[Seoul District News] 'Nowon SWAT' 15 members deployed from Nowon-gu Volunteer Center assigned to 19 neighborhoods to monitor household waste collection and promote proper waste disposal methods... Jongno-gu launches resident participation 'One Book' project with author lectures and more... Gangseo-gu operates 'Senior Oriental Medicine Health Promotion Project'
[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Nowon-gu (Mayor Oh Seung-rok) is operating a garbage monitoring team called ‘Nowon SWAT’ as part of measures to strengthen the cleaning system.
Nowon SWAT is a compound word combining ‘Nowon + SWAT (Ssregi meaning garbage + WATcher)’, utilizing the homonym of the police special forces SWAT team.
It embodies the determination to actively work towards strengthening Nowon's cleaning system with the motto ‘clean up what you see, crack down on what is thrown away’.
The monitoring team leads efforts to timely collect daily generated garbage and promote proper household waste disposal methods to residents.
The activity hours are weekdays from 1 PM to 5 PM. From 1 PM to 3 PM, the focus is on monitoring whether volume-based waste and food waste are collected and whether large waste has been left unattended for a long time. From 3 PM to 5 PM, after the sanitation workers finish their duties, the team monitors recycling and large waste collection. They also promote proper household waste disposal methods to residents they meet during activities.
When the monitoring team patrols their assigned areas and identifies illegally dumped garbage or improper waste disposal, they register the case on the monitoring team’s band activity app. Upon confirmation, the collection and enforcement team is dispatched to take follow-up actions.
The district secured a total of 15 personnel through the Nowon-gu Volunteer Center. In 11 general residential neighborhoods, one person is assigned per neighborhood, totaling 11, and in 8 apartment neighborhoods, one person is assigned to two neighborhoods each, totaling 4.
The district will operate the first phase until September and make improvements as needed. Going forward, they plan to actively utilize Nowon SWAT to raise residents’ awareness of household waste disposal and further develop the cleaning administrative system.
Meanwhile, the district declared ‘war on garbage’ at the start of the 7th local government term in 2018. They have been actively improving the cleaning system by supplementing sanitation workers and enforcement personnel, installing additional CCTVs, and increasing garbage disposal frequency from three times a week to six times a week.
They are also promoting new projects such as the ‘Self-Support Work Project Team’ in cooperation with local self-support centers to clean back alleys where cleaning gaps are severe due to manpower shortages.
Mayor Oh Seung-rok said, “A clean urban environment not only leads to a pleasant life for residents but also effectively reduces crime. We ask for residents’ active cooperation in proper garbage disposal for a clean Nowon and great support for the activities of Nowon SWAT.”
Jongno-gu Launches Resident Participation ‘One Book’ Project with Author Lectures and More
Jongno-gu (Mayor Kim Young-jong) is promoting the ‘One Library One Book Reading’ project from July to December this year to spread a reading culture within the local community and activate autonomous district-based reading discussions.
This One Book reading project includes various reading and cultural programs operated at 16 district-run libraries and 3 education office libraries that share the same purpose.
Before launching the project, the district formed a ‘One Book Selection Committee’ including library officials and local residents to finalize this year’s reading discussion themes and book selections.
With the theme ‘Back to Nature’ chosen to highlight and reexamine the laws of nature in the COVID-19 era, they plan to hold author meetings and reading discussions using four books: “The Penguin’s Home Has Halved,” “The Ocean Garbage That Swallowed the Whale,” “There Is No Good Consumption,” and “There Is No Second Earth.”
First, on the 24th of this month at 2 PM, an online special lecture will be held at Areumkkum Library with author Yoo Da-jung of “The Ocean Garbage That Swallowed the Whale.” The session will cover the process of garbage generation, its impact on living organisms, and practical ways to protect the environment in daily life.
The target audience is elementary school students from grades 1 to 6, and participation applications can be made through the Jongno Cultural Foundation website. Author meetings are also scheduled for August at Gukhak Library and October at Cheongun Literature Library.
Additionally, Jongno-gu plans to hold a ‘Original Art Exhibition,’ ‘Jupging (Jogging + Picking up Garbage),’ and ‘Reading Jongno Book Festival’ using the previously selected ‘One Book’ titles.
Furthermore, Jeongdok Library will operate experiences making natural loofahs and upcycled book covers, and Jongno Library will offer eco-friendly reusable product workshops.
Information on programs and festivals related to the One Book project can be found on the websites of Jongno District Libraries and the Jongno Cultural Foundation. However, schedules may change or be canceled depending on the COVID-19 situation.
Since the 5th local government term through the 7th, Jongno-gu has aimed to be a ‘vibrant cultural city’ and has worked to create various spaces throughout the village where residents can read books. Since Mayor Kim Young-jong took office, the number of district-run libraries built has reached 17.
What makes Jongno District Libraries special is that they are not ordinary libraries but ‘specialized libraries’ organized by themes, comprehensively covering literature, audiovisual materials, ecology, Korean traditional music, English, and more, providing substantial resources.
Examples include Cheongun Literature Library specialized in literature, Areumkkum Library specialized in audiovisual materials, Samcheong Park Forest Library specialized in ecology, Woori Sori Library specialized in Korean traditional music, Dodam Dodam Hanok Library specialized in traditional culture, Tongin Children’s Small Library specialized in English, and Children and Youth Gukhak Library specialized in Korean studies.
Currently, considering the social distancing level 4 situation, Jongno District Libraries are operating with restrictions such as prohibiting on-site reading. However, the ‘Reading Jongno’ initiative continues online.
Jongno-gu has significantly expanded its e-book collection to 12,401 titles as of July 2021, including bestsellers, steady sellers, and basic books. They also select recommended books monthly to support residents in enjoying reading anytime and anywhere without visiting libraries.
Mayor Kim Young-jong emphasized, “We are conducting a resident participation One Book project utilizing local resources to help residents exhausted by social distancing enjoy reading programs without time and space constraints and live a culturally rich life. We will continue to actively support local libraries to satisfy residents’ intellectual needs.”
Dobong-gu (Mayor Lee Dong-jin) is conducting the ‘2021 District-Owned Property Status Survey’ to prevent cases of illegal unauthorized use of district-owned properties and will actively manage district-owned properties through document verification and on-site inspections.
Main survey items include ▲ management status of district-owned properties and collection of usage fees and lease fees ▲ illegal unauthorized use, subleasing, or rights disposal ▲ whether properties are used according to permitted or contracted purposes and any restoration changes ▲ installation of unauthorized buildings or permanent facilities ▲ consistency with related documents such as shared property management ledger, land ledger, and registry copies.
In particular, Dobong-gu actively introduced a ‘district-owned property aerial photo full survey’ using aerial photos from the city-owned property comprehensive information system and integrated spatial information system. As a result of surveying a total of 2,262 district-owned property parcels, 48 parcels were identified as illegally occupied.
After on-site inspections, if unauthorized occupation is confirmed, the district will impose compensation fees through surveying and prior notification and proceed with restoration and other follow-up measures. For illegal use, unauthorized facility installation, subleasing, and other violations, administrative actions such as cancellation of use or lease and restoration orders will be taken.
Mayor Lee Dong-jin of Dobong-gu stated, “Despite conducting annual status surveys of district-owned properties, cases of illegal unauthorized use are still found, requiring attention and corrective efforts from both the public and private sectors. We will conduct more systematic and precise management through aerial photo full surveys and actively improve any shortcomings to do our best in managing district-owned properties.”
Gangseo-gu Operates ‘Elderly Korean Medicine Health Promotion Project’
Gangseo-gu (Mayor Noh Hyun-song) is promoting the ‘Elderly Korean Medicine Health Promotion Project’ to improve the health and quality of life of local elderly residents.
The project aims to prevent dementia and depression early among the elderly and reduce medical expenses related to cerebrovascular diseases caused by aging.
The Elderly Korean Medicine Health Promotion Project helps prevent dementia and depression through traditional Korean medicine health programs preferred by the elderly.
This project targets elderly residents aged 60 or older living in Gangseo-gu who are identified as high-risk through cognitive function and depression screening tests.
Starting July 26, 100 participants will be recruited on a first-come, first-served basis. Applicants will undergo dementia and depression screening tests at designated Korean medicine clinics, and final participants will be selected based on test results. However, elderly individuals currently diagnosed with dementia or depression and undergoing medication treatment cannot participate.
Selected elderly participants will receive treatments such as Chomyung acupuncture and herbal medicine prescriptions (granules or decoctions) at one of 10 designated Korean medicine clinics near their residence, along with individual health consultations. All costs are fully covered.
Elderly residents wishing to participate can apply by phone at the Medical Department of Gangseo-gu Public Health Center.
Last year, the project was conducted for 118 elderly participants, achieving good results and satisfaction, with average scores of dementia screening (MMSE-DS) and cognitive evaluation (MoCA-K) improving by 8.9% and 16.9%, respectively, compared to before the project.
Mayor Noh Hyun-song said, “This project is expected to raise community interest in elderly mental health as well as prevent cognitive decline and depression among the elderly. We will continue to provide various health management services for healthy aging.”
Gangdong-gu Provides 10 Million KRW Citizen Safety Insurance to Families of Fire Accident Victims
Gangdong-gu (Mayor Lee Jung-hoon) paid 10 million KRW in citizen safety insurance to the family of a victim who tragically lost their life in a fire accident in Gangdong-gu in March.
The district completed administrative procedures such as informing the bereaved family about the system and received notification on June 22 from the insurance company contracted for citizen safety insurance that the payment was completed. This is the first payment case in 2021.
Gangdong-gu has been implementing citizen safety insurance since January 2019 as a major pledge in the disaster and safety sector of the 7th local government term. It was introduced to reduce damage to residents’ lives and property from various disasters and safety accidents.
The coverage applies to residents registered in Gangdong-gu and is automatically processed without separate enrollment or withdrawal procedures. Residents of Gangdong-gu are covered up to 10 million KRW per person regardless of where the accident occurs nationwide.
The coverage includes 15 categories such as explosion, fire, collapse, natural disasters, accidents during public transportation use, water-related accidents, death and disability from gas accidents, and support for burn surgery costs. The coverage scope has been expanded since the initial implementation to provide more practical benefits to residents.
Mayor Lee Jung-hoon said, “Citizen safety insurance is designed to protect residents’ lives and property from unexpected disasters and safety accidents and to establish a minimum social safety net to protect residents from various incidents. We will continue to actively promote and improve the system to provide practical help to residents who suffer unfortunate accidents.”
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