Yangcheon-gu has earned national recognition for its forward-looking governance, including the successful launch of the Y Education Expo — the first district-level education fair of its scale in the country.
Another key factor was the resolution of a long-running dispute over raising the building-height limit for Mokdong apartment reconstruction. After more than two decades of deadlock, the district worked through sustained dialogue with residents to propose the "Mokdong Greenway," an open green-space development plan.
The achievements reflect the sustained efforts of District Mayor Lee Gi-jae, who has served since taking office in the eighth term of direct local elections and was re-elected to a ninth term.
Yangcheon-gu announced Monday that it ranked first among Seoul's autonomous districts in the "public integrity" category and second overall in the "2026 Korean Standard-Service Quality Index (KS-SQI) Local Government Administrative Services" survey, saying the results reflect recognition of its fair and trustworthy public administration.
The KS-SQI is a service-quality evaluation model jointly developed by the Korean Standards Association — a public-interest body under the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy that handles industrial standardization work including KS certification — and the Seoul National University Business School Research Institute. The index measures service quality as experienced by actual users and provides a comprehensive assessment of user satisfaction and service quality in public administration.
This year's survey targeted district residents in their 20s through 60s who had used Yangcheon-gu's administrative services within the past year, combining in-person interviews (50 percent) with online panel surveys (50 percent).
Yangcheon-gu scored particularly well in the "public integrity" category, which evaluates the fairness and rule-compliance of administrative work, receiving 75.2 points — the highest score among Seoul's autonomous districts. The district's consistent pursuit of fair and transparent governance through ongoing communication with residents contributed to the result.
The district also exceeded the Seoul average in "core services" (74.5 points) and "accessibility" (73.5 points), earning strong marks across the board. Its overall composite score of 73.4 points was 1.3 points above the Seoul district average of 72.1, placing it second among the capital's autonomous districts.
The scores have risen steadily over four consecutive years: 71.8 in 2023, 72.6 in 2024, 73.0 in 2025 and 73.4 in 2026.
Officials said the upward trend reflects the district's continuous efforts to improve administrative services in line with residents' expectations, with the gains now showing up directly in user evaluations.
The district identified "resident-centered administration" — directly addressing everyday concerns and local issues — as the core driver of the results. The resolution of the Mokdong apartment reconstruction height-limit dispute through sustained resident dialogue, resulting in the Mokdong Greenway open green-space plan, was cited as a prime example of securing both public integrity and resident satisfaction.
The district also highlighted its first-in-the-nation property tax reduction program for residents of Sinwol-dong affected by airport noise, regarded as a model of tailored governance that has tangibly improved quality of life. In education, the successful hosting of the Y Education Expo — the first district-organized education fair of national scale in the country — along with the operation of regional future education centers, helped build a one-stop support system covering learning, college preparation and career guidance, cementing the district's reputation as an education-focused city and driving higher satisfaction scores.
Building on these results, the district plans to strengthen field-based administration that residents can feel directly. Centered on the Civil Affairs Communication Office established in July at the start of the ninth term, the district will coordinate and manage key resident complaints, expand direct communication with the public, and continue its approach of "direct communication, field-centered, innovative administration" to resolve everyday inconveniences quickly.
"Ranking first in Seoul in 'public integrity' — the most fundamental and essential dimension of governance — is a precious result of innovative administration that sought answers by communicating directly with residents on the ground," Lee said. "Going forward, I will actively address our shortcomings on the foundation of the most transparent and principled administration, and complete a Yangcheon where every resident can feel they are living well."
seouldream01@heraldcorp.com
