Annual 100,000 Won Point Card Issuance... Free Use at Affiliates for Arts, Sports Activities and Career Experiences... Issued to 2,860 Youths Last Year... Reducing Costs for Youth Culture and Career Experience
[Asia Economy Reporter Jongil Park] Seongbuk-gu (Mayor Lee Seung-ro) will begin issuing the ‘2021 Seongbuk-gu Children and Youth Companion Card’ starting February 1.
The issuance target is 3,394 youths aged 13 or first-year middle school students registered as residents of Seongbuk-gu (born between January 1 and December 31, 2008).
Applications will be accepted from February 1 at the local community service centers in the applicant’s jurisdiction.
The ‘2021 Seongbuk-gu Children and Youth Companion Card,’ first implemented nationwide in 2017, is a project supporting youth cultural activities and career experiences in line with the implementation of the free semester system.
Upon application, an annual 100,000 KRW point card is issued.
In particular, although 2020 posed challenges for project implementation due to COVID-19, efforts were made to improve user-centered services. The application process was simplified by allowing submission of enrollment certificates through schools due to school closures, and support funds were provided as lump sums to enhance user convenience.
Additionally, to prevent stigmatization of out-of-school youths, the issuance target clause in the related ordinance was revised.
As a result, in the ‘2020 Companion Card Satisfaction Survey’ conducted with 327 issued students and parents, positive evaluations exceeded 70%.
Among the 3,802 youths eligible for the project, 75% (2,860 individuals) benefited from it.
This year, reflecting survey results, the Companion Card project is considering expanding usage locations focusing on popular online affiliated stores (non-face-to-face experience kits) and cultural experience cafes (board games, tarot, barista, etc.).
The district official stated that they plan to consider supporting real-time notification services for user convenience and conduct continuous monitoring of users and usage locations to incorporate field opinions.
Seongbuk-gu Mayor Lee Seung-ro said, “The Companion Card project strengthens the autonomy and choice of children and youth, serving as a catalyst for them to grow as agents of their own lives,” adding, “We will actively reflect the opinions and demands of local children and youth to expand the scope of cultural and experiential activities while seeking ways to coexist with local communities such as affiliated business owners.”
Businesses eligible for card affiliation include movie theaters, art museums, performance venues, bookstores, and academies or private institutes in the fields of culture, arts, and sports within Seongbuk-gu; outside the district, they include facilities for watching the four major professional sports (baseball, soccer, basketball, volleyball) and large public cultural facilities (Seoul Arts Center, Sejong Center for the Performing Arts, etc.) related to youth cultural, artistic, and sports activities.
Detailed project information and usage locations for the Companion Card can be found on the Seongbuk-gu Companion Card website.
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