"Small Suggestions, Big Changes"... Gwangju City Promotes Citizen-Participatory Business Plan

Establishing Participatory Governance
Concluding the 8th Administration and Preparing for the 9th with Citizens' Voices

Gwangju City in Gyeonggi Province announced on September 4 that it will establish its 2026 major business plan by incorporating ideas directly proposed by citizens.

2026 Major Business Plan Announcement. Provided by Gwangju City, Gyeonggi Province

This plan is being promoted as both the conclusion of the 8th popularly elected administration and the preparation for the 9th, aiming to realize a participatory administration where policies are created together with citizens, moving beyond the traditional government-led approach. The city plans to activate its ongoing proposal system to capture citizens' voices across a wide range of areas, from resolving everyday inconveniences to developing future urban strategies.

In particular, the city has designated the period from September 4 to 23 as the intensive submission period, during which it will collect citizen ideas in various fields, including administration and autonomy, culture and welfare, transportation and safety, and urban and environmental issues. Submitted proposals will be reviewed by the relevant departments and go through expert consultation; ideas deemed highly feasible will be directly incorporated into next year's major business plan.

The city will transparently release the results of the proposals through its official website and other channels. Outstanding proposals will be awarded with a creative grade and prize money following a review by the evaluation committee.

Mayor Bang Sehwan of Gwangju City stated, "Citizens' creative ideas are a valuable asset for the development of city administration," and added, "Since even small suggestions can bring about significant change, we will do our utmost to ensure that citizens' opinions are widely reflected in next year's major business plan."

Meanwhile, citizens can submit their ideas through the following channels: the National Sinmungo portal > Proposal Submission, by email (jhkim2014@korea.kr), or by visiting the Planning and Budget Division as well as administrative welfare centers in towns and districts. Application forms can be downloaded from the Gwangju City Hall website (Citizen Participation > Citizen Proposals).

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