Gapyeong County Launches Participatory Budget School to Hear Residents' Voices Directly

Education Sessions Tour Towns and Townships Until Mid-May
Proposals for the 2026 Budget Also Being Accepted

Gapyeong County in Gyeonggi Province (Governor Seo Taewon) announced on April 22 that it will actively operate the "Visiting Resident Participatory Budget School" to enhance residents' understanding of and participation in the resident participatory budgeting system.

Gapyeong County is actively operating the "Visiting Resident Participatory Budget School" to enhance residents' understanding and participation in the resident participatory budgeting system. Photo by Gapyeong County

This educational program began at the Sangmyeon Administrative Welfare Center on April 7 and will continue to tour each town and township until mid-May. The resident participatory budgeting system allows residents to directly propose projects, which the county then reflects in its budget. The program aims to promote local development through genuine resident participation.

The county is recruiting a wide range of participants for this training, including not only local representatives such as village heads and members of the Resident Autonomy Committee, but also ordinary residents who are interested in the system. Residents can apply for the program online or by phone.

The budget school consists of participatory sessions, including an overview of the resident participatory budgeting system, sharing of best practices from other local governments, discovering local issues, and practical training on proposal writing. The focus is on helping residents develop the ability to directly identify local problems and propose necessary projects.

An official from Gapyeong County stated, "The Visiting Resident Participatory Budget School will serve as a practical channel for residents' opinions to be reflected in actual policies," adding, "We hope that active participation in the training will lead to many proposals that can bring about positive changes in the community."

Meanwhile, Gapyeong County is currently accepting resident project proposals for the 2026 budget until May 20. The proposed projects will undergo departmental review, a resident vote, and deliberation by the Resident Participatory Budget Committee, after which they will be reflected in next year's budget plan.

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