Gyeonggi Province Selects Pyeongtaek City for Excellence in Public Conflict Management

Pyeongtaek City's case of "conflict resolution through the Neighbor Dispute Mediation Center" has been selected for the 2026 Gyeonggi Province Excellence Award in Public Conflict Management.

Gyeonggi Province is strengthening conflict response capabilities across agencies by sharing cases of resolving public conflicts that arise during policy implementation with 31 municipal and provincial governments and public institutions. The province received a total of eight cases in July and conducted a written review from July 29 to August 7 based on the appropriateness of cases and criteria including conflict resolution preparation, process, and outcomes.

In particular, since public conflicts are difficult to resolve in the short term, emphasis was placed on the process of resolving conflicts through communication and mediation among stakeholders.

Pyeongtaek City, which received the award, operates the "Neighbor Dispute Mediation Center" in partnership with Pyeongtaek YMCA, a private outsourcing organization, conducting over 350 consultations and more than 150 mediations annually. The city received high praise for establishing a resident-participation-oriented conflict management system. By visiting sites where disputes among residents occur—such as noise between floors, parking, and smoking—the city facilitated reconciliation and mediation between parties. It also strengthened communication among residents through operating "communication rooms" at the neighborhood level and providing children's consideration education using puppet performances.

The Grand Prize was awarded to Gyeonggi Transportation Corporation's case of "integrated operation of special transportation vehicles in Gyeonggi Province achieved through communication and innovation." In response to user complaints and inter-agency conflicts stemming from delays in wheelchair taxi dispatch and call center overload, Gyeonggi Transportation Corporation improved its operational system by consolidating operating standards across 31 municipal and provincial governments.

Gwacheon City received the Excellence Award for its case of "resolving illegal street vendors through continuous communication and institutional establishment." To address the street vendor issue at Gwuldari Market, which had persisted for over 40 years, Gwacheon City met with merchants individually, held continuous consultations, and encouraged voluntary withdrawal. The city also removed the remaining eight locations without physical conflict, restoring the pedestrian environment.

Yongin City's case of "health clinic operation policy decided through communication" was selected for the Encouragement Award. Following a petition signed by 1,295 residents regarding the closure and consolidation of health clinics, Yongin City conducted a conflict impact analysis and decided to maintain the current resident-staffed operation system at seven health clinics.

Kim Sang-pal, Director of the Autonomous Administration Division at Gyeonggi Province, said, "The process of creating solutions for public conflicts through sufficient communication and mediation among stakeholders is important," adding, "We will present provincial governor certificates to the four selected agencies and plan to expand their excellent conflict management experiences throughout the province."