Gangdong-gu wins minister's award for dementia guardianship project

Gangdong-gu in Seoul announced Tuesday that it received the Minister of Health and Welfare Award — an excellence prize — at the 2026 Best Practices Competition for the Public Dementia Guardianship Project.

The district was recognized for protecting the rights and dignity of dementia patients with diminished decision-making capacity who lack family support. The public dementia guardianship regime is designed for patients whose cognitive decline prevents independent decision-making and who, due to family estrangement or other circumstances, cannot arrange guardianship on their own.

The competition was held at Osco in Cheongju on Aug. 24 and drew about 200 participants, including project managers from regional and local dementia centers nationwide and public dementia guardians. The Ministry of Health and Welfare hosted the event, with the Central Dementia Center serving as organizer.

"This award is the result of our efforts alongside the community to protect the rights and dignity of dementia patients," District Mayor Lee Su-hee said. "We will continue to advance the public dementia guardianship project so that patients who cannot rely on family care can live with their dignity intact."