City surveys residents through Daejeon Siso platform to advance 'Youth Special City Daejeon' vision under the ninth elected administration
Daejeon is channeling its hometown love fund into improving the welfare and development of youth and future generations.
The city convened the Daejeon Hometown Love Fund Management Deliberation Committee on Monday and announced the selection of six fund projects totaling 679.5 million won ($504,000).
Before finalizing the selections, Daejeon conducted a public preference vote through Daejeon Siso, a citizen-participation policy proposal platform.
All six projects received broad support from residents, establishing a public mandate for moving forward with each initiative.
Three projects aimed at easing burdens and building capacity among youth and future generations were selected: support for exam and language-test fees for unemployed young people, a youth policy core build-up program covering design through evaluation, and an animal and plant interaction program for teenagers. A regional long-standing request — shuttle bus support for the Daejeon reserve forces training center, which is set to relocate to Geumsan next year — was also chosen.
Two additional projects were selected to address gaps in cultural arts and welfare services: an AI-integrated arts concert and a safety personnel support project for homeless protection.
Daejeon Deputy Mayor for Administration Park Yeon-byeong said the projects carry even greater meaning given the strong public consensus confirmed through the Daejeon Siso platform. "We will use these precious donations to lay the groundwork for 'Youth Special City Daejeon' and resolve long-pending projects that had been delayed due to budget constraints, repaying our citizens with greater happiness," he said.
The 2027 hometown love fund projects approved in this round are set to go through Daejeon City Council deliberations before receiving final confirmation in December.
kwonhl@heraldcorp.com
