Goyang Unveils "Healthy City Development Plan"... Laying the Foundation for a Sustainable Healthy City

Goyang Takes the Lead in Policy Discussions After Legal Revision
"2025 Healthy City Forum" Successfully Concludes

Goyang Special City in Gyeonggi Province (Mayor Lee Donghwan) announced on the 6th that the "2025 Goyang Healthy City Forum" was held successfully on the 4th in the large conference room of the Ilsandong District Office.

Lee Donghwan, Mayor of Goyang Special City, is delivering a greeting at the "2025 Goyang Healthy City Forum" held on the 4th in the large conference room of Ilsandong District Office. Provided by Goyang Special City

This forum carried particular significance as it was the first official event where a local government took the initiative to discuss the direction and practical tasks of healthy city policies, following the revision of the National Health Promotion Act, which explicitly designated the creation of healthy cities as a responsibility of local governments.

The forum began with a welcoming speech from Lee Donghwan, Mayor of Goyang Special City, and was attended by approximately 130 participants, including members of the Goyang City Council, representatives from member cities of the Korea Healthy Cities Partnership in the Seoul metropolitan area, Goyang Research Institute, public health center staff, and employees from relevant departments. This was followed by a congratulatory address from Kim Misoo, Chair of the Culture and Welfare Committee of the Goyang City Council, and an opening speech by Kim Hyeonho, President of the Goyang Research Institute.

Next, Professor Son Changwoo from the Department of Health Administration at Yonsei University delivered a keynote presentation on "The Present and Future of Healthy Cities."

After the keynote, the city unveiled its internally conducted research titled "Development Plan for Goyang Healthy City." This study analyzed Goyang from a healthy city perspective across six areas: healthy lifestyle practices, healthy living spaces, healthy environment improvement, healthy transportation, health equity, and health industry. Based on this analysis, the study proposed a vision, policy tasks, and an implementation system for a "Goyang-style healthy city."

Following this, a panel discussion featuring experts in various fields took place on topics such as the foundations for implementing healthy city policies, cooperative systems, and sustainable practices including big data and AI-based medical industries. The panel included Professor Byun Byeongseol, Chair of the Academic Committee of the Korea Healthy Cities Partnership; Son Bonghee, Deputy Director of ICLEI Korea Office; Hwang Boyul, CEO of Knowledge Platform-WeNew; Professor Sim Taeyoung from the Department of Adapted Physical Education at Joongbu University; and Sim Pyeongsu, Director of Deogyang District Public Health Center.

Lee Donghwan, Mayor of Goyang Special City, stated, "Goyang is creating a healthy urban environment by promoting health, supporting pregnancy and childbirth, preventing dementia, and expanding parks, green spaces, and sports facilities so that all citizens can enjoy a healthy and happy daily life. I hope this forum serves as an opportunity to share our achievements and exchange experiences among member cities, contributing to the advancement of a sustainable healthy city."

This forum marked the first substantive venue for local governments to proactively discuss the direction of healthy city policies since the revision of the National Health Promotion Act, laying the foundation for the implementation of sustainable healthy city policies.

Through this forum, the city reviewed its foundation for promoting a healthy city and plans to continue follow-up discussions to strengthen interdepartmental cooperation and citizen-centered policies, thereby advancing toward a sustainable healthy city.

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