District ranks 2nd among Seoul's 25 autonomous districts, securing 218 million won ($142,000) in city funding; praised for proactive cost controls, contractor satisfaction surveys and follow-up inspections
Gwangjin-gu has earned the top S rating for the second consecutive year in Seoul Metropolitan Government's 2026 Urban Manufacturing Work Environment Improvement Support Project evaluation.
The project aims to upgrade aging work environments at manufacturing businesses — including garment sewing, printing and handmade shoe workshops — to improve worker safety and productivity. Gwangjin-gu placed second among all 25 autonomous districts in Seoul in a combined assessment covering on-site evaluations of supported businesses and a district presentation review, demonstrating strong project management capabilities.
The district received particularly high marks for its field-centered operations and proactive follow-up management. Last year, it identified and adjusted inflated cost estimates in advance, using the savings to install an additional 27 fire extinguishers and 21 fire detectors within the same budget. The district also cross-checked market retail prices against actual on-site needs to improve both the fairness and safety of its support.
The district conducted contractor satisfaction surveys among businesses that received support the previous year, then compiled the results — along with key considerations for selecting contractors — into a guidance document distributed to applicants. The initiative helped minimize trial-and-error in the contractor selection process and raised the overall quality of construction work.
To strengthen systematic management of urban manufacturers, Gwangjin-gu carried out its first-ever field survey of 145 local factories, verifying their operational status and any changes while simultaneously providing project information. The effort reduced gaps in support coverage and reinforced the district's business management infrastructure, drawing additional praise from evaluators.
With this selection, the district has secured 218 million won in city funding and plans to use it to improve work environments and boost productivity at 39 local urban manufacturing businesses in sectors such as garment sewing and printing. Each selected business will receive a subsidy of up to 7.2 million won.
"This result reflects our careful attention to the difficulties faced on the ground and our ongoing efforts to improve the project in ways that provide real, practical help," Gwangjin-gu District Mayor Kim Kyung-ho said. "We will continue to provide thorough support so that work environment improvements go beyond facility repairs and translate into genuine gains in worker safety and business competitiveness."
Over the past three years, Gwangjin-gu has provided approximately 883 million won in work environment improvement funding to 126 urban manufacturing businesses.
Alongside this, the district is strengthening one-stop support through its Gwangjin-gu Garment Industry Comprehensive Support Center, covering equipment use, manufacturing and product development, and exhibition and sales. It is also linking field-driven initiatives — including the district's first-ever waste fabric disposal support for leather garment businesses and both online and offline fashion sales events — to help local manufacturers sharpen their competitive edge.
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