Mapo-gu Launches Full-Scale 'Iut Salpimi' Project to Identify and Support At-Risk Households

Integration of Existing Nanum Neighbor Project into Iut Salpimi for Resident-Led Efficient Operation... 243 Residents Participating in Identifying, Supporting, and Monitoring Vulnerable Households, Full-Scale Implementation This Month

East Welfare Community Activity Scene

[Asia Economy Reporter Jongil Park] Mapo-gu (Mayor Yudonggyun) has integrated welfare community projects to strengthen resident-led activities for more efficient project implementation, and has actively launched the ‘Iut Salpimi’ (Neighbor Watcher) activities from April to support and monitor vulnerable households.

Last month, the district decided to clarify the functions and roles of the projects by integrating six overlapping welfare community groups operating in the neighborhoods into two groups: ‘Honorary Social Welfare Officers’ and ‘Iut Salpimi’.

‘Honorary Social Welfare Officers’ (Nanumgage, Iutjikimi, Citizen Chatdongi, Honorary Social Welfare Officers) are responsible for discovering and reporting neighbors in need, while ‘Iut Salpimi’ (Nanum Iut, Iut Salpimi) take on roles such as supporting and monitoring neighbors in difficulty.

‘Iut Salpimi’ targets residents who can participate in discovering, supporting, and monitoring households at risk in welfare blind spots. Currently, 243 members are preparing for activities.

The main roles include ▲ discovering neighbors in difficulty ▲ forming resident networks for discovered blind spots and households at risk of solitary death to prevent social isolation ▲ conducting continuous monitoring to check on well-being and provide necessary welfare services.

This project expands the function of the ‘Resident Network Formation Project’ promoted by Seoul City until last year. It will be piloted in five neighborhoods this year, while other neighborhoods will carry out their own projects using Iut Salpimi for activities.

In particular, pilot neighborhoods will promote resident activities and carry out various projects through Iut Salpimi workshops, one-on-one connections with local welfare centers, and cooperation with neighborhood-level welfare communities such as the Neighborhood Social Security Council and Our Neighborhood Care Group.

Meanwhile, through last year’s ‘Resident Network Formation Project’ (now the Iut Salpimi project), the district discovered 213 socially isolated households at risk, linked 382 cases of services, and provided 2,799 services to 1,016 residents in welfare blind spots through the Nanum Iut project involving 26 resident clubs.

Recently, with the spread of the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19), the number of vulnerable groups in social isolation has increased, making the public role to prevent this even more important.

Accordingly, the district plans to actively promote the village-centered resident-led Iut Salpimi project to establish a proactive and thorough social safety net.

Yudonggyun, Mayor of Mapo-gu, said, “Due to the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic, the number of households facing emotional and economic crises and care blind spots is increasing. To prevent unfortunate incidents from occurring, we will strive to build a more seamless social safety net through the Iut Salpimi project, where neighbors watch over neighbors in cooperation with welfare centers and residents.”