In-person and online classes run across all 14 neighborhoods from Tuesday through Sept. 28
Education covers the meaning of resident autonomy, budgeting, project planning, and community communication
Seodaemun-gu is launching a "resident autonomy school" where locals can learn firsthand about the meaning of self-governance and how to tackle neighborhood issues — ahead of the district's first resident council reorganization in four years.
The district office said it will run the resident autonomy school across all 14 neighborhoods from Tuesday through Sept. 28 to prepare for the launch of new resident councils and strengthen residents' capacity for self-governance.
The school serves as a mandatory prerequisite course for anyone seeking to serve as a resident council member. It covers the meaning of resident autonomy, the roles of council members, how to translate local issues into concrete projects, and the cooperation and communication skills needed for actual council work.
Applicants for council membership must complete at least four hours of either in-person or online instruction to be eligible for the public lottery by neighborhood, scheduled for October, through which members will be selected.
The in-person track runs four hours in total and consists of two modules: "Understanding Resident Autonomy," which covers the significance of the system, its institutional framework, and the roles of council members; and "Using Budgets and Projects to Solve Local Problems," which focuses on council structure and methods for identifying community initiatives.
Sessions begin Tuesday at Bukgajwa 1-dong and conclude Sept. 28 at Yeonhui-dong, with the same curriculum offered at community centers, neighborhood administrative offices, and the district office across all 14 neighborhoods. Residents may attend any session regardless of which neighborhood they live in, allowing them to choose a schedule that suits them.
The online track uses the Seoul Metropolitan Government's lifelong learning portal, which offers a five-hour, three-module course covering resident autonomy fundamentals, cooperation and communication for council members, and capacity building for council members. Those completing the course online must submit a certificate of completion issued between Tuesday and Sept. 28.
The school is open to any resident with an interest in resident autonomy, not just those applying for council membership. Detailed schedules and registration information are available on the Seodaemun-gu district office website.
This year's resident autonomy school carries added significance as the starting point for councils being reconstituted for the first time in four years.
Applicants who complete the training will go through a public lottery in October, and those selected will be appointed as council members with two-year terms in November. Each neighborhood council will comprise around 50 members who will independently identify and discuss local agenda items and develop and carry out self-governance plans.
By November, resident councils will be operating again in all 14 neighborhoods of Seodaemun-gu, with the learning that begins at the school feeding directly into real neighborhood agendas and projects.
"Resident autonomy is a process in which residents themselves identify what their neighborhood needs and work together to find answers," Seodaemun-gu District Mayor Park Woon-ki said. "I hope the resident autonomy school becomes the first step for residents to directly shape change in their communities."
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