Gwanak-gu and Yangcheon-gu Implement Safe and Warm Chuseok Holiday Measures... Gwangjin-gu Provides Single-Parent Families with 30,000 KRW Cash Aid

[Seoul District Chuseok Holiday News] Gwanak-gu Prepares Measures in 7 Key Areas Including COVID-19 Response, Price Stabilization, Traffic, and Medical Measures... Yangcheon-gu Implements Comprehensive Plans for a Safe and Worry-Free Chuseok Holiday, Operates COVID-19 Response Task Force... Gwangjin-gu Provides 50,000 KRW Cash to Basic Livelihood Recipients and 30,000 KRW to Single-Parent Families... Dongjak-gu Conducts Emergency Safety Inspections at Traditional Markets

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Gwanak-gu (Mayor Park Jun-hee) announced that it has prepared a ‘Comprehensive Chuseok Holiday Plan’ to protect the safety of residents from COVID-19 and ensure a happy holiday during the upcoming Chuseok holiday, pledging to do its best to maintain public safety even during the holiday period.

The district will focus on seven key areas from September 15 to September 23: ▲Maintaining COVID-19 response system ▲Customized support for marginalized groups ▲Traffic measures ▲Safety measures for typhoons, construction sites, etc. ▲Price stabilization measures ▲Medical measures ▲Establishment of public service discipline.

In particular, administrative efforts will be concentrated on creating an atmosphere of movement restraint among residents and thorough quarantine activities.

To this end, the district office’s first-floor ‘Comprehensive Situation Room’ will serve as the center for operating two COVID-19-related health center screening clinics and temporary screening clinics, as well as an information, consultation, and adverse reaction call center. In case of confirmed cases, thorough epidemiological investigations and quarantine activities will be conducted.

During the holiday period, the health center screening clinics will operate from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. to strengthen COVID-19 response. The two temporary screening clinics will operate on September 18 and 20?22, excluding September 19. The Sillim Sports Center temporary screening clinic will operate from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and the Nakseongdae Park temporary screening clinic from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Additionally, using Facebook, blogs, KakaoTalk, and Danggeun Market, the district will promote restraint in Chuseok travel, operation of screening clinics, and compliance with social distancing. To prevent various disasters and respond swiftly in emergencies, task forces for traffic, cleaning, medical, and safety functions will be formed to maintain an emergency work system.

To prepare for major safety accidents, thorough pre-inspections and maintenance will be conducted on ▲Safety-vulnerable facilities (3 sites) ▲Apartment construction sites (5 sites) ▲Building construction sites (35 sites) ▲Road facilities (92 sites) ▲Public facilities such as parks and roadside greenery ▲Landslide-prone areas (41 sites) ▲Large stores (1 site) and traditional markets (20 sites) as multi-use facilities ▲Gas supply facilities (60 sites).

Along with this, a price countermeasure situation room will be operated to stabilize the supply of major seasonal products and establish a sound distribution order. It will also conduct preliminary investigations into wage arrears between primary and subcontractors, including workers and construction machinery rental business operators.

To allow residents to enjoy the holiday without parking worries, Gwanak-gu Office’s affiliated parking lot and five on-street public parking lots will be opened free of charge. To revitalize traditional markets, temporary parking and stopping will be allowed on some roads around 21 traditional markets including Bongil Market and three major shopping areas such as Nangok-ro Save Mart during the holiday period.

To reduce inconvenience in waste disposal, waste collection will be intensified before the official start of the holiday, and a comprehensive cleaning situation room will be operated to prepare for urgent complaints during the holiday. Due to cleaning contractors’ holidays, waste disposal will be possible on September 19 and 22 during the holiday. Autonomous large-scale cleaning will be conducted at community service centers before and after the holiday, and efforts will be made to maintain the environment of alleys and main roads.

Also, during the holiday, an emergency medical guidance center will operate on the 4th floor of the health center’s medical department to provide information on on-duty medical institutions and holiday pharmacies. Inquiries can be made to the Gwanak-gu Office medical department or 119, and information is also available on the Gwanak-gu Health Center website.

A district official said, “We will do our best to systematically and flawlessly implement comprehensive measures in each field during the holiday period so that residents can spend a safe and happy Chuseok.”

Yangcheon-gu (Mayor Kim Soo-young) has established the ‘2021 Chuseok Comprehensive Plan’ to ensure residents can spend a safe and comfortable holiday, and will implement it from the 15th to the 23rd.

During the Chuseok holiday, a total of 454 staff members, including 217 COVID-19 response personnel, will maintain emergency duty in Yangcheon-gu.

From 6 p.m. on the 17th to 9 a.m. on the 23rd, the district will operate six task forces for ▲Traffic ▲Cleaning ▲Flood control ▲Park management ▲Medical care ▲COVID-19, and a comprehensive situation room overseeing these. The situation room will operate 24 hours to prepare for emergencies during the holiday.

□ Maintaining a flawless COVID-19 response system during the holiday

During the holiday, the district will maintain the COVID-19 response system to protect residents’ health. It will operate a call center, screening clinics (health center), the 1st temporary screening clinic (district council parking lot), and the 2nd temporary screening clinic (Sinwol Culture and Sports Center), and conduct emergency duty with quarantine management teams such as self-quarantine management, epidemiological investigation, patient transport, and disinfection teams to minimize gaps in COVID-19 management.

Residents with suspected symptoms can consult the COVID-19 call center and get tested at screening clinics from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Residents wishing to voluntarily undergo preemptive testing can use the 1st and 2nd temporary screening clinics. The 1st temporary screening clinic (district council parking lot) operates from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., including Saturday the 18th. The 2nd temporary screening clinic (Sinwol Culture and Sports Center) operates from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday the 18th, and from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on other days. Both clinics are closed on Sunday the 19th, and the vaccination center will also be closed during the holiday.

Dedicated self-quarantine officials will maintain a 24-hour monitoring system, strengthen random inspections, and require prompt reporting of suspected violations.

Additionally, an emergency medical task force will be activated in case of illness during the holiday, and designated hospitals, clinics, and pharmacies will operate. Detailed medical information can be found on the district office website, Emergency Medical Information Center, and smartphone application (Emergency Medical Information Service).

□ Spending a safe and comfortable Chuseok

A disaster safety countermeasure headquarters composed of 13 working teams will operate to enable immediate response to disasters. Weather conditions will be monitored 24 hours to prepare for typhoons and floods, and safety management of construction sites, multi-use facilities, fire prevention, park and green space safety, and food safety will be thoroughly checked and prepared.

Special traffic measures will be prepared, and a traffic countermeasure situation room maintaining communication with Seoul City Traffic Situation Room will operate to provide traffic information during the Chuseok holiday. To prevent COVID-19 spread, special disinfection and pre-inspection of village buses including vehicle maintenance and internal and external cleanliness have been conducted. However, in line with the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters’ recommendation to minimize travel during the holiday, extended last train times and increased public transportation services during the holiday will not be implemented. A 24-hour crackdown team will be formed to guide and crack down on illegal parking and stopping.

Cleaning measures have also been carefully prepared. All household waste will be collected and delivered to resource recovery facilities by September 17. From September 18 to 22, when delivery is suspended, residents will be urged to refrain from waste disposal and informed of waste disposal days by neighborhood. During the holiday, cleaning situation teams and mobile teams will be organized to collect illegal dumping and accumulated waste to minimize inconvenience to residents.

□ A warm Chuseok shared with neighbors

Warm and abundant sharing activities will be promoted for marginalized and vulnerable neighbors who feel especially lonely during the holiday. Items collected through donation campaigns for vulnerable groups will be delivered. Support money (goods) will be provided to 2,286 low-income households, and daily necessities such as rice and fruit will be delivered to 153 senior welfare facilities and 33 facilities for the disabled. During the holiday, ‘Mom’s Lunchbox’ will be delivered to ensure children do not go hungry. ‘Mom’s Lunchbox,’ prepared with a mother’s heart, started in 2015 and has supported about 600 children to date, delivering warm hearts along with meals.

Yangcheon-gu Mayor Kim Soo-young said, “We will focus all efforts on preventing COVID-19 spread, strengthening quarantine, preparing for disasters and accidents, and supporting vulnerable groups during the Chuseok holiday. We have carefully prepared measures in each field so that residents can spend a safe and comfortable holiday. We ask all residents to minimize travel and follow quarantine rules so that this holiday does not become an opportunity for COVID-19 spread.”

Gwangjin-gu (Mayor Kim Seon-gap) will conduct a ‘Special Support for Low-Income Residents during Chuseok Holiday’ for three weeks from September 3 to 24 to assist low-income residents exhausted by COVID-19.

First, to provide practical help to 6,802 low-income households facing financial difficulties, the district plans to provide 50,000 KRW in cash to basic livelihood and medical households, and 30,000 KRW in cash to single-parent families.

Additionally, with a budget of 12.75 million KRW, the district will provide two 10,000 KRW traditional market gift certificates (Onnuri gift certificates) each to small-scale welfare facility beneficiaries (disabled, elderly, children) and multicultural and veterans’ organizations within Gwangjin-gu, who might otherwise be marginalized low-income households.

Separate deliveries of fruit and rice cakes will be made to about 20 senior centers, disabled organizations, and welfare facilities for the disabled.

Mayor Kim Seon-gap said, “We will strive for more meticulous support so that this holiday can be a time of comfort and strength for neighbors exhausted by COVID-19,” and “We will actively prepare policies to support and protect low-income groups in the future.”

Before Chuseok, the district is implementing various policies such as accepting applications for the COVID-19 coexistence national support fund, issuing Gwangjin Love gift certificates, temporarily supporting meal expenses for food-insecure children, providing employment incentives for unemployed youth, and holding traditional market events for Chuseok.

Dongjak-gu (Mayor Lee Chang-woo) is conducting an urgent safety inspection of traditional markets ahead of Chuseok, anticipating many residents will visit traditional markets, to prevent fires and COVID-19 infections.

Traditional markets have aging facilities and densely packed stores, so if a fire breaks out in one store, flames can quickly spread to adjacent stores and buildings.

This inspection is being conducted to timely identify and take preventive measures against fire hazards in local traditional markets following the fire at Yeongdeok Market in Gyeongbuk on the morning of the 4th, which completely destroyed 48 out of 79 stores in the market. Compliance with COVID-19 quarantine rules will also be checked.

By September 15, the district will inspect 11 traditional markets and shopping districts including Gangnam Market, Namseong Sagye Market, and Namseong Station Alley Market. District officials and external experts will conduct inspections based on checklists for architecture, fire safety, electricity, gas, and quarantine.

Especially in high-risk areas handling fire, inspections will include checking fire extinguisher placement, sprinkler operation, and management of cooking equipment.

Based on the inspection results, old facilities such as multi-tap power strips and fire extinguishers will be replaced immediately, and serious defects or risks in open stores and aging facilities will be promptly repaired or reinforced to ensure proactive safety measures.

Safety and disaster officer Choi Dal-soo said, “Traditional markets have densely packed stores, so fire accidents can cause serious damage to life and property. We will do our best to create a safe Dongjak-gu through timely detection and preventive measures against risks, and individual fire safety awareness among merchants is crucial for fire prevention in traditional markets.”

Since February, the district has been promoting fire safety performance enhancement projects such as replacing combustible exterior materials and installing simple sprinklers in nine fire-vulnerable buildings including medical and elderly care facilities and local children’s centers.

In April, fire prevention safety inspections were conducted in architectural and fire safety fields at eight residential-commercial complex apartments.

Yangcheon-gu Mayor Kim Soo-young attended the ‘Hope, Sharing, and Togetherness Festival Season 2’ held at Sinwol 2-dong Community Service Center on the afternoon of the 10th and delivered comprehensive Chuseok gift sets to vulnerable groups.

Yangcheon-gu designated a three-week sharing period for Chuseok to intensively support welfare-vulnerable groups through sharing events.

The gift sets delivered that day contained abundant food items such as beef bone soup, curry, ramen, and instant rice. Mayor Kim Soo-young, members of the sharing event promotion committee, and community service center staff delivered the comprehensive gift sets filled with love to 800 vulnerable households while complying with COVID-19 quarantine rules.

Kangdong-gu Mayor Lee Jeong-hoon visited welfare facilities for the disabled in the district ahead of the traditional Chuseok holiday on the 9th to check on marginalized neighbors.

He visited four locations: ▲Amsa Rehabilitation Center ▲Woosungwon ▲Areum Haedeun House ▲Jumong Rehabilitation Center, delivering Chuseok holiday support funds and encouraging facility staff. To prevent COVID-19 spread, the visits were conducted with minimal personnel, listening to facility staff’s difficulties and encouraging their efforts.

Mayor Lee Jeong-hoon said, “I thank the facility staff who always work hard during these difficult times of prolonged COVID-19,” and “The district will continue to carefully look after neighbors in need so that everyone can have a prosperous Chuseok.”