Gwangmyeong City Develops 'Constitution-Friendly City' Initiative
Gwangmyeong City is beginning full-scale development of a "Constitution-Friendly City" that consolidates citizen sovereignty by weaving constitutional values into citizens' daily lives.
On the 30th, the city held a policy briefing at the city hall conference room under the theme of "Gwangmyeong, a Constitution-Friendly City, Constitution in Citizens' Daily Lives," and announced the Constitution-Friendly City policy positioning constitutional values as a standard for city administration, along with future plans.
The city enacted an ordinance on "Constitution-Friendly City Development and Support" on the 18th, the first among local governments nationwide, recognizing the necessity for local governments to lead the realization of constitutional principles and values in citizens' daily lives and communities. The ordinance includes provisions on the duties of the mayor and public officials, establishment of basic plans for Constitution-Friendly City development and annual implementation plans, composition of the Constitution-Friendly City Development Committee, and citizen constitutional education, participation, and public relations. The mayor must establish a basic plan every five years, prepare annual implementation plans based on it, and reflect evaluation results in the following year's plan.
The city has explicitly mandated citizen constitutional education in the ordinance and plans to expand customized education tailored to age groups and demographics including children, adolescents, adults, and seniors. From 2024, the city has implemented "Visiting Youth Autonomous Decentralization Classes" targeting 2,497 students across 12 middle schools, and from 2025, "Democratic Citizenship Education Visiting Schools" targeting 1,193 students across 16 elementary schools. This year, the city is operating "Democratic Citizenship Education in Daily Life" for general citizens.
Specifying Constitution-Friendly City through Year-by-Year Policies
The city will implement projects in stages over four years. This year, the city will pursue the organization of a "Constitution-Friendly City Local Government Council," and in 2027, it will establish a five-year basic plan and install a "Constitution-Friendly City Development Committee" composed of no more than 15 members including experts in related fields, city council members, and citizen representatives. In 2028, the city plans to intensify discussions on constitutional revision with direct citizen participation, and in 2029, it will upgrade policies based on implementation outcomes and citizen opinions.
Foundation Built by 8 Years of Autonomous Decentralization and Resident Autonomy
The city cited its accumulated experience in autonomous decentralization and resident autonomy over eight years during the 7th and 8th mayoral terms as the foundation for the Constitution-Friendly City. The "500-Person Round Table Discussion," a public deliberation venue for citizen participation, involved a total of 5,423 participants from 2018 to 2025, who proposed 1,650 opinions, of which 485 (29.4%) were actually reflected in policy. Additionally, the city converted all wards to resident autonomy associations in 2020, and resident tax community projects expanded from 24 projects worth 290 million won in 2020 to 59 projects worth 386 million won in 2025.
Director Park Gwang-hee of the Administrative Safety Bureau stated, "The Constitution should not remain confined to legal texts but should serve as a standard that protects citizens' lives and indicates the direction that administration should take," adding "By placing citizen dignity and fundamental rights at the center of city administration, we will create a city where citizen sovereignty translates into tangible rights in citizens' daily lives."