Seoul's Seongbuk-gu held a leadership training session Wednesday for more than 300 resident self-governance council members across its 20 neighborhoods.
The session was designed to strengthen what the district calls "process-centered resident self-governance" — an approach that prioritizes residents' participation and growth not only in delivering project outcomes but throughout the entire process of identifying issues, planning and execution.
The training aimed to help participants build a substantive 2027 resident self-governance action plan grounded in community opinions and local issues gathered through resident assemblies and other forums, laying the foundation for a model of civic governance that residents themselves drive and lead.
Sessions covered the role of resident self-governance leaders, how to design projects that encourage community participation, how to draw on local human resources and residents' skills in project planning, and operational strategies for sustaining ongoing neighborhood activity — all illustrated through real-world case studies. Particular emphasis was placed on the role of leaders as "facilitators" who go beyond executing projects and instead guide residents to identify and solve local problems on their own.
Seongbuk-gu has operated resident self-governance councils for nine years, starting with the Dongseon-dong and Jongam-dong neighborhoods. The district plans to build on that experience to further strengthen a model of civic governance in which residents' participation translates into sustained community engagement.
"Resident self-governance is a process through which residents come together to think about and solve local problems — and grow in doing so," district mayor Lee Seung-ro said. "We will further strengthen residents' participation and initiative, and the district administration will serve as a steadfast supporter to help Seongbuk-style resident self-governance take root in the community."
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