Seoul districts hold resident votes for participatory budgeting

Districts in Seoul are implementing participatory budgeting processes to allow residents to directly influence local government spending for 2027.

In Eunpyeong-gu, a resident assembly is scheduled for September 12 at the Eunpyeong Multipurpose Gymnasium. The district, which has operated this system for 16 years, will use a combination of prior voting results and on-site votes from 500 representatives to select projects. The total budget for 2027 participatory projects is set at 1.85 billion KRW, divided among general, youth, and adolescent programs. To ensure public consensus, only projects receiving at least 12% of the total votes will be included.

Simultaneously, Yeongdeungpo-gu is conducting online voting from September 7 to September 18. Following a review of 62 proposals, 10 projects totaling 620 million KRW have been shortlisted. These include infrastructure and safety improvements such as creating flower paths along Anyangcheon, installing deck walkways on Nodeul-ro, and improving school zones in Singil 6-dong. The voting is open to residents, workers, and students within the district via the official website.