su: "No Achievement More Valuable Than a City Where Residents Are Happy... We Will Create a City Everyone Wants to Live In"

Park Gang-su, Mayor of Mapo District, is attending the Wheelpie Bazaar held last year at the Mapo Comprehensive Welfare Center for the Disabled, engaging in conversation with the elderly.

According to the 2023 Seoul Survey conducted by the Seoul Metropolitan Government, Mapo-gu (District Mayor Park Kang-su) ranked first in happiness index among the 25 autonomous districts of Seoul.

This achievement is particularly noteworthy as Mapo-gu's happiness index was ranked 10th, a mid-level position, in 2022, marking a significant change within just one year.

The Seoul Survey happiness index measures satisfaction in health, finances, interpersonal relationships, family life, and social life. The overall average for Seoul in 2023 was 6.61 out of 10.

Mapo-gu's happiness index was 7.19, surpassing the Seoul average in all detailed categories: health 7.58, finances 6.90, interpersonal relationships 7.20, family life 7.21, and social life 7.03, securing the top spot.

Notably, while the overall happiness index for Seoul decreased by 0.11 compared to the previous year, Mapo-gu's index rose by 0.9, which has drawn considerable attention.

The district analyzes that the happiness index of Mapo-gu residents, which topped Seoul, is based on living environments that determine happiness factors, awareness and care for socially vulnerable groups, activation of cultural and sports activities, and fairness and trust in society.

In fact, the Seoul Survey showed that Mapo-gu scored highly in satisfaction with residential walking environments, frequency of participation in sports activities, attitudes toward socially vulnerable groups, social fairness, and pride as Seoul citizens.

Specifically, the proportion of residents engaging in daily sports activities over the past year was 5.7%, ranking first overall, and 12.1% participated five or more times per week. Additionally, the response "It does not matter if my child interacts with children with disabilities" ranked second overall, indicating a low level of discriminatory attitudes toward people with disabilities.

Social fairness evaluations regarding education, employment, taxation and payment, and welfare benefit opportunities also received consistently high scores. Conversely, the percentage of respondents who do not marry due to childbirth and parenting burdens was 31%, significantly lower than the average of 36.3%.

This overall satisfaction with daily life and fairness and trust in society translated into pride, with 54.4% of Mapo-gu residents expressing pride as Seoul citizens, considerably higher than the average of 37.6%.

Last year, Mapo-gu implemented innovative policies such as the creation of 365-day open public sports facilities, pedestrian path projects including Hongdae Red Road and World Cupcheon-ro Metasequoia Road, disability policies eliminating discrimination like the "Anyone Cultural Creation Center," "Anyone Sports Center," and the "Look at People" festival, the "Sunlight Center" and "Cheokkeut Center" supporting pregnancy preparation through childbirth and parenting, and senior care programs like "Filial Piety Meal" and "Filial Piety Lodging Senior Centers."

Park Kang-su, Mayor of Mapo-gu, stated, "There is no achievement more valuable than a city where residents are happy," adding, "I am sincerely pleased that the efforts of Mapo-gu, running 365 days a year with the belief that 'public officials must be busy and hardworking for residents to be happy,' have not been in vain."

He continued, "We will not be satisfied with being number one in the happiness index and will move forward with residents toward becoming 'a city where everyone wants to live.'"

Hongdae Red Road is shining as a representative themed street of Mapo-gu and South Korea.

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