Gwanak-gu wins international award for citizen-led democracy model

Gwanak-gu has become the first local government in South Korea to receive a special award at the 20th International Observatory on Participatory Democracy (OIDP) awards. The district was recognized for its ‘Citizen-Led Manifesto Governance’ model, which allows residents to participate in the entire lifecycle of election pledges, from initial proposal and confirmation to implementation monitoring and evaluation.

Key components of this system include the ‘Online Gwanak-cheong’ digital platform, which provides a 365-day channel for policy suggestions and discussions, and the ‘Gwanak-cheong’ program, where the district head meets directly with citizens. This participatory approach has contributed to a 99.8% implementation rate for the district's current term pledges. The district's digital platform was previously recognized as an OECD public sector innovation case in 2022.