Gwangsan District in Gwangju Expands “Autonomous Planning Model” Participatory Budget to 1 Billion Won... Restructures Focus on Sustainable Projects

A Total Budget of 1.5 Billion Won Allocated

Greater Emphasis on Budget Linked to Resident Autonomy Committees

24 New Youth and Young Adult Members Appointed to the Committee

Focusing Less on One-Off Projects and Promoting Themed, Long-Term Village Initiatives

Gwangsan District in Gwangju is restructuring its Resident Participatory Budget System to focus on an “autonomous planning model” linked to village self-governance, and will work to identify sustainable projects.

On March 22, Gwangsan District announced that it held a full meeting of the Resident Participatory Budget Committee and shared the operational direction of the 2027 Resident Participatory Budget System.

Gwangsan District held the 2026 Resident Participatory Budget Committee plenary meeting on the 20th at Yoonsangwon Hall on the 7th floor of the district office to share the operational direction of the Resident Participatory Budget System for 2027. Provided by Gwangsan District

Next year, the Resident Participatory Budget for Gwangsan District will be set at a total of 1.5 billion won. Of this, the “autonomous planning model” budget, which is linked to the Resident Autonomy Committees, will be expanded to 1 billion won, an increase of 100 million won compared to last year. This reflects the government’s policy emphasis on operating the participatory budget system in conjunction with the Resident Autonomy Committees.

Along with the expansion of the budget, Gwangsan District plans to avoid simple, consumable, or one-off projects and will prioritize discovering projects that are sustainable and continuous. To this end, the district will support the planning of themed projects that reflect the unique characteristics and long-term vision of each neighborhood, starting from the agenda-setting stage through local forums and resident general meetings.

At the meeting, 24 new committee members were appointed and a new executive team was elected, reorganizing the committee. Gwangsan District plans to strengthen generational representation by increasing the participation of youth and young adult members, ensuring that a diverse range of opinions can be reflected in the operation of the system.

With the inclusion of new members, the Resident Participatory Budget Committee is now composed of a total of 99 members, who will participate in reviewing proposed projects, collaborating in the Resident Participatory Budget School outreach program, and monitoring project progress.

A Gwangsan District official stated, “By expanding the participation of youth and young adult members, we have laid the foundation to capture the voices of various generations and social groups,” and added, “We will ensure that the Resident Participatory Budget System serves as a catalyst for realizing local autonomy by making residents the main agents of village development.”

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