Sejong Special Self-Governing City (Mayor Cho Sang-ho) announced on the 23rd that it is launching a pilot operation of "Simin-cheong," a citizen participation platform designed to reflect the voices of citizens in actual policies. The city is currently recruiting a citizens' panel to participate in the deliberation and discussion process for specific agendas.

Simin-cheong is a citizen participation system where residents can freely propose and discuss ideas, daily experiences, and thoughts to find practical solutions that connect directly to city policies.

Starting on the 23rd, the city began operating the Simin-cheong pilot program by gathering public opinions on two pilot agendas via the Sejong City App. Following this pilot phase, the platform is scheduled to officially launch on the city's website next year.

The first agenda is titled "Establishing PM Parking Order Together with Citizens," which seeks safe and convenient usage and management methods for personal mobility devices, including electric kickboards.

The second agenda, "How Should Our Apartment's Defects and Facility Management Change?", focuses on gathering opinions on practical improvements for apartment defects and facility management that residents can truly feel in their daily lives.

Additionally, the city is recruiting citizens' panels until October 8 to directly participate in the deliberation and discussion process for each agenda.

The citizens' panels will draw up key issues and solutions through deliberation and discussion based on citizen and expert opinions, as well as relevant data proposed for each agenda.

The solutions derived by the panels will be reviewed by relevant city departments, and the results regarding policy reflection and follow-up measures will be made public to the citizens.

Any citizen who resides or works in Sejong City can apply to become a panelist.

The city plans to select panels for each agenda by considering areas of interest, region, age, gender, and other demographic factors.

A city official stated, "Simin-cheong is a platform for citizen participation where small voices and daily experiences lead directly to policy. We ask for great interest and participation in this opportunity where citizens can discuss and create changes in Sejong."

Suggestions for the Simin-cheong pilot operation and applications for the citizens' panel can be submitted through the Sejong City App's "Sejong Voting" and "Living Lab" (citizen policy communication network) bulletin boards. For further details, inquiries can be made to the Citizens' Communication Division (☎044-300-5022).

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