Daejeon seeks citizen ideas to fix everyday inconveniences

Daejeon is launching a public competition to gather creative ideas from residents aimed at resolving everyday inconveniences and driving change across the city.

The city announced Tuesday it will accept submissions through Aug. 2 for the "2026 Daejeon Siso Topic Discovery Competition (Idea ON)," covering three categories: economic science, tourism and youth.

The competition covers three themes: linking Daejeon's assets as a science city — anchored by the Daedeok Research and Development Special Zone — to local industries under the economic science category; drawing visitors deeper into underground shopping arcades and alley commercial districts to extend their stays under the tourism category; and helping talented young people from Daejeon settle in the region under the youth category.

Any Daejeon resident interested in solving social problems is eligible to participate. Those wishing to submit ideas can log in to the Daejeon Siso website, navigate to the "Suggest" menu and submit their opinions, then complete an application form through Naver.

The city will select three outstanding proposals through a review process and award each winner Onnuri gift certificates worth 200,000 won ($135). An additional 50 participants will be chosen by lottery to receive a 5,000-won Naver Pay mobile coupon.

Winning ideas will be taken up by a "Daejeon Siso Supporters" group to be formed later, which will research them in depth and develop them into policies that can be implemented on the ground.

Park Min-beom, head of Daejeon's administrative and civil affairs bureau, said each resident's ideas, when brought together, would lay the groundwork for meaningful change in the city. "We ask for the active attention and participation of Daejeon citizens who want their everyday voices to be heard," he said.