[Seoul District News] Jongno-gu, Participation Possible Wearing Various Forms of Beautiful Traditional and Daily Hanbok... Korean American Youth Group Leading 'Hanbok Day' Visits Eunpyeong-gu... Gyeongchun Line Forest Trail Gallery Hosts 'Reinterpretation of Films' Exhibition... Dongdaemun-gu to Hold Online Job Fair from August 23... Songpa-gu Creates 'Baekilhong Complex' Along Seongnaecheon Section of Songpa Dullegil... Gwangjin-gu Conducts Night Survey to Identify Welfare Blind Spots in Vulnerable Households... Geumcheon-gu Saves Crisis Households Through Integrated Case Management... Seongbuk-gu COVID-19 Updates
Recruitment of Participants for ‘Hanbok Pride Contest,’ the Main Program of Jongno Hanbok Festival
[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Jongno-gu (Mayor Kim Young-jong) is recruiting participants for the representative program of the Jongno Hanbok Festival, the ‘Hanbok Pride Contest,’ until the 15th.
The Hanbok Pride Contest, held annually to popularize hanbok, allows participation wearing various beautiful Korean traditional clothes regardless of whether they are traditional or daily hanbok.
This year, to encourage more citizens to apply, the contest will be divided into ‘General Division’ and ‘Children’s Division,’ with awards given in each category, and the number of winners and benefits will be expanded compared to previous years.
Anyone interested in hanbok can download the application form from the Jongno Hanbok Festival website, fill it out, and submit it along with a full-body photo wearing hanbok to the person in charge via email (hanbok@jfac.or.kr). However, photos without the face included or excessively retouched photos will not be eligible for judging, so applicants should be careful. After document screening, the district plans to select the final winners through professional photo shooting and judging, as well as an online preference survey.
The awards ceremony will be held on the main stage of the Jongno Hanbok Festival in October. Winners will be offered opportunities to participate as festival promotional models and in major programs such as the hanbok fashion show, and will also receive prize money and trophies.
Meanwhile, the 2021 Jongno Hanbok Festival is scheduled to be held in October. To prevent the spread of COVID-19 and ensure the safety of citizens and participants, the festival will mainly feature online non-face-to-face programs.
For more details about the Hanbok Festival and the Hanbok Pride Contest, please refer to the Jongno Hanbok Festival website or contact the Cultural Business Team of the Jongno Cultural Foundation.
Mayor Kim Young-jong said, “We have consistently shown interest and effort to widely promote the excellence and beauty of our beautiful traditional clothes. We hope many people interested will apply for the Hanbok Pride Contest held ahead of the Jongno Hanbok Festival in October.”
Korean American Youth Group Leading ‘Hanbok Day’ Visits Eunpyeong-gu
Korean American youths who gained attention for leading the establishment of ‘Hanbok Day’ in a U.S. local government met with Kim Mi-kyung, Mayor of Eunpyeong-gu.
Eunpyeong-gu (Mayor Kim Mi-kyung) announced that on the 3rd, the Korean American Youth Council (AAYC) visited Eunpyeong-gu Office and delivered the ‘Hanbok Day’ declaration from Tenafly, New Jersey, USA.
AAYC is a Korean American youth organization active mainly in the eastern U.S., striving to change prejudice against Asians and preserve Korea’s correct history and traditional culture. In April, they led the establishment of ‘Hanbok Day’ in Tenafly, New Jersey, attracting attention from domestic and international media. They petitioned U.S. politicians and local officials to establish Hanbok Day, and Mark Zinna, Mayor of Tenafly and the organization’s standing advisor, accepted their request, designating October 21 each year as Korean Hanbok Day.
They also succeeded in correcting Google’s ‘Kimchi origin’ search result from ‘China’ to ‘Korea’ and issued a protest statement against Professor Ramseyer’s ‘comfort women’ remarks.
At the delivery ceremony, AAYC handed the ‘Hanbok Day’ declaration to Mayor Kim Mi-kyung of Eunpyeong-gu, exchanging various opinions on the inheritance and preservation of traditional culture.
They also visited the Bukhansan Han Culture Special Zone’s Eunpyeong History Hanok Museum and Jingwan Temple to experience traditional culture.
AAYC representative Brian Jeon (18) said, “I became even prouder to be Korean by experiencing the beauty of Eunpyeong-gu, which combines city and culture,” and expressed gratitude to Mayor Kim Mi-kyung for recognizing that preserving and correcting Korea’s identity is a global competitiveness.
Mayor Kim Mi-kyung of Eunpyeong-gu responded, “I am very proud and thankful that young people far away in the U.S. are preserving Korean identity, history, and traditional culture,” and added, “Eunpyeong-gu will also take the lead in protecting and preserving our traditional culture.”
At the event, Kang Jong-soon, director of the Hanbok Research Institute, expressed gratitude for AAYC’s activities and offered to donate traditional wedding hanbok.
Additionally, the district plans to lend some hanbok from the Eunpyeong Hanok Village Neunaduri Center to AAYC at the ‘Tenafly, New Jersey Hanbok Day’ commemorative event on October 21.
Songpa-gu Creates ‘Crape Myrtle Cluster’ Along Seongnaecheon Section of Songpa Dullegil
The warm summer sunlight has brought the crape myrtles into full bloom along the Seongnaecheon section of Songpa Dullegil. Songpa-gu (Mayor Park Seong-su) announced on the 5th that it is introducing the ‘Songpa Dullegil Crape Myrtle Flower Road’ as a summer urban getaway.
Songpa Dullegil is a 21km circular walking tour route connecting four streams (Seongnaecheon, Jangjicheon, Tancheon, Han River) flowing along the outskirts of Songpa-gu.
Since 2019, as part of the Songpa Dullegil development project, the district has created a specialized wildflower cluster in the Seongnaecheon area. Every year, various flowers are planted seasonally along approximately 450m from Korea National Sport University to Oryun Bridge. Earlier this year, 10kg of crape myrtle seeds were sown in the area.
Crape myrtle is popular for its long blooming period from early summer until the first frost in autumn, and its diverse shapes and colorful hues. It adapts well to temperatures above 30°C and has become a representative summer flower. It is also called ‘Baekilcho’ meaning ‘100-day flower’ because it blooms red for about 100 days. The flower colors range vividly from yellow to pink and red, appearing even more splendid under the intense summer sun.
The crape myrtle flower road along Seongnaecheon harmonizes with the winding stream. From the top of the bridge, visitors can enjoy a beautiful view resembling waves of flowers.
Along the stream, the bicycle path and walking trail are also blooming with cosmos and goldenrod. Starting to bloom from July, they welcome visitors to Songpa Dullegil. Additionally, near Korea National Sport University heading toward Olympic Park’s North Gate 2, there is a ‘Rice Farming Experience Site.’ After rice planting in May, the growing rice fields offer a unique rural landscape within the city.
Meanwhile, in April, the district selected ‘Songpa Dullegil Cherry Blossom Eight Views,’ introducing Songpa’s cherry blossom spots comparable to Seokchon Lake, and in May recommended ‘Three Scenic Acacia Spots on Songpa Dullegil,’ attracting residents’ visits. Going forward, the district plans to preserve and utilize the natural ecological scenery of Songpa Dullegil, developing the 21km waterfront path into a representative urban healing space.
Mayor Park Seong-su of Songpa-gu said, “Songpa Dullegil connects various cultural tourism spots along the waterfront, making it easily accessible and an ideal summer getaway to enjoy nature in the city. We hope visitors make wonderful memories on the beautiful crape myrtle flower road and recharge their bodies and minds exhausted by COVID-19 and the heatwave.”
Dongdaemun-gu to Hold Online Job Fair from August 23
Dongdaemun-gu (Mayor Yoo Deok-yeol) will hold the ‘2021 Dongdaemun-gu Hope Job GO Online Job Fair’ to revitalize the frozen employment market by connecting small and medium-sized enterprises and job seekers who have difficulty in recruitment and job hunting due to the COVID-19 economic downturn.
The online job fair will be held from August 23 to September 30 on the Dongdaemun-gu online job fair website. It will provide not only connections between recruiting companies and job seekers but also consulting services such as self-introduction letter lectures and career counseling.
Participating recruiting companies will also post promotional videos to inform about their work.
The recruitment period for companies is from August 23 to September 17, and job seekers can apply from September 1 to 23.
Hiring will be finalized by companies after (video) interviews with job seekers. For companies and job seekers who have difficulty conducting video interviews independently, support will be provided to conduct video interviews at the multipurpose hall on the 2nd floor of Dongdaemun-gu Office from September 29 to 30.
In collaboration with Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, online consulting sessions on how to write self-introduction letters, interviews, and career counseling will be conducted by prior reservation. Online job lectures including item-specific self-introduction letter lectures, NCS interview lectures, AI recruitment strategies, and interview type lectures will be available at scheduled times.
Mayor Yoo Deok-yeol of Dongdaemun-gu said, “I hope the online job fair will provide practical help to local companies and job seekers struggling due to the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic. For job seekers who do not find jobs through this fair, we plan to provide continuous employment counseling services through follow-up management.”
‘Reinterpretation of Movies’ Exhibition Held at Gyeongchun Line Forest Gallery
Nowon-gu (Mayor Oh Seung-rok) recommended two small cultural rest spaces to soothe weary hearts amid the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic.
First is the ‘Reinterpretation of Movies’ exhibition held at the Gyeongchun Line Forest Gallery (29-4 Gungneung-dong, inside Hwarangdae Railroad Park).
Famous movie posters and iconic scenes from films have been reinterpreted by artists’ new perspectives and transformed into distinctive illustrations. Thirteen artists including Jung In, Suprim, and Yeowoojin present 30 works inspired by various movies such as ‘Begin Again,’ ‘Toy Story,’ and ‘The Great Gatsby.’
Next to each work is a QR code. By scanning it with a smartphone, visitors can see a brief introduction of the artist and explanations of their major works.
The gallery is open on weekdays (closed Mondays) from 2 PM to 8 PM, and on weekends (Saturday and Sunday) from 12 PM to 8 PM. Admission is free for all. To comply with social distancing guidelines, the number of visitors inside the gallery is currently limited to a maximum of six people per group.
More details can be found on the Nowon Cultural Foundation website.
A few steps away from the Gyeongchun Line Forest Gallery is a red tram with an exotic atmosphere.
It is a Czech T3-type streetcar imported from the Czech Republic, similar to some European-style streetcars used in Korea from 1899 to 1968.
The district remodeled it into a small library and has been operating it since August last year. It holds about 900 books, and visitors can borrow up to one text book and three picture books per person. Borrowed books can be freely read within the park.
The library is open from Tuesday to Saturday, 12 PM to 8 PM, with only space viewing and book returns allowed after 6 PM.
The Gyeongchun Line Healing Town, including the Nowon Bulbit Garden, a popular healing spot, has been developed in three phases since 2019. The final third phase is currently under finishing construction, aiming for completion in September, including the Hwarangdae Time Museum and a unique caf? where a mini train delivers coffee.
Mayor Oh Seung-rok said, “Visitors can enjoy a wonderful experience by watching how artists reinterpret movies from their perspectives and reconstruct them in their own way. Also, I hope visitors take memorable photos in front of the cozy yet unique library.”
Gangbuk-gu Offers One-on-One Free University Career and Admission Counseling
Gangbuk-gu (Mayor Park Gyeom-su) operates a one-on-one free counseling room to provide proper guidance for career choices.
The counseling targets local high school students and parents who are concerned about career and university admission. Counseling is divided into two sessions: the first for early admissions and the second for regular admissions. The first session is from the 21st to 22nd of this month, and the second session is from December 11 to 12. The total number of participants is 160, with 96 in the first session and 64 in the second, allocating more slots for early admissions, which have relatively higher admission rates.
Experienced and specialized instructors recommended by the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education will provide customized admission counseling considering aptitude and talents, helping students find their career paths independently. Each student will receive 40 minutes of personalized guidance tailored to university admission processes.
To prevent COVID-19, counseling will be conducted via non-face-to-face video conferencing. However, depending on the COVID-19 situation, the second session in December may be held face-to-face.
Applicants can make reservations on a first-come, first-served basis online (via Naver Form) or by phone starting from the 10th. The online address and application form can be found on the district office website (news section). Phone reservations require submitting the application form via email (haewul89@gangbuk.go.kr).
The application form must include the applicant’s career plan and questions. For counseling, a copy of the school record and recent mock CSAT score report are required. Parents attending with students will make the counseling more effective.
Mayor Park Gyeom-su of Gangbuk-gu said, “I hope this counseling provides clues for students to explore the paths they want. I encourage many to participate in this career and admission counseling to obtain essential university admission information.”
Gwangjin-gu Conducts Nighttime Survey to Identify Welfare Blind Spots in Vulnerable Housing Households
Gwangjin-gu (Mayor Kim Seon-gap) is conducting a ‘Summer Welfare Blind Spot Nighttime Field Survey’ to identify welfare blind spots among housing-vulnerable households struggling during the summer.
The nighttime field survey will be conducted over two weeks from the 9th to the 20th, visiting 27 locations including public restrooms in parks and subway stations within the district.
The district has formed a field investigation team to identify at-risk households, attaching promotional stickers for the ‘Visiting Community Service Center’ to provide guidance and support to homeless people and others in need.
When at-risk households are found, identity verification and on-site counseling will be conducted to recommend shelters or facility admission and guide customized service applications. If the individual refuses, promotional materials will be provided to inform them about future welfare services.
Additionally, the district has established a public-private cooperation system using the Community Security Council and neighborhood welfare helpers to conduct surveys on non-typical temporary housing facilities such as boarding houses, lodging businesses, and bathhouses to identify welfare blind spots.
Mayor Kim Seon-gap of Gwangjin-gu said, “The ongoing heatwave exposes vulnerable housing households to safety risks. We will strive to detect these households early and provide customized support so that all residents can spend a safe and comfortable summer.”
Geumcheon-gu Saves At-Risk Family through Integrated Case Management
Geumcheon-gu (Mayor Yoo Seong-hoon) held a public-private integrated case meeting after learning in July about a family left with five siblings following the sudden death of their father, aiming to assist in this crisis.
Geumcheon Dream Start, Geumcheon Education Welfare Center, and Geumcheon Healthy Family Multicultural Support Center gathered to discuss the family’s difficulties and solutions, deciding to improve the vulnerable housing environment.
On the 4th, the district visited the family to remove unnecessary items and conducted cleaning and pest control to protect the children from harmful environments such as mold and insects.
Besides housing improvements, the district plans to connect with local welfare institutions to provide legal support for inheritance issues and psychological counseling services to help the five siblings continue their daily lives.
The district operates the ‘Hope Welfare Support Team’ for integrated case management. This dedicated organization identifies welfare blind spot households with complex difficulties like the five siblings and provides services tailored to household characteristics to enhance residents’ welfare experience.
Households referred to the Hope Welfare Support Team after initial consultation at community service centers undergo needs and risk assessments to be selected as case management households. Selected households receive necessary services in welfare, health, employment, housing, education, credit, and legal fields according to their characteristics.
Mayor Yoo Seong-hoon of Geumcheon-gu said, “Continuous public-private cooperation to identify at-risk households is crucial for building a tight social safety net. We will actively support providing quality welfare services to crisis families like the five siblings.”
Seongbuk-gu Sees 142% Increase in Audiobook Usage after COVID-19
Amid COVID-19, Seongbuk-gu (Mayor Lee Seung-ro) has become immersed in ‘listening to books.’
Since the domestic spread of COVID-19, the usage rate of non-face-to-face information services through audiobooks at Seongbuk Public Library has increased by more than 142%, and demand continues to grow.
In 2019, Seongbuk-gu revamped digital audiobooks through the ‘Mobile Seongbuk U-Library Application’ and has steadily informed residents about how to use the service.
The audiobooks provided by Seongbuk Public Library number about 1,150 titles (452 in 2019, 417 in 2020, and 229 added by August 2021). They cover bestsellers and new releases across various topics including social sciences (economics, business, finance, self-development), literature, humanities, and childcare.
Any member of Seongbuk Public Library can easily use the service via smartphone or PC. Up to 100 books can be borrowed per person, with a loan period of five days. Each title allows up to five simultaneous downloads. Streaming service is unlimited and separate from downloads.
The biggest advantage of audiobooks is that once users learn how to use them, anyone from children to seniors and visually impaired people can listen to books via mobile devices. To encourage more citizens to use audiobooks, the district also offers separate education programs. The ‘5060+ Finger DigiTalk’ at the Arirang Library is popular among middle-aged and elderly people unfamiliar with audiobooks.
Mayor Lee Seung-ro of Seongbuk-gu said, “We are actively promoting the audiobook project to help residents whose activities are restricted due to the prolonged and recurring COVID-19 pandemic to satisfy their cultural needs and thirst for books. We will do our best to secure more diverse materials for Seongbuk residents who relieve COVID stress through listening to books.”
Mapo-gu Conducts ‘Bring Your Own Container! Mangwon Market’ Campaign for Plastic-Free Shopping
Mapo-gu (Mayor Yoo Dong-gyun) and Mangwon Market (Market Chairman Kim Jin-chul) are jointly promoting the ‘Bring Your Own Container! Mangwon Market’ campaign to practice shopping without disposable products, receiving positive feedback from citizens.
The campaign began on May 6 this year with Chairman Kim Jin-chul reading the ‘Eco-friendly Traditional Market Declaration’ in front of the Mangwon Market Merchants’ Association office and has been successfully ongoing since then.
In the campaign, ‘Bring Your Own Container’ has a double meaning: to muster courage (yonggi) and to bring reusable containers (yongi) instead of disposable ones.
Customers who shop at Mangwon Market using reusable containers or shopping bags can receive coupons from the stores where they purchase items. By visiting the Mangwon Market Merchants’ Association office with one coupon, they can exchange it for one 10-liter volume-based waste bag. However, duplicate coupons from the same store on the same day are not allowed.
Under the banner of creating an eco-friendly traditional market without disposable products, Mangwon Market merchants are enduring the inconvenience of providing food in reusable containers and participating in the campaign. Mapo-gu supported the Merchants’ Association with 24,000 10-liter volume-based waste bags to encourage resident participation and sustain the campaign.
Several local governments have inquired about benchmarking the campaign, and on the 3rd, the Incheon City Council visited the site to experience it firsthand.
Namgung Hyun, an Incheon City Council member who visited Mangwon Market, said, “I see the merchants’ strong willingness to participate,” and Lee Dong-hak, CEO of the Waste Center, commented, “It is an ideal public-private cooperation model that can be expanded nationwide.”
Mayor Yoo Dong-gyun of Mapo-gu said, “I hope the ‘Bring Your Own Container’ campaign started at Mangwon Market spreads to other traditional markets. We will spare no support to make this happen.”
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