Goyang City Wins Awards in Two Categories at Gyeonggi-do Active Administration Contest

Encouragement Award for Establishing Local Tax Exemption Standards for Industrial Complexes
Excellence Award for the Smart City Living Lab

Goyang Special City in Gyeonggi Province (Mayor: Min Kyung-seon) and its affiliated organization, the Goyang Industry Promotion Agency, both received awards at the Gyeonggi-do Active Administration Best Practices Contest.

Goyang City won the Encouragement Award in the city category and the Excellence Award in the public institution category at the '2026 Gyeonggi Province Proactive Administration Best Practices Competition' hosted by Gyeonggi Province on the 11th. Provided by Goyang City

On August 12, Goyang City announced that it had won the Encouragement Award in the city category and the Excellence Award in the public institution category at the "2026 Gyeonggi-do Active Administration Best Practices Contest" hosted by Gyeonggi Province on August 11.

The contest was judged by group, based on the size of the population for each city and county. The final rankings were determined by combining 80% expert evaluation and 20% online public polling. Goyang City won the Encouragement Award within the group that included metropolitan areas with a population of 500,000 or more, such as Suwon and Hwaseong.

In the city category, Goyang City's Tax Administration Division received high marks for its case: "A Decision Unbound by Legal Terminology: Dismantling Tax Barriers to Build the Foundation of a Self-Reliant City."

In anticipation of the sale of land for the Ilsan Technovalley Urban High-Tech Industrial Complex, Goyang City took action when there was uncertainty over whether local tax exemptions would apply to industrial complexes designated according to the "Urban Development Act." This uncertainty, due to regulatory provisions, raised concerns about the potential delay in attracting businesses.

By seeking legal counsel and reviewing Supreme Court precedents, Goyang City strengthened its legal basis and persistently persuaded the central government, as well as Gyeonggi Province. As a result, they secured an authoritative interpretation from the central government, confirming that local tax exemptions are possible even for industrial complexes designated under regulatory provisions. Subsequently, official documents were sent to local governments nationwide, establishing a uniform exemption standard that can now be applied nationwide.

This standard is expected to support not only industrial complexes designated under the Urban Development Act, but also those established according to the Economic Free Zone Act and the Special Act on Designation and Fostering of Special R&D Zones. It is anticipated that this will help other local governments attract companies and revitalize their industrial complexes as well.

In the public institution category, the Goyang Industry Promotion Agency received the Excellence Award for its "Goyang Smart City Living Lab" project. This initiative identifies and addresses urban issues—such as public safety, transportation, and care—by having citizens and businesses discover challenges together and verify solutions in real-life situations.

The agency prepared the groundwork for demonstrations in advance by conducting demand surveys with related organizations and establishing business agreements, thereby reducing both project costs and execution time. The efforts to connect citizen participation with technology demonstrations by companies were highly regarded for increasing the tangible benefits felt by citizens and creating growth opportunities for businesses.

Min Kyung-seon, Mayor of Goyang Special City, stated, "This recognition is the result of public officials taking on challenges proactively and working hard to bring about real, tangible changes that both citizens and businesses can feel." He added, "Especially meaningful is the fact that active administration is now spreading not only within the public service but also to affiliated public organizations."

He continued, "Going forward, we will continue to support active administration so as not to remain confined by the limits of current practices and systems, and will strive to deliver tangible outcomes that citizens can truly experience."

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