Guri City Wins '2026 Korea's Most Beloved Brand Award'...Making a Leap as a Youth-Friendly City
[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Eom In-yong] Guri City won the grand prize in the 'City Where Young People Love to Live' category at the '2026 Korea's Most Beloved Brand Award' hosted by Chosun Biz and sponsored by the Chosun Ilbo and Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, held at Seoul Garden Hotel on the 21st, demonstrating its status as a city leading in youth policy.
This award is the result of the city establishing 'Youth Happy City Supporting the Future of Young People' as its core administrative vision and implementing various policies to enable young people to settle stably in society.
As of 2026, the city is investing a total of 9 billion won across 52 projects in three areas: youth participation and rights, employment, and welfare and culture. In particular, the discovery of 27 'Guri City-type independent youth projects' drew attention for securing policy continuity that remains unshaken by external environmental changes.
The city is first operating a comprehensive support system to address young people's biggest concerns: economic self-reliance and housing stability. Through the 'Youth Tomorrow Center,' a hub for youth startups, it has fostered 43 companies and successfully produced graduate companies, and introduced Korea's first 'Youth-Only Small Business Special Guarantee' to significantly reduce the financial burden on young entrepreneurs.
Additionally, the city is making efforts to establish housing stability and regional settlement for young people. Along with interest support for jeonse funds for non-homeowning newlyweds, it is promoting the construction of 'Youth Happy Hanok Houses' to help young people settle in the region and focusing on resolving housing anxiety.
Notably, the city's administration goes beyond simple support to aim for 'direct democracy-style administration' where young people become the subjects of policy. It is immediately reflecting voices from the field in city administration through youth policy and talent registration platforms, and operating thoughtful programs that provide practical assistance to job seekers, such as lending interview attire and providing examination fee support for certifications.
Furthermore, the city has significantly expanded dedicated activity spaces such as 'Youth Future Dream Center' established in libraries in the area, greatly expanding opportunities for networking among young people and cultural enjoyment.
Lim Jae-choon, the city's Public Relations and Cooperation Director, stated, "Citizens' high trust and satisfaction have been proven through this award," and emphasized, "Going forward, we will preemptively address core challenges such as employment and housing to further solidify the image of 'the city most widely supporting the future of young people.'"