Gwangmyeong City's Youth Policies Shine...Wins Youth-Friendly Commendation Award for 8 Consecutive Years
Gwangmyeong City, which has consistently reflected young people's voices in its policies, has once again demonstrated the excellence of its youth policies this year.
The city announced on the 21st that it received the 'Communication Award,' a policy award for youth-friendly excellent basic local governments, at the 2026 Youth-Friendly Commendation Awards. This marks eight consecutive wins from 2018 to 2026, excluding 2020 when the awards were not held.
The 'Youth-Friendly Commendation Award' is a system that selects and honors local governments that have contributed to creating youth-friendly environments, organized by the civic organization Youth and Future. Award-winning local governments are selected through comprehensive evaluation based on youth-friendliness indices in the policy, legislation, and communication sectors, as well as the operation of youth participation bodies, youth support projects, and youth-related events.
Since 2019, the city has operated a Youth Committee under the mayor with 50 members, held youth deliberative budget forums, and expanded the foundation for youth to propose and participate in policies by discovering and proposing approximately 5 billion won worth of youth policies annually.
The city has consistently provided communication venues where young people can directly share ideas and engage in activities together. In the youth meeting support project that has continued since 2019, which creatively addresses sustainable topics including environment, climate, and small-capital entrepreneurship, 304 teams and 1,565 young people participated in the 'Youth Ideas Exhibition Project,' and various communication venues have been established, including 'Youth:Re;born (Ribbon)' planned directly by youth and the Youth Conference (G.Y.F).
In particular, youth spaces have been created by reflecting young people's opinions from their names to spatial composition, and functions are being expanded to meet youth needs.
'Youth-dong,' a youth complex cultural space that opened in the Cheolsan area in 2021, was visited by 57,096 people in 2025 alone and has been selected as Gyeonggi Province's top-rated youth space for two consecutive years.
Subsequently, in 2024, the 'Second Youth-dong Youth Storehouse' specialized in economic independence and job preparation was established in the Gwangmyeong area. The city also plans to establish the 'Third Youth-dong (tentative name),' a health-specialized space promoting youth wellness, in the Iljik area.
The city is expanding regional youth spaces to support diverse youth activities and needs, including operating an entrepreneurship support center in the Soha area that provides assistance from startup preparation through growth.
The city is also strengthening support for youth's stable lives and self-reliance. It has provided emergency monthly rent support to 1,516 households and plans to supply 152 youth housing units, while supporting employment and competency development through free interview suit rentals (845 cases) and youth capacity-building opportunities (3,349 people), backing youth's economic independence.
Additionally, through isolated and withdrawn youth support programs and Korea's first public basic relationship platform 'LIME,' the city is supporting youth's psychological stability and social relationships, establishing a foundation for everyone to maintain stable lives.
Gwangmyeong Mayor Park Seung-won stated, "Eight consecutive wins are achievements created together with young people who have listened to youth voices and participated in policy-making," adding, "We will solidly ensure the basics—housing, employment, and welfare—in young people's lives, and provide comprehensive support so that youth can proactively design their futures and grow as main actors in the city."