Hwaseong to hold four regional 'basic society' talk concerts from Oct 8 to 29
In short
Hwaseong, a special-status city in Gyeonggi Province, will hold four regional town-hall talk concerts on its “basic society” agenda between Oct 8 and Oct 29, all starting at 2 p.m. The sessions pair expert presentations and panel discussions with citizen input on income, care, housing, transport, education and culture, and later life. The city says it will use the expert opinions and citizen proposals as basic material to develop its own Hwaseong-style basic society policies.
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Hwaseong, a special-status city in Gyeonggi Province, will hold four regional basic society talk concerts under the title “Gibalhan Moduui Daehwa,” meaning “A Step Toward a Basic Society, Everyone's Conversation,” from Oct 8 to Oct 29, the city said. All four sessions start at 2 p.m. [ 1 , 3 ]
The sessions run in Manse district on Oct 8 at the Hwaseong City Family Center Manse Hall, Hyohaeng district on Oct 16 at the Hwaseong Citizens' University stepped lecture room, Byeongjeom district on Oct 23 at the Hwasan-dong Administrative Welfare Center conference room, and Dongtan district on Oct 29 at the Hwaseong Dongtan 2 Incubating Center conference hall. Any Hwaseong resident may attend. [ 1 , 3 ]
Ahn Kyun-seung, a member of the Presidential Committee on the Basic Society, chairs the sessions. Kim Jung-hoon of the same committee and Park Myung-hee, Jung Sang-hee, Jung Han-cheol and Cho Seong-jin of the Hwaseong basic society committee take part as panelists. [ 1 , 3 ]
Each event consists of an expert presentation, a panel discussion and citizen participation. Before entering, residents mark their opinions with stickers on policy questions covering income, care, housing, transport, education and culture, and later life. According to Asia Economy, the experts then debate based on the voting results, after which citizens propose the policies and ideas they need. [ 1 , 3 ]
The city said it plans to analyse the expert opinions and citizen proposals as basic material for identifying and fleshing out Hwaseong-style basic society policies. Mayor Jeong Myeong-geun said the basic society “is not a grand slogan” but begins with asking what society can do so that all citizens can enjoy a basic life in their daily routines, adding that the city will look carefully at diverse needs based on citizens' voices. [ 1 , 3 ]
Why it matters
The sessions are the city's attempt to turn a national-level policy concept — a presidential committee on the basic society is involved — into locally defined services in income, care and housing. For residents, the outcome would be a set of locally tailored policy proposals rather than a national programme, though the documents describe only the consultation stage.
Key facts
- Hwaseong will hold four regional basic society talk concerts titled “Gibalhan Moduui Daehwa” (“A Step Toward a Basic Society, Everyone's Conversation”) from Oct 8 to Oct 29. [ 1 , 3 ]
- All four sessions start at 2 p.m. [ 1 , 3 ]
- The first is on Oct 8 in Manse district, followed by Hyohaeng district on Oct 16, Byeongjeom district on Oct 23 and Dongtan district on Oct 29. [ 1 , 3 ]
- Ahn Kyun-seung of the Presidential Committee on the Basic Society chairs the sessions, with committee member Kim Jung-hoon and Hwaseong basic society committee members Park Myung-hee, Jung Sang-hee, Jung Han-cheol and Cho Seong-jin as panelists. [ 1 , 3 ]
- Before entering, citizens mark their views with stickers on policy questions covering income, care, housing, transport, education and culture, and later life. [ 1 ]
- The city said it will analyse expert opinions and citizen proposals as basic material to identify and flesh out Hwaseong-style basic society policies. [ 1 ]
- Mayor Jeong Myeong-geun said the basic society “does not start from a grand slogan” but from asking what society can do so that all citizens can enjoy a basic life in their daily routines. [ 1 , 3 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- Hwaseong will hold four regional basic society talk concerts between Oct 8 and Oct 29, all at 2 p.m. [ 1 , 3 ]
- The session schedule is Manse district on Oct 8, Hyohaeng district on Oct 16, Byeongjeom district on Oct 23 and Dongtan district on Oct 29. [ 1 , 3 ]
- Ahn Kyun-seung of the Presidential Committee on the Basic Society chairs, with Kim Jung-hoon and Hwaseong basic society committee members Park Myung-hee, Jung Sang-hee, Jung Han-cheol and Cho Seong-jin as panelists. [ 1 , 3 ]
- Mayor Jeong Myeong-geun said the city will build a Hwaseong-style basic society based on citizens' voices. [ 1 , 3 ]
Still unclear
- How many residents will take part and what policy proposals will emerge. The documents describe only the planned format; no attendance or outcome figures are given.
- Whether the consultative sessions will lead to adopted policies. The city states only that it plans to use the results as basic material for developing policies; no decision or budget is mentioned.
- One outlet's feed summary carried the event headline, but its article text dealt with an unrelated subject (a Supreme Court justice's remarks at a National Assembly audit). The document's body does not cover the Hwaseong event, so it is not used as a source for details here.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- Asia Economy publishes its report on the four regional talk concerts and the city's plans. [ 1 ]
- Newsis publishes a feed summary headlined on the Hwaseong basic society sessions. [ 2 ]
- Yonhap publishes its report on the event. [ 3 ]
- First session opens in Manse district at the Hwaseong City Family Center Manse Hall (Oct 8). [ 1 , 3 ]
- Second session in Hyohaeng district at Hwaseong Citizens' University (Oct 16). [ 1 , 3 ]
- Third session in Byeongjeom district at the Hwasan-dong Administrative Welfare Center (Oct 23). [ 1 , 3 ]
- Fourth session in Dongtan district at the Hwaseong Dongtan 2 Incubating Center conference hall (Oct 29). [ 1 , 3 ]