Gangdong-gu (Mayor Lee Jung-hun) accomplished the outstanding feat of winning the Gold Award for Innovative Management in Government at the 2019 Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards held on May 31 at 5 p.m. (local time) at the Singapore Intercontinental Hotel.

The Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards is an prestigious international award ceremony organized by the USA Stevie Awards to appraise the innovative accomplishments made by companies, organizations, and public institutions in the Asia-Pacific region, or so-called Oscar Awards in the field of business.

Over 900 entries from 16 countries were submitted to this year’s Stevie Awards and Gangdong-gu Office’s “Green Renovation Got Everything” earned the Gold Award for Innovative Management in Government.

The Gangdong-gu Office had been an outdated building, constructed in 1979, with several safety issues and poor insulation. With a very limited space, it had very few spaces that residents and government officials could use. Thus, Gangdong-gu took over the building of Gangdong Police Station and refurbished it, along with the main building of the office, into more durable edifices with higher efficiency.

The square in front of Gangdong-gu Office, previously a parking lot, is now an Open Garden, a green plaza spanning over 1300m2. In this Open Garden, various events can now take place, including busking performances, the youth night market, and children’s festival. Residents can enjoy the culture and arts performances sometimes and other times just spend a relaxing time with their families.

The walking trail around the Gangdong-gu Office buildings is another must-see. The once narrow and inconvenient sidewalk has now been expanded and flanked by greenery, including flowers, trees, and shrubs, to be enjoyed not only by visitors and office workers but also by local residents.

Another remarkable place is “I got everything,” the No. 4 Job Cafe for the Disabled of Gangdong-gu, that can be found inside the Gangdong-gu Office. Once used as a holding cell in the police station, the space is now used as a cafe and gallery for residents’ artworks, a popular space where residents gather to socialize and communicate. The conference hall and meeting rooms are also open to the public for small and large gatherings, and there are other open spaces throughout Gangdong-gu that residents can use free or for a small charge.

Gangdong-gu’s Mayor Lee Jung-hun remarked, “We are so proud that Gangdong-gu Office was a winner at the prestigious international awards ceremony. We will make our best efforts to offer the best administration services and to make A Happy Gangdong where everyone is included and feels happy.”

<Related Photos>

• 

  

  The new open square is being used by local residents.