Gwangju Metropolitan City announced on the 5th that it is publicly seeking nominations for the '38th Gwangju Metropolitan City Citizen's Award.' The Citizen's Award is the most prestigious award given to citizens who have contributed significantly to the development and enhancement of the reputation of Gwangju.

Changes to the Citizen's Award

Since its inception in 1987, the Citizen's Award has recognized individuals annually in five categories: social service, academics, culture and arts, sports, and regional economic promotion. However, due to the challenges in discovering suitable candidates each year and the disparity in recognition among awardees, the city has decided to implement reforms.

Gwangju City has revised the 'Citizen's Award Ordinance' by gathering opinions from various experts. The key changes are as follows:

Selection of a Single Outstanding Citizen:Instead of selecting one person from each of the five categories, the award will now be given to the single most deserving individual, enhancing the award's value and prestige.
Reinforced Merit Verification:On-site investigations of the nominees' contributions will be added to ensure more rigorous verification.

Who Can Be Nominated?

Nominees for the Citizen's Award must meet the following criteria:

Resided in Gwangju for at least three years as of the announcement date (February 28th).
Made significant contributions to enhancing Gwangju's reputation and regional development.

How to Nominate

Nominations can be submitted by heads of various institutions, leaders of social organizations, or through a joint recommendation by 20 or more citizens.

Application Period: March 7th to April 3rd
Required Documents: Nomination form, record of merits, resume, and supporting documents (downloadable from the Gwangju City website).

Review and Award Ceremony

Nominated individuals will have their merits publicly disclosed on the Gwangju City website, undergo on-site investigations by external experts, and be reviewed by a selection committee to determine the final award recipient. The award ceremony will be held during the '60th Citizen's Day' commemoration in May.

Gwangju City's Appeal

Jung Won-seok, Director of the Gwangju City Autonomous Administration Bureau, stated, "The Citizen's Award is the most honorable award in Gwangju, and this year, we will select the best individual. We ask for the keen interest and nominations of our citizens."