South Korean municipalities implement resident-led participatory budgeting

Local governments in South Korea are finalizing participatory budgeting processes for 2027, allowing residents to directly influence public spending through voting and deliberation.

In Geochang County, an online preference survey was conducted from August 31 to September 14 to prioritize 15 selected projects. These initiatives include environmental improvements such as agricultural waste recycling, landscape creation for tourism, and safety enhancements like pedestrian safety facilities and smoke-free zones. The participatory budgeting system, which originated in Brazil, has been mandatory in South Korea since 2011 following amendments to the Local Finance Act.

In Eunpyeong-gu, Seoul, a resident assembly held on September 12 finalized 31 projects totaling approximately 1.7 billion won for the 2027 fiscal year. The selected projects are categorized into district policy (24 projects), youth participation (3 projects), and adolescent participation (4 projects). Key initiatives include forest path creation, intersection safety alerts, and environmental improvements for Gupabalcheon. Eunpyeong-gu Mayor Kim Mi-kyung stated that the process allows residents to identify and solve local issues together.