College Admission Early Decision Strategies Revealed by 'SongpaSsaem'!

[Seoul District News] Songpa-gu '2022 College Admission Early Screening Special Lecture' Live on SongpaSsam YouTube at 3 PM on the 31st
Live broadcast on self-introduction writing and interview success strategies... Tourism information specialist YouTube channel 'Mapo Sinsa' launched featuring comedians Kim Min-ki and Kim Young, producing a series showcasing Mapo's hip spots and latest trends... Yongsan-gu hosts abundant events commemorating Gender Equality Week... Gangnam-gu holds 'Art Walking' guided by the 'Original Docent'

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Songpa-gu (Mayor Park Seong-su) will live broadcast the ‘2022 College Admission Early Decision Preparation: Self-Introduction Letter Writing and Interview Success Strategy Special Lecture’ online on August 31 at 3 p.m. via the SongpaSSEM YouTube channel.

Songpa-gu provides college admission information annually using its own education support system, ‘SongpaSSEM (SSEM),’ to respond to rapidly changing admission systems. Especially during the COVID-19 situation, it has gained high acclaim by offering the latest admission information through both online and offline briefings to ensure no difficulties in learning and advancement.

This time, ahead of the official application period for the 2022 academic year college early decision admissions in September, a special lecture has been prepared to help parents and examinees reduce their burden regarding admissions.

The special lecture features Jang Gwang-won, CEO of Deoluxe Education Group, known for his book ‘Everything About Student Record Comprehensive Screening Directly Told by Admission Officers.’ CEO Jang plans to lecture on ▲how to write self-introduction letters ▲interview success strategies for passing the 2022 college early decision admissions.

The lecture will be live-streamed online on August 31 at 3 p.m. via ‘SongpaSSEM YouTube,’ and anyone interested in college admissions can participate without separate registration.

Search ‘SongpaSSEM’ on YouTube, then click the video titled ‘2022 College Admission Early Decision Preparation: Self-Introduction Letter Writing and Interview Preparation Special Lecture’ posted at the top of the ‘SongpaSSEM YouTube’ channel.

For examinees and parents who cannot participate on the day, the recorded lecture video will be available on SongpaSSEM YouTube until September 14.

Songpa-gu Mayor Park Seong-su said, “I hope this special lecture helps set successful admission strategies to prepare well for the upcoming early decision admissions,” and added, “We will continue to support parents and examinees in overcoming difficulties related to admissions based on Songpa-gu’s unique education support system, ‘SongpaSSEM (SSEM).”

Mapo-gu (Mayor Yoo Dong-gyun) released the first episode of ‘Mapo Sinsa (People Seeking New Things in Mapo)’ titled ‘Mangwon Market Edition’ on YouTube on the 27th.

‘Mapo Sinsa’ is the official name of the Mapo tourism specialized YouTube channel established and launched by the district on the 27th. The district plans to actively utilize YouTube, which is popular across generations, to increase accessibility to Mapo tourism with fun and innovative video content and to capture domestic and international tourism demand after COVID-19.

To secure early channel visitors and ensure successful settlement, the district recruited comedian Kim Min-ki, a ‘real resident of Mangwon-dong’ who gained fame living in Mangwon-dong, and comedian Kim Young, who has great chemistry with him, as the main MCs of ‘Mapo Sinsa.’

The district plans to promote local tourism resources by embedding them as a kind of product placement (PPL) in a web entertainment concept series of about 10 minutes per episode. This approach differentiates from the conventional uniform local government tourism promotional videos, reduces viewers’ psychological resistance, enhances familiarity, and is expected to help lead to visits to Mapo in the future.

In the newly released ‘Mapo Sinsa - Mangwon Market Edition,’ the two MCs undertake a mission to find a shop selling marshmallow ice cream, a recent hot topic on social media (SNS), exploring every corner of Mangwon Market.

During the process, the video naturally includes abundant sights and food information within Mangwon Market, providing viewers with both entertainment and tourism information.

A district official said, “We plan to continuously discover and introduce hip spots and trends in Mapo that were hard to find in traditional tourism brochures through the ‘Mapo Sinsa’ series,” adding, “Especially, the comedic yet honest videos will emotionally appeal to the MZ generation.”

The district plans to release a total of eight videos (each about 10 minutes) on the ‘Mapo Sinsa’ YouTube channel by the end of this year.

Mapo-gu Mayor Yoo Dong-gyun said, “Although the number of tourists visiting Mapo has decreased due to the closure of air routes caused by COVID-19, those who experience Mapo through online videos and have a good impression will visit Mapo directly once the pandemic ends,” and added, “We will maintain potential tourists’ interest and affection for Mapo through Mapo Sinsa’s online content to prepare for the post-COVID era.”

Nowon-gu (Mayor Oh Seung-rok) is hosting the ‘Walking Alone Along the Park’ challenge to promote residents’ health and activate walking culture in daily life.

The event will be held throughout September, the ideal season for walking, as a stamp tour along the ‘Gyeongchun Line Forest Trail’ park, a representative healing spot in the area.

As the COVID-19 situation prolonged, residents tended to engage in physical activities mainly near their residences. Accordingly, the district developed walking courses centered on representative local parks to increase accessibility and participation.

The walking course covers a total of 3.8 km from Gyeongchun Railway Bridge to Hwarangdae Railroad Park’s Light Garden. There are five stamp collection points: ▲Gyeongchun Railway Bridge ▲Gyeongchun Line Forest Trail Visitor Center ▲Gongneung-dong Goblin Market ▲Artificial Waterfall & 3D Mural ▲Hwarangdae Railroad Park (Light Garden).

Especially, the Gyeongchun Line Forest Trail has been extensively renovated by the district to be a barrier-free section easily accessible by strollers and wheelchairs, allowing anyone to participate anytime within the period without time constraints.

The walking event is open to all Seoul citizens, not just Nowon-gu residents.

Residents wishing to participate should install the ‘WalkOn’ app, join the Nowon-gu official community ‘Walking City Nowon,’ and apply for the ‘Gyeongchun Line Forest Trail Challenge.’ After walking through the stamp points and collecting three or more stamps, participants become eligible to enter a gift certificate raffle.

Among the applicants, 200 will be randomly selected to receive a mobile cultural gift certificate worth 5,000 KRW, with winners notified individually via text message on October 4.

For more details, contact the Nowon-gu Health Promotion Division at the Public Health Center.

In 2017, Nowon-gu showed the lowest walking practice rate in Seoul according to the Community Health Survey. To promote residents’ health, the district declared ‘Walking City Nowon’ and has implemented various efforts such as enacting ordinances to activate physical activities and renovating walking trails.

Additionally, to increase physical activity reduced after COVID-19, the district actively encouraged online walking using the WalkOn app, achieving first place in Seoul’s walking practice rate indicator in 2020.

Mayor Oh Seung-rok said, “We develop various themed courses and hold walking events to foster residents’ voluntary walking habits,” adding, “We will continue the ‘Walking City Nowon’ project to increase physical activity and expand walking culture in daily life.”

Yongsan-gu (Mayor Seong Jang-hyun) has prepared diverse events to commemorate Gender Equality Week (first week of September).

From September 1 to 7, the district will operate booths on the second floor lobby of the district office’s civil service center focusing on counseling (jobs and employment), promotion (women-friendly city projects), and exhibitions (award-winning works from the Korea Institute for Gender Equality Promotion and Education’s Gender Equality Art Contest).

Yongsan Women’s Human Resources Development Center, Yongsan Police Station, Illegal Filming Citizen Surveillance Team, and Women-Friendly City Resident Participation Group (Yongsan Nuri) will participate. Considering COVID-19, crowding will be avoided and preventive measures such as temperature checks will be observed.

On September 2, a capacity-building education session for the Women-Friendly City Resident Participation Group and the Creation Council will be held. Son Young-sook, CEO of Gender Coaching and Chair of Seoul Gender Impact Assessment Committee, will conduct a non-face-to-face lecture on ‘Exploring Cases of Women-Friendly City Creation.’

On September 3, a special lecture for general residents will be held. Kang Eun-joo, a lecturer from Ewha Womans University’s Department of Art History, will speak on ‘Women’s Lives Through Western Modern Art (Happy Mother vs. Fallen Woman).’

Residents wishing to participate can apply via Google link or QR code by the day before the lecture. The class will be held online via Zoom. The capacity is 100 people and participation is free.

Additionally, the district will award commendations from the mayor to 16 residents who contributed to local gender equality policies.

Yongsan-gu Mayor Seong Jang-hyun said, “September 1 marks the 123rd anniversary of Korea’s first women’s rights declaration, ‘Yeogwon Tongmun (Women’s Rights Declaration),’” adding, “The district will continue to do its best to create a women-friendly city and realize practical gender equality.”

A women-friendly city refers to a region where gender participates equally in local policies and policies operate to empower women, provide care, and ensure safety. The district has been conducting related projects since last year under Article 39 of the Gender Equality Act.

Representative initiatives include mid- to long-term plans for women-friendly city creation, launching resident participation groups, enacting ordinances to prevent illegal filming in public restrooms, and operating citizen surveillance teams against illegal filming.

At the Gonggam School design meeting, (center) Kim Mi-kyung, Mayor of Eunpyeong District, and (left and right) students

Eunpyeong-gu (Mayor Kim Mi-kyung) announced on the 30th that construction is underway aiming for completion this year for the ‘My Designed Empathy School’ contest project.

The ‘My Designed Empathy School’ contest project is aimed at increasing the utility of schools’ idle and aging spaces by having students and parents design spaces they want. The district selected a total of 15 schools through a contest in March. With a total budget of 1.6 billion KRW, construction began in July. Idle spaces within schools such as libraries, reading rooms, multipurpose rooms, playgrounds, and student council rooms and job preparation rooms will be newly designed by students and reborn as ‘Empathy Schools.’

Notably, ‘Empathy Schools’ are characterized by students themselves conceptualizing needed spaces and sharing diverse ideas about understanding and utilizing the space. Each school formed and operated a ‘Design TF Team’ centered on about 10 students and parents, including one professional architect.

An architect participating in ‘Empathy Schools’ said, “It was a meaningful and enjoyable experience as children and adolescents creatively generated ideas as owners of their own spaces,” adding, “Future school architecture should be a three-dimensional space for students who create imagination.”

Eunpyeong-gu Mayor Kim Mi-kyung said, “Through this project, schools will be reborn as spaces for rest and play that reflect students’ diverse needs and sensibilities, fostering empathy among school members,” and added, “We will lead in preparing meticulous policies with continuous interest for students who will lead our future.”

Seocho-gu (Mayor Cho Eun-hee) developed the nation’s first kiosk education app for seniors, ‘Seocho TokTok C,’ which has received great response with over 5,000 downloads.

‘Seocho TokTok C’ combines ‘TokTok, press’ and ‘C (Computer or 씨氏),’ meaning anyone can easily and enjoyably learn and experience kiosks by meeting ‘TokTok C.’

The app features voice guidance to easily learn kiosk usage on one’s phone and practice as if ordering in real situations. The educational content covers nine types including unmanned civil service issuance machines, fast food, cafes, express buses, ATMs, KTX ticketing, airport ticketing, and hospitals, with voice guidance on each page. Installation is free via Google Play Store by searching ‘Seocho TokTok C.’

Additionally, the district uploaded kiosk usage guide videos on the ‘Seocho Grandma Grandpa Story’ YouTube channel to help seniors follow easily.

On social media, responses include “An app essential for seniors!” “Great for seniors to learn kiosk functions,” and “Best for practice!” A 63-year-old senior resident of Naegok-dong said, “After practicing with the kiosk, I feel like a new generation, gaining confidence and vitality.”

Previously, the district conducted education using large kiosks at welfare centers, community service centers, and IT education centers since 2019. However, due to prolonged COVID-19, it developed and distributed the app in November last year to overcome face-to-face education limitations and allow anyone to use it.

Seocho-gu Mayor Cho Eun-hee said, “With the spread of COVID-19, non-face-to-face services have settled, but digital vulnerable groups, especially seniors, face difficulties,” adding, “We will continue policies considerate of digital vulnerable groups to actively support their convenient lives.”

Yangcheon-gu (Mayor Kim Soo-young) is selecting the ‘2021 Yangcheon-gu Scholarship Students’ who will lead a hopeful future. The application period is from August 30 to September 10.

A total of 60 students will be selected in three categories: ▲General Scholarship Students (high school and college students) ▲Academic Excellence Scholarship Students (high school students) ▲Special Talent Scholarship Students (elementary, middle, and high school students), with a total scholarship fund of 40 million KRW.

Applicants must have resided in Yangcheon-gu for more than one year as of the announcement date (August 16, 2021) and meet the qualification criteria for each scholarship category.

Qualification criteria are ▲General Scholarship Students (within 90% median income, college students within the 4th income quintile of the Korea Student Aid Foundation) ▲Academic Excellence Scholarship Students (average grade rank of 2.75 or better in the previous semester) ▲Special Talent Scholarship Students (winners within top 3 in government, metropolitan city/province, or nationwide competitions in arts, sports, or science including mathematics).

Selected scholarship students will receive ▲300,000 KRW for elementary and middle school students ▲600,000 KRW for high school students ▲500,000 to 1,500,000 KRW for college students (paid within the range after deducting other scholarship amounts from tuition; if the difference is less than 500,000 KRW, no payment; maximum 1.5 million KRW). The number of recipients may be adjusted after review if application results differ from initial plans.

Applicants should apply between August 30 and September 10 at ▲the local community service center for general scholarships ▲the school currently attending for academic excellence and special talent scholarships. Students attending schools outside the district must submit a recommendation letter from the school principal and apply at the local community service center.

Scholarship students will be selected in October through the Scholarship Fund Operation Review Committee. Those receiving or scheduled to receive national or other scholarships (except college students) will be excluded. If applications exceed the quota, new applicants will be prioritized.

For details, refer to the announcement on Yangcheon-gu Office website or contact the Education Support Division.

Yangcheon-gu has been operating scholarship projects since 2017 by establishing a scholarship fund to provide equal educational opportunities, awarding a total of 15 million KRW to 150 students from 2017 to 2020.

Yangcheon-gu Mayor Kim Soo-young said, “I hope our students, the future of Yangcheon-gu, overcome difficulties caused by COVID-19 and fully realize their dreams and talents through scholarships.”

Songpa-gu (Mayor Park Seong-su) will issue 20 billion KRW worth of ‘Songpa Love Gift Certificates’ starting at noon on September 1 to revitalize the local economy, which has been depressed due to COVID-19, during the Korean Thanksgiving holiday, Chuseok.

‘Songpa Love Gift Certificates’ are mobile local currency based on Zero Pay. There are no payment fees for small business owners, and no inconvenience from exchange. Due to the convenience and safety of mobile payments, the certificates have received great support from both small business owners and residents.

The certificates to be issued this time are the largest among Seoul’s autonomous districts, issued at a 10% discount for the Chuseok holiday, expected to benefit both household economies and small business management improvements.

From noon on September 1, ‘Songpa Love Gift Certificates’ can be purchased and used through 20 payment apps including Beeple Zero Pay and Check Pay. The purchase limit per person is 700,000 KRW.

In the first half of 2021, the district also issued 20 billion KRW worth of ‘Songpa Love Gift Certificates’ to stabilize small business management and revitalize the local economy, selling out all certificates.

Songpa-gu has a total of 16,403 affiliated stores across 153 business types where the certificates can be used. Analysis of usage in the first half showed concentration in essential living sectors such as grocery stores, electronics marts, infant and general academies, restaurants, and cafes. The 10% discount increased household income, which in turn boosted sales in local markets, playing a solid role in the virtuous cycle of the local economy.

Additionally, during the upcoming Korea Sale Festival period (November 1 to 15, 2021), Songpa-gu plans to issue an additional 10 billion KRW worth of Songpa Love Gift Certificates to fully promote consumption and revitalize the local economy.

Songpa-gu Mayor Park Seong-su said, “Issuing ‘Songpa Love Gift Certificates’ had a positive effect on the local economic virtuous cycle,” adding, “We hope the certificates issued in the second half will also support small business owners and residents to overcome the COVID-19 economic crisis.”

Jung-gu, Seoul (Mayor Seo Yang-ho) will distribute the self-psychological care book ‘Mind Travel Kit - Being Myself’ to childcare workers in the district who are doing their best to ensure the health and safety of infants and toddlers amid the COVID-19 situation, helping relieve job stress and support mental health.

Jung-gu has been conducting face-to-face individual counseling, group counseling, and psychological tests to alleviate childcare workers’ job stress and emotional and psychological difficulties. However, since 2020, due to the spread of COVID-19, non-face-to-face methods have been gradually adopted.

Recently, as COVID-19 prolonged, childcare workers who were exhausted from accumulated fatigue and heavy workloads but hesitant to apply for counseling are now being provided with the self-psychological care book ‘Mind Travel Kit’ free of charge to help them care for their mental health independently.

‘Mind Travel Kit - Being Myself’ consists of three books and related supplements, designed as a three-week course. It includes fairy tales and worksheets to help adults, who have been practicing living a life that looks fine to others, reflect on themselves and live as their true selves in uncertain and anxious situations where face-to-face counseling is difficult. It helps individuals find what they want and become the subject of their own lives.

The self-psychological care book ‘Mind Travel Kit - Being Myself’ received applications until the 10th and will be delivered to a total of 85 childcare workers within this month.

About a month after distribution and completion of activities, satisfaction will be assessed through surveys and reviews. Based on this, kits on other topics such as ‘Human Relationships’ and ‘Burnout’ will be additionally distributed in the future.

Jung-gu Mayor Seo Yang-ho said, “Creating a safe childcare environment in all daycare centers in Jung-gu requires various support and counseling roles for childcare workers’ mental health,” adding, “We will continuously support psychological health services for childcare workers through self-care with the Mind Travel Kit as well as face-to-face and online individual and group counseling.”

Gangnam-gu (Mayor Jung Soon-gyun) will hold the third ‘Gangnam Art Walking’ of this year from August 31 to September 12 in collaboration with Galleria Department Store Luxury Hall.

The exhibition walking tour during the event period involves 10 galleries in Sinsa, Cheongdam, and Apgujeong-dong, led by Kim Chan-yong, a famous ‘first-generation docent’ in Korea. To prevent COVID-19 spread, the tour is free and by prior reservation. Those who wish can visit galleries individually without commentary. Exhibition schedules and tour reservations can be made on the website.

The planned exhibition ‘ART SHOW: Just Arrived’ features four local galleries. The exhibition, themed as artworks just arrived and preparing for display, will be held from September 4 to 12 on the 3rd floor of the Galleria Department Store West Building.

Gangnam Art Walking is an exhibition tour project planned to promote culture and arts and revitalize the local economy, operated with different themes each time. The first season ‘Love is Love’ aimed to raise public awareness of child abuse, and the second season ‘3-Color Sensibility’ focused on media art, contemporary art, and planned exhibitions. The district plans to continue Gangnam Art Walking using networks with local companies and art organizations.

Gwanak-gu (Mayor Park Jun-hee) is recruiting participants for the ‘2021 Second Half Online 5060 Golden Well-being Exercise’ program.

This program is a collaborative project between Gwanak-gu and Seoul National University, providing systematic exercise programs to promote health and prevent various diseases among residents aged 50 to 60 living in the area.

A total of 60 participants aged 50 to 60 residing in Gwanak-gu or working in Gwanak-gu will be recruited. The program will be conducted fully online with instructors from the Department of Physical Education and Health Exercise Science Laboratory at Seoul National University College of Education.

The lectures will run for 12 weeks from September 13 to December 5, with participants accessing home-based exercise videos via links provided by Seoul National University every Monday, allowing free repeated viewing.

Before the program starts, participants will receive exercise and health assessments and feedback from professional instructors. Assessment items include body composition, balance, muscle strength, muscular endurance, blood pressure, and body fat. After the program, re-assessments will measure changes in fitness and health.

Residents wishing to apply can do so online or by phone through the Gwanak-gu Office website (Education Portal → Lifelong Learning Center Course Application) by September 12. The course fee is 50,000 KRW.

Gwangjin-gu (Mayor Kim Seon-gap) School Outside Youth Support Center is expanding various non-face-to-face programs in response to the prolonged COVID-19 situation.

Non-face-to-face programs for improving awareness of out-of-school youth include ▲‘different wrong’ clothing brand startup project ▲Youth Online Dance Competition ‘DDD Festival’ ▲Online GED education support.

The representative non-face-to-face program ‘different wrong’ startup project allows out-of-school youth to establish and operate a clothing brand, learning useful knowledge and skills such as fashion design, photographic graphics, marketing, and shopping mall operation to become independent and grow.

‘DDD Festival’ is a program where out-of-school youth plan and operate an online dance performance competition, providing opportunities to showcase talents and skills to youth whose activities have decreased due to prolonged COVID-19.

Some of the profits from these projects are donated to youth development and returned to society.

Additionally, Gwangjin-gu School Outside Youth Support Center ‘Dream Dream’ operates various programs for youth aged 9 to 24 who have dropped out of school, including ▲meal (meal kit) delivery support ▲club activity projects.

Gwangjin-gu Mayor Kim Seon-gap said, “We hope these programs comfort out-of-school youth exhausted by COVID-19 and become a driving force for growth and development,” adding, “We will continue to provide various support so that youth can realize their dreams and hopes in better environments.”

Jongno-gu (Mayor Kim Young-jong) won a total of four awards, including the grand prize and three special prizes, at the ‘2021 Seoul Good Signboard Contest’ announced on the 23rd, the most among 25 autonomous districts.

This year’s winning works from Jongno-gu include ▲Grand Prize ‘So-on table’ (Anguk-dong - general restaurant, photo), ▲Special Prize ‘Umulgil Garden’ (Samcheong-dong - workshop), ▲Special Prize ‘Cafe 2020’ (Insadong - coffee specialty shop), and ▲Special Prize ‘Kkotbodam’ (Jaedong - flower shop).

These businesses share the commonality of beautiful Hangul signboards reflecting their individuality and harmonizing with the characteristics of the area, building shapes, and colors, earning high praise from judges.

Jongno-gu also plans to hold its own ‘Good Signboard Contest’ and award prizes in October to recognize distinguished signboards that contributed to improving the urban landscape. Winners will receive certificates and commemorative frames with photos of their signboards.

The Seoul and Jongno-gu good signboard contest winning works will be exhibited in touring exhibitions at major local spaces such as the district office building, Jongno Promotion Hall, and community service centers, as well as on the district office website.

Since 2008, Jongno-gu has introduced Hangul design befitting its status as a center of Korean culture content, enhancing residents’ pride and promoting replacement with eco-friendly LED signboards through the ‘Beautiful Signboard Street Project.’

Recognized for these efforts, Jongno-gu has produced outstanding award-winning works every year for 12 years since 2010, including grand prizes and top awards, and has held the record for the most awards among autonomous districts for four consecutive years since 2018. This shows Jongno-gu’s efforts to enhance local characteristics and positively change street atmospheres through signboards.

Jongno-gu Mayor Kim Young-jong said, “Good signboards embody the street atmosphere, local history and culture, and even the sentiments of residents living there,” adding, “We will continue to discover good signboards to boost small business owners’ pride and establish a high-quality outdoor advertising culture.”

Gangseo-gu, Seoul (Mayor Noh Hyun-song) has prepared various events to celebrate Gender Equality Week this year.

From September 1 to 7, the district will hold events under the theme ‘Towards a Better World, Gender Equality,’ aiming to spread awareness and culture of gender equality in the community through programs including commendations for gender equality contributors, films, and exhibitions with interesting themes.

Especially, to prevent COVID-19 spread in the community, the events will be held non-face-to-face and online. On September 3, the district will award commendations to contributors who have worked for gender equality in the area.

The awards aim to discover and encourage unsung heroes who actively contributed to expanding women’s social participation and rights, and to spread best practices to promote gender equality culture. Considering COVID-19, awards will be delivered non-face-to-face without a separate ceremony.

On September 2 and 3, an online gender equality film festival will be held. Five short films under 30 minutes each on gender equality will be screened via OTT (online video service) theaters.

The films are designed to be easily viewed without burden, with up to 50 viewers per film.

Applications are on a first-come, first-served basis. Approved residents will receive viewing codes to access Gangseo-gu’s dedicated theater on the internet Purple Play site. Each person can watch up to two films.

Additionally, a gender equality slogan relay challenge and an exhibition of award-winning works from the gender equality contest will be held. The citizen participation group for creating a beautiful women-friendly city and the regional innovation task force members will create relay videos holding the 2019 and 2020 Gangseo-gu gender equality slogan contest winning works, posted on the district blog and DID displays for wide viewing.

The contest winners’ works will also be exhibited in rotation at the district office main building and Gayang-dong annex, and posted on the district blog and YouTube channel. Furthermore, non-face-to-face family-friendly education using ZOOM will be provided for parents with children, prospective couples, or newlyweds.

Four sessions in September will cover topics such as ▲gender equality in daily life ▲dual-income parenting with parents ▲marital relationships with coexistence of equality and respect, presenting concrete cases and methods to create happy families through gender equality.

More details on the Gender Equality Week events and application methods can be found on the Gangseo-gu Office website under News Plaza - Notices/News.

Gangseo-gu Mayor Noh Hyun-song said, “Achieving true gender equality requires understanding and practicing mutual efforts,” adding, “I hope this event helps gender equality awareness take root properly in the community.”

Jungnang-gu (Mayor Ryu Kyung-gi) will launch the ‘2021 Jungnang-gu Startup Academy’ from October to expand social economy diversity and discover and support capable social enterprise entrepreneurs.

The education will start with basic understanding of social economy, followed by mentoring and coaching to develop practical skills. After the education, follow-up support such as linking with external contests, operational consulting, and participation support for the Korea Social Enterprise Promotion Agency’s ‘Social Entrepreneur Fostering Project’ will be provided.

The four-week course starting in October consists of eight lectures focusing on social missions, business model establishment, and practical business plan writing, including mentor systems by similar business types and support for business plan preparation, providing practical help.

Especially, young entrepreneurs aged 19 to 34 can receive 500,000 KRW for prototype production, offering a good opportunity for market validation.

The target is 15 prospective entrepreneurs or individual business owners who are young residents or local residents of Jungnang-gu. Applications are accepted from August 30 to September 17 via online Google Forms.

For details on application and education, refer to the Jungnang-gu Social Economy Support Center blog or contact the center.

Jungnang-gu Mayor Ryu Kyung-gi said, “I hope this startup academy provides a stepping stone toward social economy entrepreneurship,” adding, “We will continue efforts to discover various social economy actors in the region and support their sustainable growth.”

Gangdong-gu (Mayor Lee Jung-hoon) announced that to expand and develop the public meal support project, it signed a cross-production area business agreement and supply contract with Songpa-gu, Andong City, and Wanju County, and will promote cross-production area ingredient supply starting in September.

The public meal support project improves the existing complex distribution structure by matching urban and rural areas in a 1:1 direct transaction, reducing distribution costs and time, and safely providing same-day produced eco-friendly and locally certified ingredients that have passed multiple safety inspections to public meal facilities.

The district will promote cross-production areas with nearby Songpa-gu, which has secured and can supplement cross-supply ingredient volumes. Previously, since March 2017, the district signed an agreement with Wanju County and started this project as the first in Seoul, currently supplying ingredients to about 9,000 children in 201 facilities in the area.

The main purpose of cross-production area promotion is to compensate for the lack of variety in supply items in the public meal system, which mainly supplies 1:1 matched eco-friendly ingredients, and to expand the variety of eco-friendly ingredients not produced in the matched production areas, thereby increasing satisfaction of public meal facilities.

It also aims to expand rural ingredient consumption destinations beyond existing ones to revitalize the rural economy depressed by COVID-19, contributing to urban-rural coexistence. The agreement also establishes close cooperation among local governments for the public meal support project.

To this end, the local governments signed the cross-production area business agreement and will hold supply contract ceremonies between public meal centers as a follow-up procedure.

On August 2, Gangdong-gu, Songpa-gu, Andong City, and Wanju County signed the business agreement non-face-to-face due to COVID-19 spread. The agreement includes ▲improving quality of cross-production area ingredients ▲diversifying supply items by discovering planned production farms ▲establishing stable delivery systems ▲expanding urban-rural coexistence ▲strengthening cooperation and exchanges among local governments to expand and develop the public meal support project.

Subsequently, on September 2, the public meal centers of each local government will hold supply contract ceremonies specifying cross-production area supply items and officially supply cross-production area eco-friendly ingredients to Gangdong-gu and Songpa-gu meal facilities.

Gangdong-gu Mayor Lee Jung-hoon said, “The expansion of the public meal support project through inter-local government cooperation will promote balanced urban-rural coexistence and become an important opportunity to lead future food safety.”

Guro-gu (Mayor Lee Sung) will promote the ‘Gaebong 1-dong Our Neighborhood Revitalization Old House Improvement Support Project.’

Guro-gu announced on the 30th that “Following selection for the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport’s Urban Regeneration New Deal Project, the ‘Gaebong 1-dong Our Neighborhood Revitalization Project’ will be conducted for three years starting this year.”

The old house improvement support project in Gaebong 1-dong supports house repair costs to improve the external appearance of old and deteriorated houses in the selected area. Starting with five households this year, a total of 25 households will be supported over three years.

The selected project area is around 139 Gaebong 1-dong (51,400㎡), a densely populated low-rise residential area with aging housing, where residential environment improvement has been needed.

Eligibility conditions as of the announcement date (August 23) include detached houses (including multi-family and multiplex houses) and multi-family or row houses under four stories with building approval over 20 years ago. Unauthorized or illegal buildings and buildings with less than 50% residential use of total floor area are excluded.

The support amount is up to 12 million KRW per household/unit, with the excess and 10% of total project cost to be self-funded. However, if the house owner or tenant signs a coexistence agreement to freeze rent for four years, the self-funding rate is reduced by 5%.

Support includes improving the external appearance of old houses such as roofs, rooftops, exterior walls, external windows, outdoor stairs, fences, and gates.

Applicants who own the building or individual units should visit and submit application forms, project support condition agreements, building registers, and other required documents to the Gaebong 1 Urban Regeneration Field Support Center (141-57 Gaebong 1-dong) by September 3.

For details on eligibility and application methods, contact the Gaebong 1 Urban Regeneration Field Support Center or check the district office website’s news section.

Guro-gu plans to conduct on-site investigations in September to review repair costs and scope and select final support contents and recipients.