The Seoul Metropolitan Government said Friday that it has won the United Nations Public Service Awards for the fourth consecutive year.

This year, Seoul won two United Nations awards in recognition of its efforts to help troubled teenage girls and establish an open tax appeals system for citizens, the municipal government said.

The U.N. Public Service Awards are the most prestigious international recognition of excellence in public service. It rewards the creative achievements and contributions of public service institutions that lead to a more effective and responsive public administration in countries worldwide, according to the program’s website.

In an awarding ceremony held on Thursday in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, Seoul won in the public service categories in recognition of two of its programs: open court procedures for tax-related complaints and self-supporting programs for runaway teen girls at risk of sex trafficking and other abuses. 

(Yonhap News)