Daejeon City (Mayor Lee Jang-woo) has been honored with the Grand Prize in the Metropolitan category at the '2025 Korea Local Autonomy Development Awards.' As the sole recipient among metropolitan local governments nationwide, this achievement externally validates the success of the local autonomy innovation and regional growth policies pursued by the 8th popularly elected city administration.
The 'Korea Local Autonomy Development Awards,' hosted by the Korea Local Autonomy Development Institute, is an award given to local governments, public officials, and private sectors across the country that have contributed to autonomous decentralization and regional development based on their unique local resources and conditions.
This year, the awards were open for submission and judged across five categories: National Affairs, Metropolitan, Basic, Public Official, and Private Sector. Daejeon City achieved a significant accomplishment by winning the Grand Prize in the Metropolitan category.
In this award, Daejeon City's efforts to advance its local autonomy system were highly praised, including: operating a policy consultative body to strengthen city-district cooperation; actively promoting the Hometown Love Donation System; launching the Chungcheong Metropolitan Federation (Special Local Autonomous Body); and pushing for administrative integration between Daejeon and Chungnam. Furthermore, the strengthening of the local industrial base was also a major reason for the award, with achievements such as: selection of the Nano and Semiconductor National Industrial Complex and the National Strategic Project for GB Regulation Innovation; 17 new company listings during the 8th popularly elected administration; and the nationwide first establishment and operation of Daejeon Investment Finance Co., Ltd., a local public investment institution.
In addition, Daejeon City was recognized for excelling in policies to improve citizens' quality of life and enhance the city brand, including: the nation's highest level of support for small business owners; support for wedding incentives for young couples in the city with the highest marriage rate; establishment of the Daejeon Art Philharmonic Orchestra and Daejeon Art Choir for local young artists; full-scale supply of Daejeon-style youth housing; free bus fares for those aged 70 and above; support for necessary expenses for daycare centers and expanded support for multi-child families; 'Daejeon 0 O'clock Festival,' Korea's representative summer festival; and 'Daejeon Dream Family Project.'
Daejeon Mayor Lee Jang-woo stated, "This award signifies that Daejeon City has been recognized as a new model for local autonomy in Korea. We will continue to enhance Daejeon's urban competitiveness based on citizen-centered innovative autonomy and leap forward as a core city leading the Republic of Korea."
Meanwhile, the '2025 Korea Local Autonomy Development Awards' ceremony is scheduled to be held on September 23rd at 2:00 PM at the Baekbeom Kim Gu Memorial Hall Convention Hall in Yongsan-gu, Seoul.
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