Boseong County Launches 'Gudulzzang People's Livelihood Grand March' in 325 Villages

Promoting Communication Administration That Finds Answers in the Field
Sharing the Status of Handling 1,480 Requests
From 'Listening Administration' to 'Explaining Administration'

In response to the question of whether it is possible to have an administration that, like a traditional Korean heated floor (gudeuljang), warms up gradually but does not cool down easily, Boseong County is finding the answer in the field of people's livelihoods.

In 2026, Boseong County in South Jeolla Province is further strengthening its field-centered communication administration by directly visiting the residents' living sites and listening to their voices through the 'Gudulzzang People's Livelihood Grand March.'

Boseong County is promoting the 'Guduljang People's Livelihood Great Expedition,' implementing a field-oriented communication administration that directly visits the living sites of county residents to listen to their voices. Provided by Boseong County

◆ Placing the Starting Point of County Administration in the Field

The first official approval of the new year in 2026 for Boseong County was not a large-scale development project, but the 'Gudulzzang People's Livelihood Grand March.' This signifies the county's intention to set communication with residents and field-centered administration as the starting point for this year’s county administration.

The name 'Gudulzzang' embodies Boseong County’s administrative philosophy: ▲【Gu】Field administration that reaches every corner, ▲【Dul】Communication administration that listens and empathizes, ▲【Zzang】Responsible administration that delivers robust solutions.

It also contains the meaning of the old community culture where people used to gather around the gudeuljang in winter to share stories about life. Just as the gudeuljang warms up slowly but retains heat for a long time, the county is determined to provide administration that stays with the residents for a long time.

◆ Administration That Enters the Living Sites of 12 Towns and 325 Villages

The Gudulzzang People's Livelihood Grand March was quickly implemented on-site. From January 5 to January 23, Boseong County conducted the first round of village roundtable meetings visiting 325 villages across 12 towns.

The roundtable meetings were held in residents' spaces such as village halls and senior centers. Instead of formal reports or written petitions, opinions were listened to and requests were received directly on-site.

As a result, about 1,480 requests were received during the first round of roundtable meetings alone. The majority of these requests were closely related to daily life, including the maintenance of agricultural infrastructure, improvement of village paths and roads, installation of security CCTVs and streetlights, and the installation of heated seats at bus stops for safety and convenience.

Additionally, many requests were directly related to residents' daily lives, such as operating programs at senior centers, operation of rural buses, installation of waste sorting stations, improvement of water quality for waterworks, maintenance of hiking trails, management of street trees, and repair of village exercise equipment.

◆ Cases of Resolving Daily Inconveniences On-Site

The Gudulzzang People's Livelihood Grand March does not stop at collecting opinions; it leads to the actual resolution of daily inconveniences.

For example, in Yongban Village, Boknae-myeon, a request was received to repair streetlights for nighttime pedestrian safety. After an on-site inspection, the repair was carried out promptly. In Samjang Village, Hoecheon-myeon, a guardrail was installed on a river railing where safety concerns were raised regarding vehicle traffic, thereby ensuring the safety of residents.

Furthermore, in Gwanghwa Village, Nodong-myeon, residents' requests regarding difficulties in receiving village broadcasts were addressed by repairing home receivers, making it more convenient for residents to access village announcements.

Of the 1,480 requests received during the first round of roundtable meetings, Boseong County immediately addressed 399, reviewed 757 for budget allocation and project implementation, and categorized the remaining requests as mid- to long-term review tasks.

◆ From 'Listening Administration' to 'Explaining Administration'

Boseong County is expanding its communication administration by directly explaining to residents the process and results of handling their requests.

The requests received during the first round of roundtable meetings are being reviewed by the responsible township officials, who check the sites and coordinate with relevant departments at the county office. The fact that a request has been received is also communicated to the village head and the person who made the request.

In addition, from February 23 to March 13, the county is holding a second round of village roundtable meetings to directly explain the results and status of request handling to residents. While the first round of roundtable meetings focused on 'listening administration,' the second round is meaningful in that it is 'explaining administration.'

Ultimately, the direction Boseong County aims to demonstrate through the 'Gudulzzang People's Livelihood Grand March' is to proactively visit the places where residents are, listen to their opinions on-site, and then return to explain the outcomes.

A county official said, "By listening directly in the villages and finding solutions on-site, we will create changes that residents can truly feel," adding, "We will continue to promote field communication administration by proactively visiting residents wherever they are."

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