Herald Media Group hosts first ceremony at National Assembly; awards span legislation, city council, administration and special categories
A policy awards ceremony recognizing outstanding legislative, council and administrative achievements that have improved the lives of Seoul residents and contributed to community development was held at the National Assembly on Friday.
Herald Media Group hosted the inaugural 2026 Seoul Legislative Policy Awards at Seminar Room 3 of the National Assembly Members' Office Building.
Established this year for the first time, the awards were created to identify and promote policy cases closely tied to residents' daily lives that have driven meaningful change and generated social value.
The ceremony placed particular emphasis on sharing the outcomes and innovations of exemplary policies, with the aim of raising policy quality and spreading sustainable, citizen-centered policy development.
The ceremony cast a wide spotlight on activities ranging from legislative work in the National Assembly to policy and administrative initiatives by the Seoul Metropolitan Government and the Seoul Metropolitan Council, as well as contributions to community development. It was designed not merely to introduce policy outcomes but to examine their impact on residents' lives and their broader public value.
With Byeon Jae-un, president of the Seoul Legislative Press Research Society, serving on the judging panel, a total of 21 recipients were honored across four categories: legislation, Seoul Metropolitan Council, Seoul Metropolitan Government and special awards.
In the legislation category, National Assembly members Cho Jeong-hun, Bae Hyun-jin, Kim Dong-a and Kim Jae-seop received awards.
In the Seoul Metropolitan Council category, honors went to Council Speaker Im Man-gyun; Housing and Space Committee Chair Park Seung-jin; Planning and Economy Committee Chair Lee Jun-hyeong; Environment and Water Resources Committee Chair Lee Min-seok; Urban Safety and Construction Committee Vice Chair Im Chun-dae; and council members Kim Ki-deok, Kim Gil-young, People Power Party floor leader, Ooh Joong-seok, Kim Gwang-cheol and Yun Yu-jin.
In the Seoul Metropolitan Government category, Seoul Women and Family Bureau Director Ma Chae-suk, Seoul Tourism Foundation CEO Kim Byeong-min and Seoul Women and Family Foundation CEO Park Jeong-suk were recognized.
Special awards went to National Assembly member Park Jeong-hyeon, Mapo-gu Council Speaker Choi Eun-ha, Songpa-gu Council Administration and Education Committee Chair Jeon Jeong and Seoul Metropolitan Sports Council Sports Association Heads Conference Chair Lee Cheon-u.
The ceremony also held significance as a rare occasion bringing together policy activities pursued by the National Assembly, local councils and Seoul city agencies under one roof. It is expected to serve as an opportunity to share policy experiences and outcomes across sectors and to explore directions for citizen-centered policy development.
Herald Media Group CEO Choi Jin-young said "good policy changes people's lives, and those changes accumulate to shape the future of a city," adding that the awards are intended to reexamine the value of policy from the perspective of citizens and to help spread exemplary legislative, council and administrative cases more widely. "Going forward, Herald Media Group will continue to identify policy innovations that citizens can feel in their daily lives and fulfill its role and responsibility as a media organization in helping a healthy policy culture take root," Choi added.
Herald Media Group said it plans to use the ceremony as a springboard to continue identifying policy cases that bring real change to residents' lives and to help spread the outcomes and value of outstanding policies across society.
7toy7@heraldcorp.com
