“Let’s Learn from Hwaseong’s ‘Geunyang Dream’”… Benchmarking Boom Nationwide Including Namyangju and Pyeongtaek

Hwaseong City Connects Laryngeal Cancer Surgery and Smart Ring Care
"Hwaseong Geunyang Dream" Emerges as a National Welfare Role Model
Five National Model and 25 Hwaseong-Style "Geunyang Dream" Sites in Operation
Goal to Expand to All 29 Town and Township Offices by Year-End
Mayor Myeonggeun Jung: "No Citizen Will Be Left Alone"

The "Geunyang Dream" initiative by Hwaseong Special City (Mayor Myeonggeun Jung) has established itself as a welfare innovation model that is garnering nationwide attention from local governments. Going beyond simple food assistance, its comprehensive welfare network—encompassing the identification of at-risk households and linkage to medical and care services—has become a benchmark for others, resulting in a steady stream of visits from other municipalities seeking to learn from Hwaseong's example.

Hwaseong Special City announced on July 7 that on the previous day, officials from Namyangju City and Pyeongtaek City visited to observe the operation of "Geunyang Dream" and to share insights on the project's implementation and on-the-ground know-how.

Officials from Namyangju City and Pyeongtaek City are examining the Hwaseong Special City Geunyang Dream On (온) Lounge. Provided by Hwaseong City

Namyangju and Pyeongtaek Benchmark Hwaseong Special City's "Geunyang Dream"

About 20 officials from Wabu-eup in Namyangju City and Poseung-eup in Pyeongtaek City attended the visit. They toured the "Geunyang Dream On (온) Lounge" inside Naraeul Community Welfare Center and examined the operational methods and best practices of Hwaseong-style Geunyang Dream.

In particular, a Q&A session between working-level staff facilitated in-depth discussions and the sharing of operational expertise on practical challenges encountered on site, such as budget management methods, the process for handling receipts of donated goods, and setting permissions within the FMS (Donation Goods Management System).

Officials from Namyangju and Pyeongtaek showed great interest in the independent item selection and the integrated consultation system at the town and township level, which distinguishes the "Hwaseong-style Geunyang Dream" from the central government-led model. An official from Namyangju City commented, "I was truly impressed by Hwaseong's seamless system that organically connects in-depth consultation with the integration of public resources," adding, "It was a meaningful opportunity to learn know-how that can be applied in our own city."

In addition to the visits from Namyangju and Pyeongtaek, this year has seen a continuous flow of benchmarking visits from local governments across the country, including Daejeon Metropolitan City, Bucheon City in Gyeonggi Province, Yangju City, and Gapyeong County. This demonstrates that Hwaseong Special City's "Geunyang Dream" is being recognized as a true role model for food welfare programs in South Korea.

Officials from Namyangju City and Pyeongtaek City are examining the composition of goods from Hwaseong Special City Geunyang Dream. Provided by Hwaseong City

Hwaseong's "Geunyang Dream" Connects Cancer Surgery and Smart Ring Care

Unlike the national program promoted by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the Hwaseong-style Geunyang Dream features a consultation linkage system tailored to local characteristics. Rather than simply providing daily necessities, the initiative identifies citizens in welfare blind spots during the consultation process and connects them with the public services they need.

In practice, "Geunyang Dream" has produced cases that have fundamentally changed the lives of citizens in crisis.

For example, a man in his 60s, who had been living alone in a shipping container, was found to be suffering from serious illnesses including laryngeal cancer and cataracts during his use of the Geunyang Dream service. Hwaseong City immediately connected him to apply for the National Basic Livelihood Security Program and for emergency medical assistance, allowing him to successfully undergo surgery for laryngeal cancer.

The case of Ms. C, an 83-year-old senior living alone, is also notable. After a bathroom door lock incident at home, Ms. C struggled with anxiety about dying alone. Hwaseong City determined that she needed psychological stability more than material support. The city thus provided an integrated care service called "Smart Ring," which monitors her health and vital signs in real time, helping her regain a safe daily life.

Kim Minjae, Deputy Minister of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, is reading an information sign during his visit to the "Geunyang Dream On (温) Lounge" in Hwaseong Special City last March. Provided by Hwaseong City

Even the Ministry of Health and Welfare, and the Ministry of the Interior and Safety Recognize Hwaseong Special City's "Geunyang Dream"

Hwaseong Special City currently operates five national-model Geunyang Dream locations and 25 Hwaseong-style Geunyang Dream sites. In June, the city installed refrigerators in 13 town and township offices, bringing the total number of support centers to 38.

Notably, in February this year, Hwaseong was the first in the nation to establish the "Geunyang Dream On (온) Lounge," allowing citizens to receive services in a warm and comfortable atmosphere. The city also operates five regional hubs, the largest number in Gyeonggi Province, thereby strengthening its welfare safety net.

This innovative operating model has attracted significant interest from central government ministries. For instance, Hyun Suyeop, First Vice Minister of Health and Welfare, paid a site visit in May and expressed great interest in the detailed spatial design and operational approach of the "Geunyang Dream On (온) Lounge."

Likewise, Kim Minjae, Deputy Minister of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, visited the Geunyang Dream site in March and commented, "Hwaseong Special City's Geunyang Dream is an exemplary case worthy of nationwide expansion," giving high marks for the policy's level of completion.

Myeonggeun Jung, Special Mayor of Hwaseong. Provided by Hwaseong City

Mayor Myeonggeun Jung: "In the Ninth Civil Administration, We Will Build an Even Greater 'Geunyang Dream'"

These achievements have drawn the attention of the central government and other municipalities. Since the beginning of this year, local governments such as Daejeon Metropolitan City, Bucheon City in Gyeonggi Province, Yangju City, and Gapyeong County have visited Hwaseong to learn about its operational methods.

The city plans to actively pursue the Geunyang Dream initiative during the ninth civil administration. In particular, it aims to expand the program so that by the end of this year, citizens will be able to conveniently access services at all 29 town and township offices.

Myeonggeun Jung, Mayor of Hwaseong Special City, stated, "Hwaseong Special City's 'Geunyang Dream' is a warm promise and a safety net from the administration to ensure that no citizen in difficulty is left alone," adding, "We will continue to share Hwaseong's operational know-how with both central government ministries and local governments to further activate 'Geunyang Dream.'"

He added, "In line with the vision of the ninth civil administration, 'Happiness for All! A Greater Hwaseong!', we will focus our administrative capacity on building an even greater and more inclusive 'Geunyang Dream' that leaves no one behind."

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