Why Did Park Junhee, Gwanak District Mayor, Go to Meet Residents in Person?

Operation of '2021 Visiting On-site Community Center' by 11 District Mayors in Sillim Area in May... On-site GwanakCheong(聽) Operation, Providing Various On-site Administrative Services Including Welfare, Health, and Civil Complaints Consultation

[Asia Economy Reporter Jongil Park] In the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic, ongoing social distancing measures have limited administrative services and reduced social relationships among residents, leaving vulnerable residents in blind spots who have not received timely administrative and welfare services at risk of emergencies.

In response, Gwanak-gu (Mayor Park Junhee) is overcoming the challenges of COVID-19 by operating the ‘2021 Visiting On-site Community Center’ under strict quarantine guidelines, together with the mayor, to reach out to neighbors in need who have not received help.

On the 11th at 2 p.m. in Jowon-dong, under thorough on-site quarantine measures actively responding to the changing COVID-19 environment, the ‘2021 Visiting On-site Community Center’ was launched, providing various on-site administrative and welfare services.

The district office, community service centers, local social welfare centers, volunteers, and professional organizations joined forces to provide diverse on-site administrative services including ▲welfare counseling for low-income crisis households ▲mental and health counseling for vulnerable care groups ▲hairdressing services for the elderly ▲disinfection of stores and shops, as well as welfare, health, and civil complaint consultations.

An elderly participant expressed gratitude, saying, “My daily life was very frustrating due to COVID-19, but having my unruly hair neatly trimmed and resolving my concerns through counseling made me feel lighter in both body and mind.”

Emphasizing dialogue and communication, Mayor Park Junhee opened the ‘On-site Gwanak Listening (Gwanakcheong, 聽)’ to listen more closely to residents’ voices, spending time directly addressing their inconveniences and opinions while practicing empathetic administration.

Additionally, Mayor Park visited senior centers and homes of elderly living alone in Jowon-dong, becoming a companion to the isolated elderly in celebration of Family Month in May, and pledged efforts to revitalize local alleyway markets by visiting the depressed traditional markets.

The ‘2021 Visiting On-site Community Center’ will implement integrated administrative services that come to residents’ side, including the mayor’s direct visits through ‘On-site Gwanak Listening (Gwanakcheong, 聽)’, welfare blind spot counseling, mental and health counseling, and legal and financial consultations, turning the crisis of the COVID era into an opportunity for communication and innovative administration.

In particular, the district plans to carry out the program with minimal personnel in open spaces where social distancing is feasible, following thorough quarantine rules to prevent the spread and infection of COVID-19.

Starting with Jowon-dong on the 11th, the district will operate the ‘2021 Visiting On-site Community Center’ with the mayor in 11 neighborhoods of the Sillim area throughout May.

The 10 neighborhoods in the Bongcheon area are scheduled to be visited in September.

Mayor Park Junhee said, “Local governments, which carry out daily administration closest to residents, consider it most important to always listen carefully to residents’ voices and maintain constant communication, which is why we decided to promote the Visiting On-site Community Center. Although limited due to COVID-19, we will do our best to become a more inclusive and leading Gwanak-gu by providing various services at the district level and listening more attentively to residents’ voices.”