Suwon wins top prize at Gyeonggi Province's 2026 proactive administration competition

Suwon Special City took the top prize Tuesday at Gyeonggi Province's 2026 Proactive Administration Best Practices Competition, held at the Gyeonggi Arts Center Convention Hall, for its case on an integrated, personalized electronic notification system with automatic postal linkage — the first of its kind in the country.

The final round featured 18 cases from eight cities and counties and 10 public institutions that had cleared the preliminary round. Suwon competed in Group A alongside Namyangju, Goyang and Hwaseong, and was selected for the top award.

Suwon's tax administration division presented the case, which centers on an integrated, personalized electronic notification system with automatic postal linkage — the first such system built by any local government in South Korea. The initiative improved the city's notification delivery framework by automatically linking postal mail with electronic notices, making it easier for residents to receive and check administrative notifications.

By connecting non-face-to-face participation guidance for resident registration surveys to the electronic notification system, the city significantly raised the rate of remote participation and reduced in-person visits by neighborhood unit heads by 250,000 compared with 2024. The Ministry of Interior and Safety has recognized the policy's merit and is promoting its adoption by local governments nationwide.

The system also cut the delivery period for parking and stopping violation penalty notices from more than 10 days to three. An automated process handles both mobile dispatch and paper notice delivery to recipients who have not opened the digital version, improving convenience for residents and administrative efficiency.

In addition, Suwon became the first city in the country to introduce a mobile voice notification service for visually impaired residents, giving them immediate access to administrative information.

The city expanded the types of notices available via mobile from four to 33, enhancing convenience for residents and administrative efficiency alike. The changes are also saving the city more than 500 million won ($353,000) annually in postage costs.