- The City of Paju Ranked First in a Number of Key Criteria, including Identification and Support of Marginalized Households -

The City of Paju took first place in an evaluation of the operation of Muhan (unlimited) services in 31 cities and guns of Gyeonggi Province.


♠The Muhan Staff was appointed at Small Theater, City Hall, on June 18, 2009.♠

Muhan services are programs to provide marginalized households that do not qualify for official government subsidies with support for living expenses and medical aids, in order to help them overcome periods of crisis and enjoy a stable life. Gyeonggi Province has operated these services as one of its key policies since November 2008.

The government has organized a joint evaluation board consisting of experts from the private sector and academia, in order to guarantee the objectivity and fairness of the evaluation, and conducts written evaluations and site inspections on March 31, June 30 and October 31. As the 1st prize winner, the City of Paju will receive the medal and prize money of KRW 60 million at the monthly provincial meeting held on December 2, 2009, and the prize money will be spent to deliver the services.


This achievement by the city is attributed to its practical and effective policy efforts, including the organization of the task force team and the steering committee for the stabilization of low-income families to promptly identify and support marginalized households; the operation of monitoring desk 365 days a year; surveys of more than 18,000 low-income households; development of the one-stop support system with 17 cooperative organizations; and the appointment of 1,180 Muhan workers.


♠The meeting with cooperative organizations was held on October 23, 2009, and 17 organizations including the police department and counseling centers for victims of domestic violence gathered to develop the one-stop support system.♠

From January to November 2009, the City of Paju identified 1,451 marginalized households, to which it granted more than KRW 1.6 billion in Muhan aid. The city took 1st place in terms of the ratio of the number of beneficiaries to the number of basic livelihood aid beneficiaries (35%, 4,071 beneficiaries), and achieved budget execution of 100%. The city also received high marks in the categories of policy promotion and best cases, setting an example for other local governments to follow.

In addition, the City of Paju operates diverse programs to help needy neighbors to overcome crisis and to support low-income families. Public officers have voluntarily donated 0.5% of their monthly salaries, and the Paju Love Campaign (issuance of Paju Love Cards whose proceeds are donated to needy neighbors) and the Hite Scholarship Program for Low-Income Students (KRW 15 per 500ml of Hite is donated) are attracting the voluntary participation of citizens.

Prompted by the voluntary participation of Paju citizens, Community Chest of Gyeonggi and C&M Gyeonggi Cable plan to jointly host the Year-End Live Donation Campaign. To support the continuous operation of Muhan services, the Paju Muhan Center of Hope will be established in 2010. The Center will focus on providing customized welfare services, and actively expand support for marginalized households and low-income families.

○ Contact: Service Team of Resident Life Support Division, Paju City ☎ 031)940-4551