Island residents cast ballots themselves to decide next year's village projects. The Deokjeok-myeon Residents' Autonomy Council (Chairman Kwon Sun-hak) held its fourth residents' assembly on Sept. 9 at Haesol Hall, the gymnasium of Deokjeok Middle and High School.
 [The Korean Today] Fourth Deokjeok-myeon residents' assembly © Reporter Kim Mi-hee |
The assembly's most significant outcome was the confirmation of a participatory budget project. In an on-site vote, the "Seopo 2-ri drainage pipe installation project" won strong support from residents and was selected. Because drainage problems translate directly into daily inconvenience and flooding risks whenever it rains, residents effectively set their own priorities and chose the solution.
During the main proceedings, key operational results were reported on the council's activities from January 2025 through August 2026. The procedure disclosed a record of one year and eight months of activity to residents, serving also as an occasion to verify the transparency of the council's operations.
Residents' agenda items to be pursued in 2027 were then introduced, and the results of the priority vote were announced. Under this approach, residents review proposals put forward by residents and residents rank them — a decision-making structure distinct from the conventional method in which the administration determines projects and notifies the public.
The pre-event stage was filled by a performance from the Deokjeok Love Arts Troupe (pungmul) club, which has been active in Deokjeok-myeon's residents' autonomy programs. Guests including Ongjin-gun County Deputy Governor Lim Hyun-taek also attended.
Kwon Sun-hak, chairman of the Deokjeok-myeon Residents' Autonomy Council, said, "The residents' assembly is a forum for communication where residents of Deokjeok-myeon gather their voices to jointly recognize and resolve village issues," adding, "We will continue to do our best to make Deokjeok-myeon an even better place to live."
Now in its fourth year, the Deokjeok-myeon residents' assembly shows that residents' autonomy procedures are taking root in island areas as well. The more sparsely populated and administratively remote an island area is, the more a structure in which residents set the agenda themselves becomes a practical channel for resolving everyday issues. The next point of interest is the process through which the newly selected drainage pipe installation project will be carried out.
[ Reporter Kim Mi-hee: incheonsouth@thekoreantoday.com ]
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