Hwaseong City Takes First Place Among Cities at the 'Republic of Korea Regional Economy Awards'

Grand Prize with a Total Score of 9,538 Points
Recognized for Balanced Performance Across All Eight Areas,
Including Jobs, Corporate Support, and Neighborhood Economy
Jeong Myeong-geun: "We Will Build a Sustainable Economic City"

Hwaseong Special City in Gyeonggi Province (Mayor Jeong Myeong-geun) has secured first place among all city-level local governments nationwide at the ‘2025 Republic of Korea Regional Economy Awards’.

Exterior view of Hwaseong Special City Hall. Provided by Hwaseong City

Hwaseong City announced on the 11th that it received a total score of 9,538 points in the evaluation jointly organized by the Korean Regional Economics Association and the Korea Regional Economic Institute, earning the grand prize in the city-level category.

The Republic of Korea Regional Economy Awards evaluates the regional economic performance of local governments across the country based on official statistics and quantitative indicators directly surveyed by the organizing institutions. There are eight areas of assessment: jobs and employment, prices and consumers, corporate support, neighborhood economy, culture and tourism, agricultural economy, regional innovation, and economic leadership.

Hwaseong City received positive evaluations for expanding corporate attraction and investment support based on the country's largest corporate cluster, as well as consistently implementing policies to stabilize the operations of small and medium-sized enterprises and small merchants and revitalize neighborhood businesses. Additional high scores were awarded for boosting local consumption by leveraging cultural and tourism resources and strengthening the foundation for business support and job creation with the expanded administrative authority gained after becoming a Special City in 2025.

This evaluation was conducted not on the basis of materials submitted by local governments but primarily using external official statistics and objective quantitative indicators.

Hwaseong City is promoting local consumption through expanded issuance of local currency and support for small businesses and traditional markets, while also working to stabilize living costs by increasing the number of “Good Price Stores” and monitoring prices. The city is also expanding efforts to attract domestic and foreign corporate investment and to support small business, startups, and export activities.

Looking ahead, the city plans to further strengthen its competitiveness in future industries by establishing a space and aerospace industry cluster hub, designating an economic free zone, and building an artificial intelligence (AI) industry foundation.

Mayor Jeong Myeong-geun commented, “This award is a collective achievement created by companies, small businesses, and citizens who have worked hard in Hwaseong. We will continue to create more quality jobs and build a sustainable economic city where neighborhood businesses and local companies grow together.”

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