Daejeon seeks citizen volunteers to turn public ideas into policy

Daejeon city announced Tuesday it is recruiting participants for its "2026 Daejeon Siso Supporters — Modeuieum Mates" program, which aims to develop citizen ideas into concrete policy proposals and implementation plans.

The Modeuieum Mates are supporters under the Daejeon Siso initiative who refine citizen ideas into specific policies and serve as a bridge between civic participation and policy execution.

Applications are open from Tuesday through Sept. 17, with about 30 spots available. Eligible applicants must be at least 19 years old and either reside in Daejeon or work or study at an institution in the city. Applications may be submitted individually or as a team.

Preferred candidates include those with academic backgrounds or practical experience in economics and science, culture and tourism, or youth affairs; those with skills in planning, designing, or producing video and image content; and those with app or web service development capabilities, including program development.

Selected supporters will serve for two months, from October through November, researching and developing implementation plans for three policy themes: a humanities and science program linking Daejeon's retired scientists to the public (economics and science); an experiential program tied to science characters (culture and tourism); and the creation and use of a map of idle spaces available to Daejeon youth (youth affairs).

Applications can be submitted through Naver Forms, and final selections will be announced Sept. 29 on the Daejeon Siso website.

Participants will receive a formal letter of appointment, a modest activity stipend, and capacity-building education. Outstanding teams will also be eligible for a commendation from the Daejeon mayor at year's end.

Park Min-beom, director general of Daejeon's administrative and civil affairs bureau, said the program would be "a meaningful opportunity for citizens' ideas to go beyond simple suggestions and translate into real policy," adding that he hoped residents would take an active interest in shaping the city's future together.