[Seoul District News] Mapo-gu Appoints Comedian Kim Kyung-ah as Female-Friendly City Ambassador... Gangbuk-gu Replaces 31 Ginkgo Trees from Female to Male on Solsaem-ro and Other Routes to Eliminate Odor and Pedestrian Inconvenience Complaints... Eunpyeong-gu Hosts '2021 Lee Ho-cheol Unification Road Literature Award Essay Contest'... '2021 Jongno National Happiness Essay Contest' Held... Dobong-gu Holds 2021 International ESD Youth Project 'Neuru' Public Seminar... Dongdaemun-gu Invites Western Classics Expert Professor Kim Heon for 'Finding Happiness in Greek Classics'...
[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Gwangjin-gu (Mayor Kim Seon-gap) is promoting additional COVID-19 vaccinations for unvaccinated individuals who have not yet received or scheduled their vaccinations.
This initiative follows the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency's announcement to implement vaccinations for all unvaccinated individuals, aiming to expand the immune population and protect against COVID-19.
Accordingly, the district will conduct vaccinations at designated medical institutions from October 1 to October 16, coinciding with the completion of the first dose for the 18-49 age group. Those not enrolled in health insurance can receive vaccinations at the Jayang and Junggok Vaccination Centers.
Advance reservations can be made through the COVID-19 vaccination reservation website using the existing method, with applications accepted until 6 p.m. on September 30.
The vaccines available are Moderna or Pfizer, and individual notifications will be provided sequentially depending on vaccine supply.
Additionally, all unvaccinated individuals can receive same-day vaccinations using leftover vaccines through the SNS same-day quick reservation service or by utilizing standby lists at medical institutions. Reservations and vaccinations for the second dose using leftover vaccines are also possible.
Furthermore, the district is conducting voluntary Janssen vaccinations for those aged 30 and above who wish to receive the Janssen vaccine.
The vaccination period lasts until vaccine supplies are exhausted. Those wishing to be vaccinated can make phone reservations through the Gwangjin-gu Vaccine Call Center or visit the health center directly for on-site reservations.
Mayor Kim Seon-gap of Gwangjin-gu stated, “Vaccination is an important stepping stone toward restoring daily life,” and urged, “Those who have not yet scheduled their vaccinations should actively participate for the sake of themselves, their families, and neighbors.”
Mapo-gu (Mayor Yoo Dong-gyun) announced the appointment of comedian Kim Kyung-ah as the 'Mapo-gu Women-Friendly City Ambassador' to promote gender equality culture.
Comedian Kim Kyung-ah, a graduate of KBS's 21st public recruitment, won the KBS Entertainment Awards' Best Newcomer in Comedy in 2008 and the Best Corner Award in Comedy in 2009. She is currently married to comedian Kwon Jae-kwan and has one son and one daughter.
Last November, she co-hosted the 'Two Mom Show,' a healing concert for mothers in Mapo-gu, alongside comedians Kim Mi-ryeo and Jo Seung-hee, providing comfort to women exhausted from childbirth and childcare.
The district expects that comedian Kim Kyung-ah, who appeared on JTBC's observational reality show 'Can't Be No.1' as part of a comedian couple balancing work and childcare, will enhance Mapo-gu's brand value as a women-friendly city.
The appointment certificate will be awarded on the 30th during the 'Gender Equality Week' event, which will also feature ▲commendations for gender equality contributors ▲gender equality talk shows ▲special lectures by notable figures, among other diverse programs.
Mapo-gu is one of three autonomous districts in Seoul re-designated as a Stage 2 Women-Friendly City and is striving to create a gender-equal and women-friendly city through resident participation for Stage 3 re-designation.
The district operates BPA (Baby caring person, Pregnant person, Aged person) considerate parking spaces offering wider parking for pregnant women and other transportation-vulnerable groups, installs diaper changing stations in men's restrooms within parks, and builds social infrastructure for gender equality.
Additionally, public-private partnerships such as the Women-Friendly City Creation Council, Mapo Women's Network, and the Women's Center Together Making Execution Group have been formed to encourage private sector participation in creating a women-friendly city.
Mayor Yoo Dong-gyun of Mapo-gu said, “We look forward to the lively and bright activities of comedian Kim Kyung-ah,” and pledged, “We will continue to do our best to make Mapo a safe and gender-equal city for women.”
Gangbuk-gu (Mayor Park Gyeom-su) has completely replaced female ginkgo street trees with male ones, a rare case among local governments nationwide.
Every autumn, the streets are covered with ginkgo fruits, causing inconvenience to pedestrians and emitting unpleasant odors, leading to numerous complaints. Although the district's fruit collection team responded, complaints persisted, causing headaches.
In response, Gangbuk-gu launched a 'Complete Elimination of Complaints' initiative, starting with a full survey. The survey found approximately 3,510 ginkgo trees along 31 routes, including Solsaem-ro, with about 1,060 female trees bearing fruit.
Based on the survey, the district sequentially replaced ginkgo trees, converting a total of 1,053 female trees to male ones?917 last year and 136 this year?after conducting genetic tests to distinguish male and female trees.
The effect of replacing female trees with male ones appeared quickly. Between 2018 and 2019, excluding phone complaints, 93 written complaints were received. However, since late last year, complaints about ginkgo fruit odors and pedestrian inconvenience have disappeared.
The replacement covered 31 routes including Solsaem-ro and Samyang-ro. In some areas, additional trees such as Korean dogwood and pine were planted to diversify the streetscape, separate from the male tree replacement project.
Mayor Park Gyeom-su of Gangbuk-gu said, “The recurring inconvenience during autumn has disappeared, allowing residents to fully enjoy the autumn atmosphere in a pleasant street,” and added, “We hope residents can appreciate the charm of ginkgo trees, which have been a representative street tree coloring the city yellow, without any disturbance.”
Eunpyeong-gu (Mayor Kim Mi-kyung) announced the launch of the '2021 Lee Ho-cheol Tongillo Literary Award Book Report Contest' as a side event for the upcoming 5th Lee Ho-cheol Tongillo Literary Award scheduled for November.
This book report contest combines the 5th event and the postponed 4th event due to last year's COVID-19 spread. The contest will be held online for the 4th and 5th award-winning works, with an awards ceremony on November 26 featuring outstanding winners.
The district also announced that the 5th Lee Ho-cheol Tongillo Literary Award grand prize winner is German author Jenny Erpenbeck, and the special prize winner is writer Shim Yoon-kyung.
Jenny Erpenbeck, a novelist from East Germany, was selected for the grand prize for her works criticizing the problems of East German socialism and the limitations of Western capitalism, reflecting serious interest and affection for challenging narratives such as customs, laws, violence, and war, aligning with the award's values.
Shim Yoon-kyung received the special prize for her profound reflection on distorted colonial modernity in her major work 'Eternal Legacy' (Munhakdongne, 2021), critically examining Japan's colonial legacy, power, and the UN-led international order under U.S. influence, matching the award's purpose.
The newly introduced '2021 Lee Ho-cheol Tongillo Literary Award Book Report Contest' aims to encourage residents to read the late Lee Ho-cheol's works and award-winning pieces, inheriting the author's spirit of unification aspiration. Online submissions are accepted, and six winners will be selected at the November 26 awards ceremony.
The target books include Lee Ho-cheol's works ('Panmunjom', 'Petty Bourgeois'), 4th award-winning works ('God of Small Things', 'Nine Times Work'), and 5th award-winning works ('When All Evenings Fall', 'Eternal Legacy'), totaling six books.
Participants are middle and high school students and adult residents in Eunpyeong, with submissions accepted from September 24 to October 31 at 6 p.m. Applications can be downloaded from the district website (Citizen Participation → Application Plaza → 2021 Lee Ho-cheol Tongillo Literary Award Contest), completed, compressed into one file, and emailed to the person in charge (parkhsoo@ep.go.kr).
Results will be announced on November 8, with one grand prize and two excellence awards per category. The awards ceremony will be held on November 26 at an undecided location. Winners will receive certificates from the district mayor, and selected reports will be included in the award's collection.
Mayor Kim Mi-kyung of Eunpyeong-gu said, “This event will provide residents, exhausted by the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic, with an opportunity to enjoy literature and regain vitality,” and added, “We hope it will be a meaningful time to discover the value of the late Lee Ho-cheol's spirit of unification.”
Yeongdeungpo-gu Mayor Chae Hyun-il visited the Yeongdeungpo Memory Care Center, a welfare facility for elderly dementia prevention, on the morning of the 23rd to participate in a non-face-to-face cognitive program.
Mayor Chae had previously visited the Memory Care Center on September 21 to commemorate 'Dementia Overcoming Day,' inspecting facility management and usage, greeting staff, and encouraging their efforts.
Mayor Chae stated, “We will do our best to establish a robust welfare support network and care system to continuously reduce the burden on dementia patients and their families.”
Geumcheon-gu (Mayor Yoo Sung-hoon) announced the operation of 'Parent-Child Customized Learning Psychological Counseling' to alleviate anxiety and motivate elementary, middle, and high school students regarding their studies.
This multi-session program analyzes causes through psychological tests for students facing learning and career difficulties and provides individualized solutions. It is a counseling program where parents can participate alongside students, aiming to resolve learning issues by improving family relationships.
A student who participated said, “I was able to share deep stories I couldn't tell my family, and it greatly helped motivate me to study and set career directions.” Many parents are requesting continued counseling after seeing changes in their children after just one session.
The counseling program operates every Thursday from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. Any elementary, middle, or high school students and parents experiencing learning or psychological difficulties can participate. Reservations can be made on the Geumcheon Career and Academic Support Center website.
Mayor Yoo Sung-hoon of Geumcheon-gu said, “We expect the counseling to not only solve learning concerns but also improve parent-child relationships,” adding, “We will do our best to ease the psychological anxiety and academic difficulties of students caused by the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic.”
For more information, contact the Geumcheon Career and Academic Support Center or the Geumcheon-gu Education Support Division.
Jongno-gu (Mayor Kim Young-jong) is hosting the '2021 Jongno National Happiness Essay Contest' from September 16 to October 29.
This contest was planned to comfort hearts weakened by the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic and provide an opportunity to rethink happiness, thereby spreading nationwide empathy.
Open to all regardless of region or age, participants can freely write and submit prose essays on the theme of 'happiness.'
Examples include stories of finding personal happiness despite life's crises, touching tales of overcoming hardships together, methods of maintaining positivity during COVID-19, and narratives about creating warm communities where one's happiness becomes everyone's happiness.
Entries must be original works by the author, not previously awarded or plagiarized, and must adhere to the theme and format to be considered.
Applications can be downloaded from the Jongno-gu website, completed, and submitted by mail, online, or email (happyjongno@seoul.go.kr) by October 29.
A judging committee including experts will select outstanding works, awarding prizes in November: Grand Prize (1 person) 500,000 KRW, Excellence (2 persons) 300,000 KRW, Merit (3 persons) 200,000 KRW, Encouragement (5 persons) 100,000 KRW, and Honorable Mention (16 persons) 50,000 KRW in gift certificates.
The district plans to compile the winning essays into a collection and hold a reading event at year-end to promote a culture of happiness.
For more details, contact the Jongno-gu Health City Division Happiness Dream Team.
Since 2015, Jongno-gu has pursued various initiatives to implement resident happiness policies. This year, it is promoting the 'Jongno Well-being Index Rounding Project' focusing on improving residents' life satisfaction, including projects such as the 'Jongno Happiness School,' Jongno1787 Happy Books Club, Resident Happiness Committee, Happiness Impact Assessment System, and Happiness Surveys.
Additionally, the district has held events like 'Introducing Our Happy Neighbors' in 2016 and the 'Happiness Story Contest' in 2017, and has operated the 'Jongno Happiness Mailbox' since 2019 to collect stories about happiness.
Mayor Kim Young-jong of Jongno-gu said, “We prioritize residents' happiness and safety as the top values of local government and strive to create a Jongno where all residents are equally happy,” adding, “We will lead meaningful changes in the community through continuous and concrete efforts to improve residents' quality of life.”
Nowon-gu (Mayor Oh Seung-rok) announced that it won the grand prize in the population structure change response category at the '2021 National Basic Local Government Manifesto Best Practice Competition.'
The Manifesto Best Practice Competition, hosted by the Korea Manifesto Practice Headquarters, is held annually in non-election years to discover, share, and spread excellent local government administrative policy cases.
This year, the district submitted the 'Knocking on the Door of Hearts! Nowon Knock Knock Care Team' project in the population structure change response category.
The 'Nowon Knock Knock Care Team' was recognized as a model welfare service providing meticulous, customized welfare support through resident-led care activities addressing population changes such as increasing single-person households and aging.
Following the '2021 First Half Excellent Administration and Policy Cases' award by the Korea Public Policy Evaluation Association and the Korea Governance Society in August, the team also won the grand prize at the Manifesto competition, earning two awards this year.
The district selected 6,215 households excluded from existing public and private care services, such as low-income single-person and single-parent households, as care recipients and recruited about 200 local residents as care team members according to demand in each neighborhood.
Named to express the will to 'knock on the closed door of hearts,' the team began full activities in February. Despite COVID-19, they actively identify neighbors in crisis through phone monitoring and home visits, connecting them to various public and private welfare services.
Members, composed of local residents, have a strong sense of mission to care for neighbors, with over 133 cases of life-saving interventions, boosting pride in their work.
Continuous counseling has built trust between members and care recipients, helping recipients comfortably and actively request needed services.
The 12th competition this year, under the slogan 'New Future, Bold Journey,' covered seven categories including anti-corruption and rights improvement, job and income balance, population structure change response, climate environment, e-democracy enhancement, regional culture activation, and community strengthening. Among 226 local governments nationwide, 159 submitted 376 cases, with 209 advancing to the finals after document screening.
Mayor Oh Seung-rok of Nowon-gu said, “Winning the Manifesto grand prize increases our responsibility to fulfill pledges,” and pledged, “We will actively respond to rapidly changing population structures and build welfare systems that meet residents' needs.”
Jung-gu (Mayor Seo Yang-ho) announced a management-type residential environment improvement project with Seoul City, investing 2.1 billion KRW to improve pedestrian environments and village design in the Gwanghui-dong and Jangchung-dong fortress village areas.
The management-type residential environment improvement project targets areas with old facilities or dense single-family and multi-family housing, improving residential environments by expanding maintenance infrastructure and shared facilities.
The project area is located between Dongho-ro and the south side of Gwanghui Gate of the Hanyang Fortress, designated as a maintenance zone for the Seoul Fortress Village Residential Environment Improvement Project in 2019, covering 141,568 square meters.
The district plans to improve pedestrian environments within the maintenance zone, creating safe and pleasant village streets, restoring lost fortress walls, and installing signage and street facilities reflecting local identity to revive the fortress village's historicity.
Previously, a 350-meter section of Jangchungdan-ro 8-gil lacked sidewalks, posing safety risks and inconvenience. The project will install approximately 2-meter-wide sidewalks and crosswalks on one side to ensure pedestrian safety, renovate about 1,500 meters of worn pavements, and maintain flower beds and fences to improve the streetscape. Additional CCTV will be installed in crime- and safety-vulnerable areas.
The construction will proceed in four sections, aiming for completion by December. To minimize resident inconvenience, schedules will be adjusted and implemented in phases.
This area is a historic cultural district with remnants of the Hanyang Fortress's four small gates, including the South Small Gate (Gwanghui Gate) and fortress paths. However, most fortress walls were destroyed or buried during the Japanese colonial period's Oriental Development Company housing complex construction, weakening residents' and visitors' awareness of the fortress village.
To restore and improve awareness of the fortress village's history, the district will discover and utilize historical buildings, scenic resources, and human resources, producing and installing various signage and street facilities featuring the 'Gwanghui Fortress Village Integrated Design.'
Since 2018, the district has built a public-private cooperative network through the Jangchung-dong resident communication space 'Moiso,' established by the city to foster community culture and resident exchange, aiming to revitalize the local economy linked to the fortress village's historical and cultural resources.
Mayor Seo Yang-ho of Jung-gu said, “Through this project, Jangchung-dong and Gwanghui-dong will be reborn as historic spaces preserving old traces, becoming 'villages people want to visit and walk through.'”
Jungnang-gu (Mayor Ryu Kyung-gi) will accept applications for the Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) Development Fund Loan Support Project starting September 27, targeting local SMEs and small business owners struggling financially due to the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic.
The second half support scale is 2 billion KRW, following the same amount in the first half. The loan interest rate is significantly reduced from 1.5% to 0.8% until the end of this year, with a two-year grace period and three-year equal installment repayment condition.
Eligible applicants are SMEs and small business owners with business locations in Jungnang-gu registered for over three months. However, those currently repaying Jungnang-gu SME Development Fund loans and certain restricted industries (finance, real estate, luxury/entertainment) are excluded. Collateral capability (real estate or credit guarantee) per bank credit regulations is required.
Applications close on October 8. Detailed information is available on the Jungnang-gu website's announcements section. After prior consultation with designated banks and credit guarantee institutions, applicants should submit required documents in person to the Corporate Support Division on the 4th floor of Jungnang-gu Office.
Support decisions will be made by the SME Development Fund Operation Review Committee, with loans disbursed from late October at Woori Bank Jungnang-gu branch.
Mayor Ryu Kyung-gi of Jungnang-gu said, “We hope this additional loan support in the second half will help SMEs and small business owners overcome difficulties,” and pledged, “We will continue to prepare various support policies for the management stability of local SMEs and small businesses.”
The district provided about 2 billion KRW in loan support to 40 companies in the first half.
Guro-gu (Mayor Lee Sung) is launching employment support programs for youth and middle-aged job seekers.
The district announced on the 23rd that it will open programs supporting education and employment for youth and middle-aged job seekers by subsidizing tuition fees.
First, Guro-gu operates the 'Media-related IT Expert Training Project,' supporting training for motion graphic designers and electronic publishing editors.
Education runs from October 1 to December 22, every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., with both online and offline formats depending on social distancing levels.
Applicants must be Guro-gu residents who graduated (or expect to graduate) from university or high school in IT media-related fields such as journalism, media content, or media design, or attend such schools in the district. Ten participants each will be recruited for motion graphics and electronic publishing editing, totaling 20.
Interested individuals should submit applications and graduation certificates by the 26th via email to the Public Service Advertising Cooperative (pdj1787@gmail.com).
Guro-gu also operates a 'Security Guard Employment Support Program,' offering theoretical education on the Security Services Act and crime prevention, and practical training on accident prevention, security office work, and self-defense techniques from October 5 to 7, eight hours daily, at the Korea Security Association Seoul branch (2nd floor, 313 Gamasan-ro). Schedules may change due to COVID-19.
The program targets 50 Guro-gu residents aged 40 to under 70. Applications are accepted from the 23rd to October 1 at the Job Plus Center on the 1st floor of Guro-gu Office.
Seodaemun-gu (Mayor Moon Seok-jin) announced on the 23rd the establishment of a 'Test Waiting Status Information System' to improve convenience for citizens visiting COVID-19 screening clinics.
By accessing the Seodaemun-gu website via smartphone or PC, users can check real-time waiting status at three locations: Seodaemun-gu Health Center Screening Clinic, Sinchon Temporary Screening Clinic, and Hongje Temporary Screening Clinic.
Information provided includes current call numbers, waiting counts, operational status (normal, crowded, congested), and early closure status.
Checking this information allows visitors to choose less crowded locations for smoother COVID-19 testing and avoid unnecessary visits to closed sites.
The system displays call numbers so on-site waiters can check their turn via smartphones without lining up physically, enhancing convenience.
Mayor Moon Seok-jin of Seodaemun-gu said, “We built this system to improve citizen convenience and reduce crowding, and will actively adopt such smart services to prevent COVID-19 spread.”
Dobong-gu (Mayor Lee Dong-jin), a hub city for Education for Sustainable Development (RCE), will hold the '2021 International ESD Youth Project Neuru Seminar' via Zoom on September 28.
The ESD Youth Project 'Neuru' aims to cultivate ecological literacy and glocal leadership capabilities and promote voluntary actions for sustainable living. It is the nation's first Zoom-based research project, launched in May this year.
Through 'Neuru,' 61 elementary to university students from 28 schools in five countries have met monthly via Zoom, communicating their voices and experiences using the photovoice research method under the theme 'The Truth of Hamburgers.'
This seminar, linked to the 5th session of Project Neuru, will discuss 'Food and Sustainability.'
Session 1, 'Speak Up,' features students Lee Rae-na (Changdo Elementary, Dobong-gu, Seoul) and Sarah Kim (William Mason High School, USA) presenting their views on food and sustainability.
Session 2 includes a special lecture on 'Food and Sustainability' by Dr. Abudash Kumar Gangwar from RCE Srinagar, India. Having previously lectured on Indian local food to Neuru participants, Dr. Gangwar hopes Koreans will take interest in food and sustainability through this seminar.
Participants can register via the QR code on the poster, with inquiries directed to Dobong-gu Sustainable Development Division.
'Neuru,' a pure Korean word meaning 'not all at once but over a long time,' signifies the aim for youth to pursue sustainable living over time. The project focuses on SDG4.7, ensuring knowledge and skills for sustainable development, enhancing ecological transition and glocal leadership among youth, and encouraging voluntary sustainable practices.
Including orientation and final reporting, the project consists of eight sessions involving pre-meetings, assignments, theory classes (photovoice method, photography theory), and discussions. Photovoice is a participatory research method using photography to express voices and experiences and promote community change.
Mayor Lee Dong-jin of Dobong-gu said, “We are conducting experimental Zoom-based operations, now in the 5th session. Through this seminar, we hope to explore how the theme starting with 'The Truth of Hamburgers' connects to 'Food and Sustainability' and share concerns about sustainable food domestically and internationally. We ask for your interest and participation.”
Dongdaemun-gu (Mayor Yoo Deok-yeol) will offer a humanities lecture by Western classics expert Professor Kim Heon on the last Wednesday of September. To prevent COVID-19 spread, the lecture will be held online.
Invited lecturer Professor Kim Heon of Seoul National University Humanities Research Institute is the author of 'What is a Good Life' and 'A Thousand-Year Lesson,' and has appeared on major broadcasts such as tvN's 'Naked History' and JTBC's 'Different Class.'
The lecture, titled 'Wisdom of Happiness Found in Greek Classics,' will explore fascinating stories featuring various gods and heroes from Greek and Roman mythology, considered the roots of European civilization.
The lecture will be streamed on the Dongdaemun-gu YouTube channel 'DBS Dongdaemun-gu Internet Broadcasting' at 3 p.m. on the 29th, available only to pre-registered residents. Those wishing to attend must register by the 28th via phone or the Dongdaemun-gu website. For details, visit the website or contact the Education Support Division.
Mayor Yoo Deok-yeol of Dongdaemun-gu said, “We provide opportunities for residents struggling due to COVID-19 to learn specialized knowledge and life wisdom through online lectures,” and encouraged residents interested in Greek and Roman mythology or Western classics to participate, promising continued efforts to offer diverse educational opportunities.
Yongsan-gu (Mayor Seong Chang-hyun) is recruiting 11 companies to move into the Yongsan Youth Startup Support Center (located at 63-70 Hangangno 3-ga) to discover and nurture young entrepreneurs with excellent ideas.
The center spans 710 square meters and includes startup incubation spaces, small meeting rooms, an operations office, education rooms, and community spaces. The incubation area consists of 10 two-person rooms, 7 four-person rooms, and 8 open seats, designed to accommodate various companies.
Applicants must be aged 20-39, either prospective startups or early-stage companies established within three years of the announcement date. The business registration headquarters must be registered or relocated to the Yongsan Youth Startup Support Center. Applicants residing in Yongsan-gu for over a year receive additional points. Those restricted by financial institutions due to credit delinquency, business suspension, closure, or environmental pollution are excluded.
Benefits include startup space provision, free management fees during the residency, mentoring, networking, and incubation program support. Rent and deposit vary by space size, with a maximum annual rent of 900,000 KRW and deposit of 720,000 KRW as of 2020. Open spaces have no rent or deposit. The lease term is one year, extendable up to three years after review.
The announcement was made on September 13, with applications accepted until October 3. Applicants must submit the residency approval application and business plan via email to the Sookmyung Women's University Campus Town Project Group. For details, contact the project group.
The project group will conduct document screening, presentation evaluation, and operation committee review in October, announcing results on the 19th. Contracts and move-in begin November 1.
The center has produced startups like Abu Hakim (CEO Yoo Deok-young) and Lemon Box (CEO Heo Se-wook), which achieved over 100 million KRW in sales in 2020.
Mayor Seong Chang-hyun of Yongsan-gu said, “Despite COVID-19, companies with unique business items and technologies continue to grow,” and pledged, “We will continue supporting young entrepreneurs to actively develop business items and pioneer markets in the new normal era.”
Gangdong-gu (Mayor Lee Jeong-hoon) operates the open art gallery 'Sometimes a Gallery; A Moment of Flutter' in the district office, currently hosting its third exhibition this year.
Since March last year, the district has transformed the office corridors into exhibition spaces, allowing residents to enjoy culture and arts nearby without visiting distant galleries. The gallery has become a representative healing space in Gangdong-gu, comforting residents during the COVID-19 era.
This year's theme is 'Coexistence 共存 coexistence,' with each floor of the main building exhibiting sub-themes: 'Abstract/Representational' (2nd floor), 'East/West' (3rd floor), 'Photography/Painting/Sculpture' (4th floor), and 'Coexistence' (5th floor). The exhibition shows the importance of living together through the harmony of individuality and diversity in artworks.
The third exhibition features 50 works by active Korean contemporary artists including Gu Chae-yeon, Kim Seon-su, Song Seung-ho, Song Ji-yeon, Oh Man-cheol, Lee Dong-yeon, Lee Taek-geun, Jang Sang-chul, Jeon Jong-cheol, and Jo Jae-ik, available until January 9 next year.
Mayor Lee Jeong-hoon of Gangdong-gu said, “This exhibition resonates with the 'coexistence' of Gangdong residents who embrace and support neighbors during difficult times,” and added, “We hope the open gallery becomes a gift-like space offering hope and comfort.”
Gangseo-gu, Seoul (Mayor Noh Hyun-song) is actively working to create a gender-equal community.
The district announced it will hold a 'Gender Equality Content Contest' until October 15 to raise residents' awareness and form social consensus on gender equality.
The contest is divided into three categories: photography, webtoons, and videos (UCC), open to anyone interested in gender equality regardless of region or age.
Content topics include ▲gender equality in schools, workplaces, homes, daily life, and media ▲breaking gender role stereotypes, work-family balance, everyday gender equality cases ▲prevention of domestic violence, sexual violence, dating violence, and cyber sex crimes.
Photos must be 1920×1080 pixels (FULL HD) in JPEG format. Webtoons can include single-panel cartoons, illustrated diaries, posters, etc., with a minimum width of 1200 pixels (approx. 15 cm) in JPEG format. Videos must be under 3 minutes, with a resolution of at least 1920×1080 pixels in MP4 format.
Each participant may submit only one work, which must be sent with an application form and pledge to the designated email.
Details and application forms are available on the Gangseo-gu website under News Plaza → Notices/News.
A judging committee of internal and external experts will conduct two rounds of evaluation, selecting one grand prize, one best award per category, and one excellence award per category, totaling seven winners, who will be notified individually in November.
Winners receive certificates and cash prizes: 1 grand prize of 1 million KRW, 3 best awards (one per category) of 200,000 KRW each, and 3 excellence awards (one per category) of 100,000 KRW each.
The district plans to actively use winning works for public relations to spread gender equality awareness. Mayor Noh Hyun-song said, “Although awareness has improved, there are still shortcomings,” and encouraged participation to move closer to a gender-equal society.
Seongbuk-gu (Mayor Lee Seung-ro) is committed to creating a clean and safe home environment for children.
The district will provide 'Home Clinic Disinfection Services' to 30 households with poor residential environments among Dream Start case-managed children to prevent COVID-19 infection and pest infestations.
To this end, Seongbuk-gu signed an agreement with a professional disinfection company and plans to provide services until November. Expert consultants will visit homes to disinfect contaminated and pest-prone areas and offer guidance on maintaining cleanliness, providing integrated solutions for residential environment improvement.
Mayor Lee Seung-ro stated, “Although initially targeting 30 households with poor environments among Dream Start case-managed children, we plan to expand the service to ensure all children in Seongbuk-gu grow up safely and healthily.”
Additionally, through Dream Start, the district offers various tailored services such as health checkups and vaccinations, dental treatment, eyeglass support, and physical activities (taekwondo, ballet) to promote healthy growth and development of vulnerable children.
Seocho-gu (Mayor Cho Eun-hee) has operated the 'Umbrella Repair Center,' a self-sufficiency project of the Seocho Regional Self-Sufficiency Center (located in the basement of Seocho-gu Yangjae Comprehensive Social Welfare Center), since 2003, the first of its kind nationwide, repairing over 150,000 umbrellas and receiving high praise from residents.
This averages about 700 umbrellas repaired monthly. Despite reduced operating hours during last summer's monsoon season due to COVID-19, over 1,000 umbrellas were repaired monthly, providing residents with practical services.
The umbrella repair project, part of Seocho-gu's self-sufficiency initiatives, provides jobs to socially vulnerable individuals capable of working but facing employment difficulties, helping them acquire skills to support themselves while recycling resources, making it an environmentally friendly green project.
Since 2020, the center has operated as a self-sufficiency project team rather than a public work project, offering jobs to low-income individuals with work ability, boosting their motivation for self-sufficiency and supporting employment. Currently, six part-time workers receive ongoing professional training in umbrella repair skills.
The Seocho-gu Umbrella Repair Center operates Monday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Anyone can bring umbrellas with broken locks or ribs for free repair. More information is available on the Seocho-gu Regional Self-Sufficiency Center website, and inquiries can be made to the Seocho-gu Social Welfare Division.
Mayor Cho Eun-hee of Seocho-gu said, “The center has long provided opportunities for vulnerable groups to become self-sufficient and contributed to resource recycling by saving many umbrellas,” and pledged, “We will actively develop self-sufficiency projects to help vulnerable residents become independent.”
Yeongdeungpo-gu (Mayor Chae Hyun-il) has installed and operates dedicated ice pack collection boxes in apartment complexes to promote resource circulation culture and reduce household waste.
Since July last year, the district has designated a compartment of the 'Open Sharing Box' installed at 18 neighborhood community centers as an ice pack collection box and established an ice pack sharing workshop inside the Yeongdeungpo Resource Circulation Center to start the ice pack reuse project.
Over about a year, approximately 102,000 ice packs were collected through the sharing boxes. After collection, washing, and sterilization by the Yeongdeungpo Regional Self-Sufficiency Center, about 88,000 like-new ice packs were distributed free of charge to local traditional markets, small business owners, and welfare institutions.
This reduced about 48 tons of household waste and helped establish a local resource recycling culture and raise residents' environmental awareness.
Requests from apartment residents for ice pack collection boxes have increased, and the project was selected as a pilot project for cooperative governance in Yeongdeungpo-gu in 2021, accelerating production of dedicated collection boxes.
From August 10 to 17, an online survey was conducted to select the design of the collection boxes, with 1,067 residents participating, showing strong interest and enthusiasm for installation and resource circulation.
A demand survey targeting apartment management offices was conducted from August 18 to 24 to identify complexes wishing to install boxes, focusing on those with high ice pack output and strong demand.
As a result, 60 dedicated collection boxes were installed across 18 apartment complexes, including Dangsan-dong Gangbyeon Raemian Apartments and Singil-dong Hillstate.
The boxes measure 45×45 cm in width and depth and 1 m in height, featuring a blue background with white polar bears, penguins, and seals, making them easily noticeable from a distance.
The district plans to continue production, installation, and management of collection boxes, aiming to install them in all apartment complexes in Yeongdeungpo-gu as part of the 2022 community innovation plan.
Besides the ice pack reuse project, the district actively promotes various resource circulation initiatives such as the 'Used Goods Store' where the Yeongdeungpo Recycling Practice Support Group directly sorts recyclables, the 'GoGo Challenge' anti-plastic campaign, transparent PET bottle-to-volume-based waste bag exchange, and recycling quality improvement support (resource management helpers).
Mayor Chae Hyun-il of Yeongdeungpo-gu said, “The installation of dedicated ice pack collection boxes is expected to greatly enhance residents' interest in resource circulation culture and sustainable environmental ecosystems,” and pledged, “We will continue to strengthen measures to reduce household waste, promote resource recycling, and protect the environment.”
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