Gangnam-gu in southern Seoul was selected as the winner of the safety and resilience award at the Smart City Expo World Congress’ World Smart City Awards in Barcelona, Spain, on Wednesday.

The World Smart City Awards are an international competition among cities around the globe that recognize projects, ideas and strategies that make cities more livable, sustainable and economically viable.

Gangnam-gu received the safety and resilience award for its smart city policy supporting the welfare and safety of marginalized groups, and was the only district from South Korea recognized during this year’s event. Titled “Seamless Urban Resilience for Everyone, Everytime and Everywhere,” Gangnam-gu was recognized for guaranteeing digital rights to the elderly, those with disabilities and the youth, and for using its advanced digital technologies to respond to emergencies and to guarantee public safety.

“I hope that Gangnam-gu’s vision and value of its smart city will be widely spread to the international community after receiving this award,” said Gangnam-gu head Cho Sung-myung.

“Gangnam-gu will continue to actively introduce digital solutions to solve various social problems and to develop a city that is sustainable.”