From India to Taiwan: Overseas Research Delegations Flock to Learn the 'Gwangmyeong Model' of Social Solidarity Economy

Gwangmyeong City Welcomes Research Delegation of 13 Practitioners Supported by Taiwanese Government
Gwangmyeong City’s Social Solidarity Economy Policy Draws Ongoing International Attention
The Only Local Government Chosen Among Key Destinations for Taiwanese Delegation
Mayor Park Seungwon: "A Force for Building a Sustainable Future... Will Expand International Cooperation"

The 'Social Solidarity Economy' policy being promoted by Gwangmyeong City, Gyeonggi Province, is emerging as an international benchmark. Following a visit last year by officials from a central ministry in India, this time a large-scale research delegation supported by the Taiwanese government has visited Gwangmyeong City.

The "Taiwan Social Solidarity Economy Research Delegation," led by Peng Guizhi, Chairwoman of the Taiwan Housewives Union Consumer Life Cooperative (HUCC), visited Gwangmyeong City on the 30th to share excellent policy cases. Provided by Gwangmyeong City

On June 30, Gwangmyeong City announced that the 'Taiwan Social Solidarity Economy Research Delegation,' led by Peng Guizhi, Chairwoman of the Taiwan Housewives Union Consumer Cooperative (HUCC), visited the city to share exemplary policy cases. The delegation, consisting of 13 members, including professors from six universities such as National Taipei University and cooperative practitioners, is visiting Korea from June 28 to July 4. Among their scheduled visits, Gwangmyeong City was the only local government chosen.

The aspect that particularly drew the attention of the Taiwanese research delegation was Gwangmyeong City’s 'proactive infrastructure.' The city is the first local government in the country to promote the establishment of a Social Solidarity Economy Innovation Center and is implementing a 'community assetization' policy, which circulates regional economic value within the local area. The city was also highly praised for its 'step-by-step development system,' which goes beyond simple business support to help citizens grow from cooperative members into social entrepreneurs.

The strategy of Gwangmyeong City, which combines the social solidarity economy with public services such as welfare, employment, and care to serve as a core driver for solving local issues, also attracted significant interest from the Taiwanese side.

Peng Guizhi, the delegation leader, stated, "I was deeply impressed by how Gwangmyeong City organically connects citizen participation, cooperatives, and local communities to build a social solidarity economy ecosystem. We actively plan to utilize the experiences gained from this visit in advancing Taiwan's social solidarity economy policies and cooperative development, and we hope to continue ongoing exchanges with Gwangmyeong City in the future."

Gwangmyeong City Mayor Park Seungwon emphasized, "The social solidarity economy is a force that simultaneously achieves economic growth and social value, creating a sustainable future. Through this exchange, we will strengthen cooperation with Taiwan and contribute to the development of the global social solidarity economy."

Meanwhile, Gwangmyeong City plans to continue expanding exchanges with domestic and international organizations to promote the excellence of the 'Gwangmyeong Model' and solidify a global network for building a sustainable local economic ecosystem.

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