Accepting submissions from April 20 through May 8…Total prize pool: 8 million KRW (about $6,000)
Seeking policy ideas in 10 areas—basic income, housing, care and more—and outstanding proposals may be incorporated into municipal policy
Hwaseong Special City announced April 17 that it will hold the 2026 Hwaseong-style Basic Social Policy Contest to broaden citizen participation and identify practical basic social policies.
The contest will accept submissions from April 20 through May 8. Any resident with an interest in basic social policy is eligible to enter. This year, the city will run separate categories for residents and public servants to strengthen both professional rigor and diversity in proposals.
The total prize pool is 8 million KRW (about $6,000), and the grand prize (first place) carries an award of 3 million KRW (about $2,250).
Proposals may address any of 10 fields: basic income, finance, housing, transportation, safety, healthcare, care services, education, culture, and the social-solidarity economy. The city encourages ideas that address citizens’ everyday needs from multiple angles.
Hwaseong will not treat this as a simple idea contest; the review process will prioritize proposals with realistic potential for policy adoption. Submissions will be evaluated in stages against core criteria—public value, timeliness, and feasibility—and the city intends to actively incorporate selected ideas into municipal policy.
The contest is part of a process to work with citizens to articulate the “basic social” policy philosophy in concrete terms. It is significant because citizens—the ultimate users of policy—take a direct role in policy design.
Hwaseong plans to use the contest to strengthen a citizen-driven policy platform and to build a Hwaseong-style basic social model that, based on successful examples, could be scaled nationwide.
Submissions are accepted by mail and email. For details, see the notice on the Hwaseong City website.
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