Water playground project born from field district mayor's office recognized as outstanding example of children's rights protection and resident-participatory governance
Seoul's Seongbuk-gu won the excellence award in the administration and local council category for basic local governments at the 2026 Korea Local Autonomy Award, hosted by the Korean Association for Local Government Studies at Korea Railroad Corporation headquarters on Thursday.
The award recognized the district's achievement in turning a water playground construction project — first proposed through its "field district mayor's office" initiative — into policy, contributing to the protection of children's right to play.
Seongbuk-gu has built and operates water playgrounds in parks across the district. About 27,000 people used the facilities last year, and operations have continued this summer. The district plans to keep expanding the water playground network.
Seongbuk-gu, designated as South Korea's first child-friendly city, recently received its fourth child-friendly city certification, with its efforts to expand children's rights gaining wider recognition.
The water playground project is a prime example of a resident suggestion made through the "field district mayor's office" being translated into actual policy. Now in its eighth year, the initiative has District Mayor Lee Seung-ro visit all 20 neighborhoods in the district in person to hear residents' opinions. It has been held more than 160 times, with a wide range of resident proposals reflected in policy and budget decisions.
"This award belongs to the residents of Seongbuk-gu who raised their voices in the field over the past eight years, and to the public servants who turned those voices into policy," District Mayor Lee Seung-ro said. "We will continue to listen in the field and respond in the field, creating changes that every resident can feel."
The Korean Association for Local Government Studies presents the Korea Local Autonomy Award to recognize the efforts and achievements of local governments that have contributed to the advancement of local self-governance. This year's administration and local council category evaluated candidates on resident autonomy and participation, as well as innovation in local governance.
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