Yangcheon-gu's 'Overnight Emergency Childcare' Wins Top Proactive Administration Award

Yangcheon-gu, led by District Mayor Lee Gi-jae, has selected six outstanding cases for its "First-Half 2026 Proactive and Innovative Administration" awards, recognizing initiatives that addressed residents' everyday difficulties and brought tangible improvements to their lives.

The district identifies and shares examples of proactive and innovative administration twice a year — in the first and second halves — to spread a culture of initiative within the civil service, highlighting achievements driven by creative ideas and preemptive policy reform. This year, the number of selected cases was expanded from four last year to six to more broadly recognize proactive administration outcomes and encourage greater organizational participation.

A total of 12 projects were nominated as candidates for this cycle. Final selections combined results from a resident vote (20 percent), a staff vote (20 percent) and a review by the Proactive Administration Committee (60 percent), yielding one top prize, two excellence awards and three commendations.

The top prize went to "Operation of Yangcheon-Type Overnight Emergency Childcare Kium Centers — a First for the Seoul Metropolitan Government." The project provides nighttime childcare services when elementary school children face a care gap due to a parent's late-night work, hospitalization or business travel, offering practical support to families in urgent need. It was particularly praised for extending the existing infant- and toddler-centered care system to cover elementary school students, building a seamless safety net that helps close childcare gaps and ease the burden on parents.

The two excellence awards went to "Comprehensive Investigation of Jeonse Fraud-Affected Housing and Establishment of Policy Alternatives" and "Construction of the Yongwangsan Skywalk." The jeonse fraud case — the first in Seoul to conduct a full survey of safety management conditions at jeonse fraud-affected properties within the district and propose effective policy improvements to higher authorities — was recognized for reducing blind spots in victim protection and establishing a preemptive response system.

The Yongwangsan Skywalk project created a barrier-free deck path accessible to people with mobility difficulties, built in a curved design that follows the natural terrain and fitted with LED landscape lighting, transforming the site into a local landmark. It was well received for expanding leisure and rest spaces for residents while drawing increased visitors and demonstrating the area's potential as a tourism asset.

The three commendation awards went to a health beverage support program for low-income single-person households to check on their wellbeing, an 18-year regulatory reform that opened the door to development in the Sinwol and Sinjeong residential areas, and an expansion of a rental service covering items from toys to childcare products. All three were praised for sensitively reflecting on-the-ground needs and delivering effective results.

The district plans to share the selected cases across all departments and grant monetary awards and personnel incentives to the winning departments and civil servants, with the aim of continuously spreading a culture of proactive administration.

"The outstanding cases selected this time are valuable achievements that came from looking at problems from the residents' perspective and finding solutions one step ahead," District Mayor Lee said. "We will continue to listen more closely to voices from the field and pursue proactive administration that lets residents feel the change in their daily lives."