Gyeongbuk province receives first presidential award for saemaul movement in 53 years

Gyeongbuk Province received a presidential commendation for its work with the Saemaul Movement, a community-based development initiative, for the first time in 53 years.

The provincial government earned this recognition from the Ministry of the Interior and Safety for its efforts to globalize the movement and train international talent. The province established Saemaul pilot projects in 90 villages across 16 countries and launched national transformation projects in Sri Lanka and the Central African Republic.

It also operated research centers in Vietnam and the Central African Republic to share South Korean development experiences and community values. To train global leaders, the province supported a graduate program at Yeungnam University, which produced 306 leaders from 49 countries to lead global development cooperation. Domestically, the province conducted community projects such as improving 691 locations and building 150 housing units.

Moving forward, Gyeongbuk Province plans to research a third-generation Saemaul Movement strategy that combines the spirit of the movement with youth engagement and artificial intelligence.