Seongdong-gu Operates 'It's Okay to Be Slow' Kiosk for Digitally Disadvantaged Groups

One Kiosk Among Many Set for Slow Use to Consider Digital Underprivileged... Four Locations Including Wangsimni Emart, CGV, Megabox Seongsu Pilot Install 'Slow Kiosk' Corners... Jung Won-oh, Seongdong District Mayor, "Hope a Culture of Mutual Consideration Develops to Move Forward Step by Step Together"

‘It’s Okay to Be Slow’ Wangsimni CGV Where You Can Take Your Time

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Seongdong-gu (Mayor Jeong Won-oh) has set up four kiosks at multi-use facilities frequently used by residents, such as marts and movie theaters, starting this month, allowing users to take their time using them.

These kiosks are operated as part of the "It's Okay to Be Slow" campaign to promote an atmosphere considerate of the digitally marginalized. Among the multiple kiosks installed at four locations?Wangsimni E-Mart, CGV, Wangsimni Station Lotteria, and Megabox Seongsu?one kiosk at each site has been designated as the "It's Okay to Be Slow" corner.

Additionally, next to the corner, a signboard explaining consideration for the digitally marginalized has been posted, and a social distancing waiting line has been attached to encourage users, especially seniors and other digitally marginalized groups, to use the kiosks slowly without psychological pressure from people waiting immediately behind them.

With the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic, transactions and various service usage methods have shifted to non-face-to-face and online formats. While many activities such as purchasing goods, booking movie tickets, and ordering food are now done through kiosks, seniors find it difficult to adapt to the rapidly changing digital environment.

Deeply empathizing with this, a resident proposed the "It's Okay to Be Slow" idea through the 3rd Life-Closely-Related Policy Idea Contest held until May. The district continuously negotiated with businesses at frequently used locations in daily life to establish the "Slow Kiosk Corner."

The district has piloted installations at movie ticket booking offices, gift certificate sales offices, and fast-food ordering locations to allow target users to adapt slowly, and plans to continuously discover more businesses and expand operations in the future.

Meanwhile, the "Smart Digital Volunteer Group," which has been operating since May, plans to expand its educational content from smartphone usage to kiosk utilization, actively preparing to reduce the digital information gap between generations.

Jeong Won-oh, Mayor of Seongdong-gu, said, "We will prepare various policies for the digitally vulnerable so that no one is left behind due to the information gap in the post-COVID era," adding, "I hope a culture of mutual consideration will be fostered so that we can move forward slowly, step by step, together with everyone."