Dongducheon Secures 400 Billion Won in National and Provincial Funding... Lays Foundation for Future City through Educational Innovation

Dongducheon Secures Record-Breaking External Funding

A City People Choose for Its Education

Spotlight on Dongducheon’s Achievements in Educational Innovation

Building Budgets and Planning the Future with Citizens’ Voices

Dongducheon City in Gyeonggi Province has secured the largest amount of national and provincial funding in its history over the four years of the 8th popularly elected administration, driven by communication with citizens. The city has also advanced educational innovation and laid the foundation for future growth.

According to Dongducheon City on June 15, the city placed citizens' opinions at the starting point of its municipal administration and focused on securing financial resources to realize these ideas. As a result, Dongducheon achieved significant outcomes in finance, education, and communication, establishing a foundation for enhanced urban competitiveness.

Perspective view of Songnae Complex Parking Center (left) and Park Hyungdeok, Mayor of Dongducheon. Provided by Dongducheon City

Securing the Largest Ever National and Provincial Funding... Laying the Financial Foundation for Urban Development

Since the beginning of the 8th administration, Dongducheon has made securing external resources a key priority, establishing a dedicated system for competitive project applications and actively seeking budget allocations from the central government and Gyeonggi Province. As a result, the city was selected for over 220 competitive projects, securing approximately 400 billion won in national and provincial funding.

In particular, by attracting large-scale support projects such as the Gyeonggi Province Regional Balanced Development Project and the Ministry of the Interior and Safety’s Special Situation Area Development Project, the city further strengthened the financial foundation for urban development. Last year, Dongducheon ranked first in the evaluation of the Gyeonggi Province Regional Balanced Development Project, securing a project budget of 30 billion won.

The secured resources have been intensively invested in projects directly related to citizens' daily lives. These include the construction of the Songnae Complex Parking Center, improvements to parking conditions at traditional markets, and the enhancement of street environments along Peace Road, as well as the restoration of the Soyo Stream eco-river, the creation of a pet-themed park in the northern region, and the development of the Wangbang Valley forest trail in the tourism and environmental sectors.

The city has also worked to improve living conditions in the old downtown by renovating aging residential areas, building integrated public rental housing, and enhancing living conditions in vulnerable urban areas. Efforts have also been made to expand cultural, sports, and educational infrastructure through the construction of park golf courses, the Sori Eum Madang cultural plaza, and the Education Development Special Zone project.

Notable achievements have also been made in the field of education. Dongducheon was designated as a pilot area for the Education Development Special Zone and subsequently selected as a leading area, establishing itself as a nationally recognized city for educational innovation. Through these initiatives, the city secured 7.8 billion won in external funds such as special grants, and invested approximately 71 billion won in education during the 8th administration.

Based on IB World School certification for Dongducheon Elementary School and Tapdong Elementary School, the city established an integrated IB education belt across elementary, middle, and high schools. Dongducheon also launched the smart safety shuttle bus 'Dongteuli' for students using the Together Care Center, and is actively developing a future-oriented educational environment with the establishment of the Northern Gyeonggi Global Talent Education Center and the Dongducheon-EBS Self-Directed Learning Center.

2025 Education Development Special Zone Performance Report Meeting (left) and Dongducheon City-Dongyang University RISE Business Cooperation Agreement Ceremony. Photo by Dongducheon City

From a City People Leave Because of Education to a City People Visit for Education

Support has also been expanded to reduce the educational burden on students and parents.

For the safety of students using the Together Care Center, the city operates the smart safety shuttle bus 'Dongteuli' and supports student growth through the establishment of the Northern Gyeonggi Global Talent Education Center and the Dongducheon-EBS Self-Directed Learning Center.

The city implemented the Dream-Irum Club overseas study program, provided Dongducheon-style free school uniforms, and expanded scholarship programs. In the first half of this year alone, a total of 329 million won in scholarships was awarded to 362 students.

In addition, Dongyang University and Shinhan University were selected as participating schools in the Gyeonggi Province RISE project, securing 15 billion won in project funding over the next five years. The establishment of the Korea Polytechnic University Dongducheon Campus was also approved, further strengthening the foundation for higher education in the region.

Throughout the 8th administration, Dongducheon City has made communication with citizens a core value of municipal governance. Notably, the city operates the 'Direct Text Message Service to the Mayor,' enabling citizens to easily report inconveniences in their daily lives, and has established a rapid response system for handling received complaints.

Through the 'On-site Deployment, the Mayor Visits the Citizens' initiative, Mayor Park Hyungdeok personally visited traditional markets and community facilities, reflecting the voices from the field in city policies. To improve accessibility for elderly residents with limited online access, the city installed civil complaint boxes at six locations, expanding communication channels.

This communication-focused administration led to the launch of the Dongducheon City Regional Development All-Citizens Countermeasures Committee, establishing a cooperation platform where citizens and public officials jointly address U.S. military base issues and advocate for regional development. In particular, the city has consistently submitted the 'Five Key Tasks for Solving U.S. Military Base Issues,' which include the prompt return of unrestituted bases and the expansion of national funding, to the central government and the National Assembly, emphasizing the need for support at the national level.

Interview with the Minister of National Defense by the National Countermeasures Committee and policy proposals (left). Mayor Hyungduk Park visiting citizens on site as part of 'On-site Deployment, the Mayor Visits the Citizens.' Provided by Dongducheon City.

The 8th administration of Dongducheon City has identified local issues through communication with citizens and secured budgets to resolve them, leading to tangible improvements in citizens’ lives.

Mayor Park Hyungdeok stated, "Over the past four years, we have tirelessly worked to turn citizens' voices into policy and secure the finances necessary to realize those policies. Based on the largest-ever national and provincial funding, educational innovation, and communication-focused administration, we will continue to build a Dongducheon where all citizens can feel proud."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.