Gyeonggi Province announced on May 1 that it achieved “excellent” results, ranking first in the qualitative evaluations in the provincial category of the 2023 joint evaluation of Korean local governments conducted by the Ministry of Public Administration and Security. As a result, Gyeonggi Province has realized a record nine consecutive years of “excellent” results since 2015, ranking third or higher in the provincial category.

The joint government evaluation is the only comprehensive evaluation system for Korean local governments at the central government level in which 29 ministries, including the Ministry of Public Administration and Security, jointly evaluate state-entrusted affairs, government-subsidized projects, and major national policies undertaken by local governments. This evaluation was conducted using a total of 104 evaluation criteria targeting the performances of 17 cities and provinces in the year 2022.

The qualitative evaluation saw the selection of two best practices for each of the 22 indicators presented by the central government. In Gyeonggi Province, 16 best practices were selected, breaking Gyeonggi Province’s record of 13 cases last year, and the province was selected as the No. 1 local government again this year.

A number of key best practices were included: Digital Transformation Wave Led by Gyeonggi Province; Happiness that Changes Tomorrow by Changing Today’s Culture Together; Falling in Love with Gyeonggi Province on the Last Wednesday Like a Gift; Getting Closer to Gyeonggi Province’s Police – First for Security, Best for Resident Safety; Sound Finances by Gyeonggi Residents; and more.

The ‘Digital Transformation Wave Led by Gyeonggi Province’ initiative was selected as an excellent practice for the following reasons: establishment of digital administrative services such as ‘Gyeonggi Smart D’ based on My Data for the first time in Korea; operation of the Gyeonggi Digital Transformation (Gyeonggi DX) Committee and the establishment of related promotion strategies; the promotion and expansion of future growth industries such as semiconductors; and more.

Best practices for each index can be found on the Ministry of Public Administration and Security’s public relations website (www.laiis.go.kr).

In a separate evaluation by a national team, “completing circular economy through ‘gathering,’ ‘comprehensive use’ and ‘adding’” was evaluated as an excellent case because production, consumption, and recovery-recycling was implemented through public-private collaboration so as to promote a circular economy (e.g. resource circulation projects, provincial waste banner recycling, etc.).

The quantitative evaluation compares the achievement rates of each local government with 82 indicators set by the government (provision of multicultural family support services, expansion of multicultural care centers, preferential purchases in the social economy sector, preparation of essential ordinances following enactment and revision of laws, etc.). Gyeonggi Province achieved 91.5% of this target.

Gyeonggi Province has been selected as an ‘excellent’ province for 9 consecutive years (ranking 3rd in 2015, 1st in 2016, 1st in 2017, 3rd in 2018, 1st in quantitative evaluation in 2019, 3rd in quantitative evaluation and 3rd in qualitative evaluation in 2020, 2nd in qualitative evaluation in 2021, and 2nd in quantitative evaluation as well as 1st in qualitative evaluation in 2022).

Park Seong-hwan, Director of Opportunity Strategy for Gyeonggi Province, said, “We received an excellent score in this evaluation because we promoted customized education and consulting for public officials. We will continue to receive excellent evaluations through periodic performance management and strengthened consulting.”