[Provided by Yeongyang-gun]
[Provided by Yeongyang-gun]

Yeongyang-gun chief Oh Do-chang has received a national administration award in recognition of his resident-centered governance and efforts to counter local population decline.

According to Yeongyang-gun on Monday, Oh received the administration award at the 23rd Regional Newspaper Day ceremony held Friday at the National Assembly Members' Office Building, earning nationwide recognition for his achievements during the seventh and eighth elected terms.

The administration award is presented by the Korea Regional Newspaper Association to outstanding local government heads who have contributed to regional development and improved residents' quality of life.

Oh strengthened the fiscal foundation for regional development by actively securing national and provincial funding and identifying competitive grant projects. He also successfully advanced key initiatives set to transform the county's future — including a realignment project for National Route 31, the attraction of a pumped-storage hydropower plant to Yeongyang, and the county's selection for North Gyeongsang Province's rural basic income pilot program.

Oh has also pursued a range of everyday policy measures that residents can feel directly, including a guaranteed minimum purchase price for red chili peppers, an expanded seasonal foreign worker program and a rapid-response civil complaints unit — all aimed at strengthening agricultural competitiveness and improving living conditions.

During last year's massive wildfire that swept through northern North Gyeongsang Province, Oh activated a disaster safety response headquarters to mount a swift emergency operation, directing administrative resources toward resident evacuation, protection of displaced people, emergency recovery and damage support.

His continued push for recovery projects to stabilize the lives of affected residents and restore normalcy after the fire was extinguished — placing the safety and well-being of county residents above all else — was also cited as a key factor behind the award.

"I will not lose sight of my original commitment and will continue to govern with the happiness of county residents as my top priority," Oh said. "I will do my utmost to turn the crisis of local population decline into a new opportunity for growth and realize an era in which every resident can truly feel that happiness."


kbj7653@heraldcorp.com