Gwangmyeong City Named No. 1 City Nationwide for Social Economy Policies

Grand Prize in Ministry of Employment and Labor's Local Government Social Economy Policy Evaluation
Seungwon Park: "Social economy is the key driver of sustainable growth"

Gwangmyeong City in Gyeonggi Province has been recognized as the most advanced city in implementing social economy policies among all local governments nationwide.

On the 24th, Gwangmyeong City announced that it had been selected as the grand prize winner in the 7th "Local Government Social Economy Policy Evaluation" hosted by the Ministry of Employment and Labor. The city has now received awards for three consecutive years, having won the top prize in both 2023 and last year.

Gwangmyeong City was selected as the grand prize winner in this year's "Local Government Social Economy Policy Evaluation" hosted by the Ministry of Employment and Labor. Seungwon Park, Mayor of Gwangmyeong City, is presenting the city's social economy policy as a panelist in the local government roundtable session at the 16th Asia Future Forum held last month at the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Provided by Gwangmyeong City

This evaluation, co-hosted by the Ministry of Employment and Labor and the National Social Economy Activation Network, comprehensively assessed 17 metropolitan and 226 basic local governments nationwide based on criteria such as policy foundation development, level of support, policy outcomes, and governance. Outstanding local governments were selected through this process.

The city explained that it received high marks for its wide-ranging efforts, from establishing the foundation for social economy projects-such as enacting ordinances, formulating and implementing mid- to long-term strategies, and operating dedicated organizations-to developing the "GM Good Morning Gwangmyeong" brand and local products reflecting regional identity, as well as promoting convergence projects linking fair trade, the sharing economy, and fair tourism.

The city's focus on the "community asset building" project, which aims to create a virtuous cycle of economic value within the local area, was also cited as a key reason for the award. Gwangmyeong City is building a sustainable local economic ecosystem that can grow without external leakage by expanding local procurement, establishing cooperative governance with social economy enterprises, raising public awareness, and creating a foundation for local finance.

Additionally, the city is pursuing various policies such as establishing the "Social Economy Innovation Center," a cultural complex space jointly used by social economy enterprises and citizens, and providing customized support in areas such as tax and accounting to lay the foundation for business growth.

Seungwon Park, Mayor of Gwangmyeong City, stated, "This award is a collective achievement created not only by the administration but also through the cooperation of citizens and social economy organizations," adding, "We will continue to expand and support social economy policies, which are the key drivers for sustainable local growth and the creation of community value."

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