City holds inaugural Model Citizen Awards ceremony
Namyangju held its inaugural Model Citizen Awards ceremony Tuesday at Yeuyudang Hall in the city hall.
The city had previously presented citizen commendations during a portion of its monthly staff meetings, but beginning with the ninth elected administration, it established a separate awards ceremony to strengthen recognition of and communication with citizens.
The monthly staff meetings were also restructured to focus on sharing work updates and best practices among employees and improving internal communication.
About 150 people attended the ceremony, including the 25 award recipients along with their families and guests, Namyangju Mayor Choi Hyun-deok and relevant civil servants.
The event opened with a congratulatory performance by a youth a cappella group, followed by presentations of each recipient's achievements, congratulatory remarks, the awards presentation and a commemorative photo session.
A highlight of the achievements segment was hearing directly from Kim Jong-cheol, head of Gurumong Bakery, and Han Chung-min, director of Han Internal Medicine Health Screening Center, who shared their experiences and reflections on years of community service.
"I am deeply grateful to all of you who have led the development of civic society through service and dedication across every corner of our city," Mayor Choi said. "Citizens are not the objects of policy — they are the true protagonists of Namyangju. I will work together with our civil servants to ensure they are properly honored and served, in keeping with this era of citizen sovereignty."
To promote a culture of volunteerism, the city posted the names of 163 model citizen award recipients for this year's third quarter on a large display screen on the first floor of the main city hall building.
pjh@heraldcorp.com
