Gwangju City to Hold Public Hearing on Basic Plan for Revitalizing Civil Society on the 23rd

Three Main Objectives, Five Key Strategies, and Twenty Major Tasks Proposed
Gathering Field Input... Finalizing Future Policy Directions

'Public Hearing on the Basic Plan for Revitalizing Civil Society' Poster. Provided by Gwangju City

Gwangju City announced on the 22nd that it will hold the final report presentation and public hearing for the "Basic Plan for Revitalizing Civil Society and Promoting Public Interest Activities in Gwangju City (1st Plan, 2026-2028)" at 4 p.m. on the 23rd in the Special Committee Meeting Room on the 5th floor of the Gwangju City Council.

This public hearing, hosted by Gwangju City and organized by the Gwangju Civil Society Support Center, has been arranged to gather input from the field before finalizing the policy direction for the sustainable development of Gwangju's civil society over the next three years.

In 2023, the city enacted the "Ordinance on Revitalizing Gwangju Civil Society and Promoting Public Interest Activities," and in July 2024, it expanded its support base for civil society by converting the existing "Gwangju NGO Support Center" into the "Gwangju Civil Society Support Center."

This year, a dedicated task force (TF) for establishing the basic plan was formed, bringing together experts, administrative officials, and center staff to begin in-depth research. Since April, the task force has held multiple discussions and consultations to lay the foundation for the basic plan, and has specified its vision, goals, and implementation strategies by reflecting the results of citizen and civil society surveys as well as focus group interviews (FGI) with activists by position.

The basic plan to be released this time is centered on three main objectives: strengthening the foundation and capacity of civil society, expanding citizen participation and the base of activists, and realizing community values through public interest activities.

The five key strategies and twenty major tasks for achieving these objectives were designed through a comprehensive analysis of the current systems and policies of Gwangju's civil society, the results of public input, and case studies from other regions and overseas.

The public hearing will be moderated by Lee Kihun, Director of the Gwangju Civil Society Support Center, and Kim Byungwan, Professor at Chonnam National University and Chair of the Basic Plan Task Force, will present the final report.

The subsequent panel discussion will feature Park Mikyung, Executive Director of the Gwangju Civil Society Organizations Council; Jeong Hyunsoo, Secretary General of the National Apartment Association Gwangju Chapter; Park Dahyun, activist at the Gwangju Women's Minwoo Association; Kim Heeryeon, representative of the Munsan Village Community; Kim Jaechul, former Senior Researcher at the Gwangju Jeonnam Research Institute; and Ahn Pyunghwan, Chair of the Administrative and Autonomy Committee of the Gwangju City Council. They are expected to present a variety of perspectives.

Kim Byungwan, Chair of the Task Force, repeatedly emphasized the importance of securing effective implementation, stating, "To ensure the basic plan is effective, it is crucial to establish a robust implementation system, including securing financial resources, defining the role of intermediary support organizations, and setting up evaluation and feedback mechanisms."

Jung Wonsuk, Director of the Department of Local Administration, stated, "We will do our utmost to incorporate the valuable opinions presented at the public hearing into the basic plan," adding, "We will develop practical policy support measures to ensure the sustainability of civil society and meet the expectations of citizens and civil society organizations."

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