Gwangmyeong City's Youth Policy Shines...Wins Youth-Friendly Constitutional Award for 8 Consecutive Years

Gwangmyeong City, which has consistently reflected the voices of youth in its policies, once again demonstrated the excellence of its youth policies this year.

The city announced on the 21st that it won the 'Communication Award,' a policy award for youth-friendly basic local governments, at the 2026 Youth-Friendly Constitutional Award. This marks 8 consecutive years of winning the award from 2018 to 2026, excluding the year 2020 when it was not held.

The 'Youth-Friendly Constitutional Award' is a system that recognizes and honors local governments that have contributed to creating a youth-friendly environment, administered by the Youth and Future Association. The awards are determined through comprehensive evaluation based on youth-friendly indices in the policy, legislative, and communication sectors, including youth participation organizations, youth support projects, and youth-related events.

Since 2019, the city has operated a 50-member Youth Committee under the mayor, and has held youth deliberation budget forums to identify and propose youth policies worth approximately 5 billion won annually, expanding the foundation for youth to propose and participate in policymaking.

The city has also consistently created communication spaces where young people can directly generate ideas and participate together. In the youth meeting support projects since 2019, which address sustainable topics such as environment, climate, and small-capital entrepreneurship in creative ways, 304 teams with 1,565 youth members participated in the 'Youth Ideas Unfolding Contest,' while various communication venues such as 'Youth: Re;born (Ribbon)' and the Youth Festival (G.Y.F), both directly planned by youth, have been established.

In particular, youth spaces have been created with input from young people in both name and composition, and their functions are being expanded to meet youth needs.

'Youth Building,' a youth complex cultural space that opened in the Cheolsan district in 2021, was visited by 57,096 people in 2025 and was selected as Gyeonggi Province's top youth space for two consecutive years.

Subsequently, in 2024, 'Second Youth Building Youth Treasure Box' was created in the Gwangmyeong district, specializing in economic independence and job preparation. A 'Third Youth Building (tentative name)' focused on health promotion for youth is also planned for the Iljik district.

In the Soha district, the city operates an entrepreneurship support center that provides support from startup preparation through growth, expanding regional youth spaces to support the diverse activities and needs of young people.

Support for stable youth livelihood and self-reliance is also being strengthened. The city has supported 1,516 households with a special youth monthly rent subsidy and plans to supply 152 units of youth housing, while supporting 845 cases of free interview suit rentals and 3,349 youth in capacity-building opportunities, backing youth economic self-reliance.

Additionally, through support programs for isolated and withdrawn youth and the nation's first public basic relationship platform 'LIME,' the city is supporting youth's psychological stability and social relationships, establishing a foundation for anyone to maintain a stable life.

Gwangmyeong Mayor Park Seung-won stated, "Eight consecutive awards are an achievement created by young people who have listened to youth voices and participated together in policymaking," and added, "We will establish solid foundations in housing, employment, and welfare for youth's lives, and provide comprehensive support so that young people can proactively design their own futures and grow as protagonists of the city."