Sejong Special Self-Governing City (Mayor Cho Sang-ho) won two awards on the 21st, being selected as both the best local government and an excellence case at the "2026 Balanced Growth Project Excellence Awards Ceremony" hosted by the Presidential Committee for Balanced National Development.

The Committee for Balanced National Development evaluates projects supported by the Regional Balanced Development Special Account every year and selects outstanding cases.

In this year's overall city and province evaluation category, Sejong City achieved first place nationwide, being selected as the best local government.

Sejong City received high praise for establishing a systematic performance management and monitoring foundation for balanced growth projects and enhancing evaluation objectivity and efficiency by forming an independent evaluation committee.

Previously, Sejong City was selected as the best local government for balanced growth projects in 2020, 2022, 2023, and 2024, consistently being recognized for its execution capabilities and excellence in performance management for balanced development projects.

In the project category, Sejong City's urban transport model case was selected as an excellence case.

The case received high scores for guaranteeing residents' mobility rights and contributing to regional balanced development through customized local transportation services, such as operating demand-responsive buses like "Dooruta" and "Ieung Bus" for residents in areas with limited public transportation access.

Mayor Cho Sang-ho stated, "This award is the result of discovering projects necessary for the region together with our citizens and implementing them thoroughly. We will strive to create outcomes that citizens can feel in their daily lives and ensure balanced regional development."

Meanwhile, the Presidential Committee for Balanced National Development plans to confer commendations on the awarded institutions and individuals, and publish and distribute an excellence casebook nationwide.

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