Sustainable Development Goals
Status
ongoing
50%
City
Suwon
Main actors
City Government, Community / Citizen Group, Research Institutes / Universities
Project area
Whole City/Administrative Region
Duration
Ongoing since 2023
Saebit Talk Talk’ is a citizen participation platform established by Suwon City to enhance communication with citizens and allow them to directly participate in municipal governance.
This is an abbreviated version of the original case study on the Urban SDG Knowledge Platform with information provided by Suwon City.
City
Suwon, South Korea
Size and population development
With an estimated average population of 1.2 million, Suwon has grown by 338,996 in the last year, which represents a 2.53% annual change, making it one of South Korea's fastest-growing major cities. Suwon is one of 84 cities in South Korea and ranks 8 in the South Korea population.
Population composition
As a satellite city of Seoul, Suwon attracts a diverse population including young professionals, university students, and families seeking proximity to the capital while enjoying a more affordable cost of living. The city has a mix of long-term residents and newer arrivals drawn by employment opportunities, particularly in the technology sector. The population reflects typical South Korean demographics with an aging population trend, though the city's growth has helped maintain a relatively balanced age distribution.
Main functions
Suwon is a city and provincial capital in Gyeonggi province, northwestern South Korea. Since the late 14th century it has been a satellite town of Seoul, 26 miles (42 km) to the north, to which it is connected by rail and highway. Traditionally known as the 'City of Filial Piety', modern Suwon retains a variety of historical landmarks. As a walled city, it is a popular tourist destination. The city serves as both an important administrative centre for Gyeonggi Province and a major technology hub, housing the global headquarters of Samsung Electronics.
Main industries / business
Suwon's economy is dominated by the technology sector, most notably Samsung Electronics. Samsung Electric Industries was established as an industrial part of Samsung Group on 13 January 1969. In the late 1960s, Samsung Group entered the electronics industry. It formed several electronics-related divisions, such as Samsung Electronics Devices, Samsung Electro-Mechanics, Samsung Corning and Samsung Semiconductor & Telecommunications, and opened the facility in Suwon. The Samsung Digital City campus in Suwon serves as the global headquarters and a major manufacturing centre. Beyond Samsung, the city hosts numerous other technology companies, research and development facilities, and has a growing startup ecosystem. Manufacturing, particularly in electronics and semiconductors, forms the backbone of the local economy.
Sources for city budget
As a special case city in South Korea, Suwon receives funding from multiple sources including local taxes, property taxes, business taxes, and transfer payments from both the provincial government of Gyeonggi and the national government. The city benefits significantly from corporate taxes paid by major companies like Samsung Electronics. Additional revenue comes from municipal fees, charges for city services, and development levies. The city also receives specific allocations for urban development projects and infrastructure improvements as part of national and provincial development programs.
Political structure
Suwon operates under South Korea's local government system as a special case city (특례시). The city is governed by a directly elected mayor who serves a four-year term, and a city council composed of elected representatives from various districts within the city. As the capital of Gyeonggi Province, Suwon also hosts provincial government offices and institutions. The city is divided into four districts (구): Yeongtong-gu, Jangan-gu, Paldal-gu, and Yeonsu-gu, each with their own local administrative offices.
Administrative structure
Administrative structure
Suwon's administrative structure consists of the central city government overseeing four district offices (구청), each responsible for local administrative functions within their boundaries. The districts are further subdivided into neighborhoods (동) for more localized governance and service delivery. The city administration coordinates closely with Gyeonggi Provincial Government offices also located in Suwon, as well as various national government agencies that have regional offices in the city. This multi-level administrative structure allows for efficient governance of both local city matters and broader regional responsibilities.
Website
https://www.suwon.go.kr
The primary objective of Saebit Talk Talk is to create a system where citizens can easily and actively participate in and propose ideas for Suwon City's policies. The platform aims to reflect citizens' opinions in government decisions through a direct democracy approach, thereby improving the quality of policies. Furthermore, it seeks to create a culture where citizens freely exchange opinions and engage in respectful discussions.
Main Features of the Platform
- Citizen Proposals: Citizens can submit policy ideas and engage in discussions with other citizens. Through comments and likes, the popularity and feasibility of the ideas are evaluated.
- Discussion and Consensus: Citizens can exchange opinions through comments on proposed ideas and show support by clicking the "like" button. Proposals that receive a certain number of likes are forwarded to the relevant department for review.
- Surveys and Polls: A feature to collect citizens' opinions on major Suwon City policies through surveys and polls.
- Application and Registration: Citizens can apply for projects organized by Suwon City through the platform.
Operational Process
- Citizen Proposals and Discussion: Proposals submitted by citizens are open for discussion for 30 days, during which citizens can express their support and share their opinions.
- Review and Evaluation: Once a proposal reaches a certain level of support, the relevant department conducts a review and evaluates whether the proposal can be adopted as a policy.
- Policy Implementation: Adopted suggestions are turned into actual policies, and citizens are regularly updated on the progress.
The lead agency for the project is Suwon City.
Budget for System Development
239,359,000 South Korean Won
Budget for System Maintenance
Year 2024: 35,916,000 South Korean Won
Year 2025: 38,308,000 South Korean Won
Increased Citizen Participation
- Since the introduction of Saebit Talk Talk in 2023, over 100,000 citizens have registered, and the platform has accumulated over 1.1 million visits.
- Out of 593 policy proposals submitted by citizens, 35 were adopted after review by the relevant departments.
- Notable examples include discounts for attending home games of professional sports teams and a meal delivery service for residents in need, including those aside from the elderly.
- These policies are particularly significant as they were the first to be implemented based on citizen proposals.
Policy Implementation and Improved Administrative Efficiency
- Some of the citizen suggestions received through Saebit Talk Talk have been incorporated into Suwon City's policies.
- The citizens who made the proposals, along with the responsible departments, worked together to refine and implement these policies.
- This direct democracy approach enhances the transparency and efficiency of administration by ensuring that citizen participation has a direct impact on policy decisions.
Education and Collaboration
Suwon City collaborated with the Department of Public Administration at Ajou University and Kyonggi University to create a course where students actively use Saebit Talk Talk, providing them with an opportunity to understand the policymaking
External Recognition
Saebit Talk Talk was awarded the Minister of the Interior and Safety Award for Excellence in Proposal Activation in 2024.
This award recognizes Suwon City's proactive adoption of citizen proposals and their integration into policy, validating the platform’s successful operation.
Suwon City is actively encouraging citizen participation through Saebit Talk Talk and plans to further develop the platform to gather and implement policy ideas from various fields.
Based on an online platform, Saebit Talk Talk can easily be adapted by other cities or countries to implement a similar system for citizen engagement. Since the system operates online, it allows for participation regardless of time or location, making it highly replicable. Real-time feedback and the ability to refine proposals through discussions increase its practicality for use in other areas.
Suwon City attracted international attention by introducing Saebit Talk Talk to foreign officials from countries such as Finland, Thailand, and Japan. A research team from Helsinki University in Finland, officials from Thailand's local government, and representatives from USAID, as well as prominent businesspeople and executives from public institutions in Japan, learned about Suwon's digital citizen participation model and explored ways to apply it in their own countries.
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