Yongsan-gu Operates Weekend Temporary Vaccination Center for Foreigners

[Seoul District News] Yongsan-gu Pfizer Vaccination on Oct 16 (1st) and Nov 6 (2nd), Applications Accepted Until 8th at Ichon and Itaewon Global Village Centers... Dongdaemun-gu Operates Non-face-to-face Resource Circulation Education Program Led by Local Environmental Activists... Gwangjin-gu Conducts Welfare Blind Spot Survey Due to Prolonged COVID-19... Nowon-gu Creates Bulamsan Healing Garden... Mapo-gu Distributes Massage Chairs to 155 Senior Centers... Gwanak-gu Launches ‘Euncheon Maru’ Resident Shared Facility in Euncheon-dong... Seongdong-gu, Eungbong Intersection, Janghanpyeong Station Intersection, Tenshill A

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the proportion of confirmed COVID-19 cases among foreigners, which was 9.0% of all patients from August 1 to 7, nearly doubled to 16.2% from September 19 to 25, increasing almost twofold in 50 days. From September 19 to 25, the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases per 100,000 foreign residents in Korea was 208, about nine times higher than the average for Koreans (23 cases).

Yongsan-gu (Mayor Seong Jang-hyun) will operate temporary weekend vaccination centers for foreigners on October 16 and November 6.

This is to increase the lower vaccination rate among foreigners compared to Koreans. The temporary vaccination centers will operate from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., staffed by 18 personnel including doctors, nurses, interpreters, and guides. The vaccination targets are unvaccinated foreigners aged 18 and over, and those wishing to be vaccinated can apply by October 8 via email to the Ichon and Itaewon Global Village Centers.

The vaccine used will be Pfizer. The first dose will be administered on October 16, and the second dose on November 6, with a three-week interval.

The district vaccination center is located in the planning exhibition room of Yongsan Art Hall (150 Noksapyeong-daero). Covering a total area of 1,150㎡, it includes spaces for filling out medical questionnaires and waiting, computer verification, medical examination and vaccination, and monitoring for adverse reactions. It operates on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Since July, the district has also encouraged proactive testing among foreigners. Foreigners who undergo COVID-19 testing receive 10 KF masks per person as part of the so-called ‘One-Ten-Hundred’ campaign aiming to test 100 people. Those who visit the Ichon or Itaewon Global Village Centers within a week of testing and show their test result text message can receive masks.

Additionally, the district uses social media, its website, text messages, emails, and mail to provide real-time COVID-19 information to foreigners in the area. Last month, a joint campaign encouraging vaccination and proactive testing among foreigners was held in Itaewon, Hannam-dong, and Haebangchon, drawing attention.

Seong Jang-hyun, Mayor of Yongsan-gu, said, “If everyone works together, we can overcome COVID-19 faster. We have deployed interpreters and will operate weekend temporary vaccination centers, so we hope many foreigners will participate in vaccination.”

Dongdaemun-gu (Mayor Yoo Deok-yeol) will operate a non-face-to-face resource circulation education program with residents for one month starting from the 13th to spread the zero-waste movement aimed at reducing daily waste and to build consensus on environmental protection.

This non-face-to-face resource circulation education program is hosted by Dongdaemun-gu and organized by the community group Dokkomari. It consists of assignments designed to change daily habits, including topics such as ‘Zero Waste, What is Zero Waste?’, ‘Carbon Story at the Dining Table’, ‘Waste if Discarded, Resource if Used Well’, and ‘The Earth is Sick Because of Waste’.

Any resident of Dongdaemun-gu can participate free of charge, and 20 participants per session will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis until the 12th. Residents wishing to apply can register by sending a text message to the operator of the community group Dokkomari.

The education will be conducted online via ZOOM in six non-face-to-face sessions, and all applicants will receive a zero-waste kit.

Yoo Deok-yeol, Mayor of Dongdaemun-gu, said, “This education is especially meaningful as it is led by local environmental activists discovered and nurtured by Dongdaemun-gu, tailored to the local environment amid the surge in disposable product use due to the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic. We hope it will be an opportunity to share awareness of waste issues with residents and to practice reducing disposable product use.”

Gwangjin-gu (Mayor Kim Seon-gap) will conduct the 5th welfare blind spot survey in 2021 targeting vulnerable groups facing difficulties due to the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic.

The survey, running until November 5, will focus intensively on 1,315 households expected to face difficulties in livelihood, medical care, housing, employment, and health due to the impact of COVID-19.

Targets are selected based on conditions such as self-employed individuals who have closed or suspended businesses due to COVID-19, unemployed daily workers, recipients of unemployment benefits, those delinquent on health insurance or communication bills, financial delinquents, households rejected for basic livelihood security or emergency welfare applications, among others.

When a target household is identified, services will be provided by linking public and private welfare resources, and depending on the circumstances, public support such as emergency welfare or basic livelihood security benefits will be offered. For households with complex issues, integrated case management will be applied to ensure continuous customized welfare services.

The district has conducted four welfare blind spot surveys up to August this year, helping 2,304 households receive practical assistance.

Kim Seon-gap, Mayor of Gwangjin-gu, said, “We continue to identify welfare blind spots to firmly build care systems disrupted by COVID-19 and to find socially isolated residents to overcome crises together. We will do our best to provide early help to vulnerable groups through meticulous management and active surveys.”

Prior to this, the district has operated on-site investigation teams to find households in need and has conducted surveys on informal temporary housing facilities through a public-private cooperation system involving the local community security council and neighborhood welfare helpers.

Nowon-gu (Mayor Oh Seung-rok) announced the creation of ‘Bulamsan Healing Garden’ within Bulamsan Healing Town to safely and enjoyably experience the four seasons of Bulamsan Mountain.

The ‘Bulamsan Healing Garden,’ covering 1,300㎡, is an outdoor garden located behind the greenhouse caf?.

The district focused on designing the garden to allow visitors to feel the beautiful nature of Bulamsan throughout the seasons from the planning stage.

Considering the flow connecting to the greenhouse caf?, rest decks and multi-parasols were installed in the viewing point zone to maximize the view of Bulamsan, and no structures were built in front to ensure an unobstructed natural view of the mountain.

A lawn yard was created in front of the viewing point zone. It is expected to become a space where children, who lack places to run freely, can imagine playgrounds, soccer fields, and more.

Guardians can rest at the greenhouse caf? and viewing point zone while watching their children at a glance. The district plans to use the lawn yard for various small-scale music and art programs to satisfy residents’ cultural needs.

Perennial flower beds were planted around the lawn yard. Perennial flower beds refer to perennial herbaceous plants commonly seen around us. Plants such as roses, lilies, astilbe, gaura, tail grass, large purslane, and silver grass were planted to provide seasonal variety. Next to the perennial flower beds, a hydrangea garden centered on mountain and tree hydrangeas was created. This will soothe the disappointment after the azaleas in the Healing Town’s azalea hill fade.

Walking trails were also improved. Wooden stairs were added to connect down to a nearby valley stream. The space connecting to Nowon Garden Support Center preserved existing exposed rocks as much as possible, and a slope was installed beside it to allow strollers and wheelchairs to pass. Various trees, herbaceous plants, and evergreens were planted along the trails to harmonize with existing vegetation.

‘Bulamsan Healing Town’ was reborn as a comprehensive healing complex starting with the ‘Bulamsan Butterfly Garden’ in 2018, where butterflies can be observed year-round. It features ▲‘Azalea Hill’ with 100,000 azalea bushes in spring ▲a 2.1km ‘Barrier-Free Circular Trail’ accessible by wheelchairs and strollers ▲a 10m-high ‘Bulamsan Elevator Observatory’ allowing visitors to reach the summit by elevator ▲a ‘Forest Healing Center’ with foot baths and sensory healing rooms in the city ▲Seoul’s first garden support center, ‘Nowon Garden Support Center,’ and the greenhouse caf? ‘4rest,’ making it a popular spot for all ages.

Oh Seung-rok, Mayor of Nowon-gu, said, “This area, once left as an empty lot, has been reborn as a playground where children and adults can run freely and a resting place to enjoy the scenery of Bulamsan through the creation of Healing Town. I hope it becomes a great comfort to residents exhausted by the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic.”

Mapo-gu (Mayor Yoo Dong-gyun) announced plans to distribute massage chairs to 155 public and private senior centers in the district to promote the health of elderly residents.

The district explained that by providing massage chairs in senior centers, which serve as leisure spaces for the elderly, it aims to alleviate the lethargy caused by the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic and support a vibrant old age.

The distribution of massage chairs to senior centers, with a total project cost of 348.75 million KRW, began on the 23rd of last month with 13 centers and will continue sequentially until the 8th, providing one chair per center.

The massage chairs supplied automatically recognize body shape and provide optimized three-dimensional massages tailored to individual body types. They also feature a brain massage program to help relax the brain.

To select suitable massage chairs for senior centers, a product evaluation meeting was held with elderly residents to understand their needs. After an evaluation committee review, Bodyfriend was selected as the supplier.

On the 1st, Yoo Dong-gyun, Mayor of Mapo-gu, visited Yeomni Samsung 2nd Senior Center and Seongsan 1-dong 2nd Senior Center, where the chairs had been installed, to hear seniors’ feedback on using the massage chairs and suggestions for improving senior centers amid the COVID-19 situation.

At the event, Lee Young-yong, chairman of Yeomni Samsung 2nd Senior Center, said, “The moment I sit down, the massage chair embraces me and presses the needed areas refreshingly, relieving fatigue. In these COVID times when there are few places to go, I am grateful to Mapo-gu for providing massage chairs, making visits to the senior center enjoyable.”

Additionally, the district conducts monthly disinfection of senior centers by professional companies to prevent the spread of COVID-19 infections.

Yoo Dong-gyun, Mayor of Mapo-gu, said, “Seeing the brightened expressions of the elderly using the massage chairs feels like my own fatigue is relieved. We will continue to work hard in various ways to improve the welfare of seniors using the centers.”

Gwanak-gu (Mayor Park Jun-hee) is progressing smoothly with the demolition work for the site of ‘Euncheon Maru’ (18-1 Euncheon-ro 9-gil and two other parcels), a community facility for residents being built in the Euncheon-dong urban regeneration area.

‘Euncheon Maru’ was conceived to secure a foundation for community activities and meet local residents’ demand for community spaces as part of the Euncheon-dong Urban Regeneration New Deal project.

With a total project cost of 5 billion KRW, the facility will have two basement floors and four above-ground floors, covering a total floor area of 730㎡. The basement floors 1 and 2 will house exercise facilities and multipurpose rooms; the first floor will be a community space; the second floor will have care facilities; the third floor will be for education and office spaces; and the fourth floor will be a rest area.

In June, a final space planning proposal was prepared through workshops with the resident council and local residents. Demolition work began in October, with basic and detailed designs scheduled for completion by the end of this year. Construction is planned to start in February next year and be completed by August.

The name ‘Euncheon Maru’ was selected through a public contest to highlight the purpose, function, vision, and meaning of the community facility, making it easy for residents to understand and participate.

The name combines ‘Euncheon,’ the neighborhood name, with ‘Maru,’ a pure Korean word meaning ‘summit’ or ‘top’ and a familiar living space, symbolizing a friendly and top-notch space where Euncheon-dong residents can always visit, interact, and rest.

Guro-gu (Mayor Lee Sung) has installed a new public restroom near Mokgamcheon Mokgamgyo Bridge (4 Gaebong-ro) for residents’ convenience.

The area around Mokgamcheon is widely used by residents as a walking trail, but there was no restroom within 2 km between Mokgamgyo and Gwangmyeonggyo bridges, causing inconvenience to users.

To resolve this, Guro-gu spent a total budget of 75 million KRW to start construction in July and completed it in September.

The newly installed restroom is located between the two existing public restrooms at Mokgamgyo (42 Mokgamcheon West Bicycle Path, Gaebong-dong) and Gwangmyeonggyo (258 Mokgamcheon West Bicycle Path, Cheonwang-dong). It measures 7.8 meters wide and 2.3 meters long.

To prevent crime, the district installed emergency safety bells connected to the Guro Police Station 112 control room at sinks and each stall in both men’s and women’s restrooms. LED channel signs indicating the presence of emergency bells were also attached at the entrance.

With this project, the total number of public restrooms along Mokgamcheon, Anyangcheon, and Dorimcheon in Guro-gu has increased to 13. Additionally, users can respond to emergencies via safety bells installed in all 41 public restrooms throughout Guro-gu.

A Guro-gu official said, “The new restroom greatly improves convenience for residents enjoying walks along Mokgamcheon. We will continue to manage the facilities to ensure residents can use them comfortably and safely.”

Eungbong Sageori

Seongdong-gu (Mayor Jung Won-oh) will begin full-scale traffic system improvement construction this month at major intersections and heavily congested road points in the district.

The construction sites include four locations: Eungbong Intersection, Janghanpyeong Station Intersection, near Tenshill Apartments, and the area around Gwangnaru-ro in Songjeong-dong. These points have caused significant inconvenience to drivers and pedestrians due to traffic congestion and broken pedestrian paths.

At the point where Eungbong-dong connects to Haengdang-dong, an additional crosswalk will be installed on the side where only one existed, reducing pedestrian crossing distance by about 80 meters and cutting pedestrian waiting time by over one minute.

At Janghanpyeong Station Intersection on Cheonho-daero, where there was no separate crosswalk, a crosswalk will be installed on the south side. At the Nangye-ro section in front of Tenshill 2nd Complex shopping area, where there was no U-turn lane requiring a long detour, a U-turn lane toward Cheonggyecheon will be added, greatly improving access for apartment and shopping area users.

Additionally, a crosswalk and a U-turn lane toward Hwayang Intersection will be installed around Seongdong Tax Office on Gwangnaru-ro in Songjeong-dong to enhance traffic convenience between Seongsu-dong and Songjeong-dong and improve access toward Gangnam.

Since 2018, the district has conducted more than 10 joint on-site inspections and consultations with Seoul City, Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency, and Seongdong Police Station to resolve traffic inconveniences in these areas.

Since last year, the district has been actively pursuing traffic safety facility reviews, detailed design, and coordination with related agencies, and with construction starting in earnest this month, it plans to complete the work safely by the end of the year to quickly improve residents’ traffic convenience.

Jung Won-oh, Mayor of Seongdong-gu, said, “Improving the traffic system at major intersections in Seongdong-gu will alleviate traffic inconveniences and significantly reduce accident risks. We will continue to implement traffic improvement projects targeting major points causing inconvenience to residents to create a safe and convenient Seongdong-gu.”

Eunpyeong-gu (Mayor Kim Mi-kyung) will hold the ‘26th Eunpyeong Residents’ Day Ceremony’ on the 6th at 3 p.m. via the Eunpyeong-gu Office YouTube channel and other platforms.

The district has held Residents’ Day events annually with thousands of participants. This year, due to COVID-19 prevention guidelines, the event will apply social distancing limits and be broadcast live online through the district’s YouTube channel.

The ceremony will proceed with the reading of the Residents’ Charter, presentation of the Eunpyeong Award, video congratulatory messages, and commemorative speeches. After the ceremony, a musical gala show will be performed to provide residents with inspiration and enjoyment.

Additionally, a resident participation event will be held where viewers who watch the live ceremony and leave supportive comments will be entered into a draw to win local gift certificates and other prizes.

Kim Mi-kyung, Mayor of Eunpyeong-gu, said, “Residents’ Day is a day to unite residents. This year’s ceremony is held non-face-to-face due to social distancing. I hope the online live broadcast will provide a warm time for residents to share their hearts.”

Dobong-gu (Mayor Lee Dong-jin) will designate the school routes of 15 middle and high schools as smoke-free zones starting October 1. This aims to create a safe commute free from secondhand smoke exposure and smoking imitation among students.

Since 2018, Dobong-gu has designated school routes of elementary, middle, and high schools as smoke-free zones. After designating 3 schools in 2018, 1 in 2019, and 28 in 2020, the district designated the remaining 14 schools and supplemented one previously designated school in 2021, making all 46 school routes smoke-free.

Smoke-free school routes are designated roads and sidewalks around schools within 50 meters of the school boundary that students mainly use for commuting. From August 18 to September 10, 2021, opinions from local residents and the schools were collected and reflected.

The 15 newly designated school routes will have a three-month grace period from October 1 to December 31, 2021, during which smoking will be discouraged through floor stickers, signs, and promotional banners.

Starting January 1, 2022, a fine of 100,000 KRW will be imposed for smoking on these designated school routes.

Dobong-gu operates a ‘Healthy City Cooperation Forum’ under the theme ‘Expansion and Promotion of Smoke-Free Zones to Prevent Secondhand Smoke Damage,’ mediating between smokers and non-smokers to guarantee everyone’s rights and realize a pleasant and healthy Dobong.

The district also runs a ‘Smoking Cessation Clinic’ providing counseling, nicotine replacement therapy, and commemorative gifts for six-month successful quitters upon registration.

Lee Dong-jin, Mayor of Dobong-gu, said, “With this designation, all school routes of elementary, middle, and high schools in the district are now smoke-free. We will continue to protect students from harmful environments and provide various supportive services for smokers, creating smoking cessation policies that satisfy everyone.”

A fairy tale festival for children in Gangseo-gu will be held online.

Seoul’s Gangseo-gu (Mayor Roh Hyun-song) announced that it will hold ‘A Fairy Tale Journey Online’ on the 16th to provide various experiences and enjoyment to local children tired from the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic and to encourage them to become more familiar with books.

The event includes performances, quiz contests, and hands-on activities. It is planned to be held online and non-face-to-face to prevent COVID-19 infection.

At 10 a.m. on the 16th, the magic drawing family play ‘Doodle Pop,’ which received acclaim at the Edinburgh Festival in the UK, will be presented. ‘Doodle Pop’ is a performance inspired by children’s doodling and drawing, combining drawing, media art, and music for the whole family to enjoy.

The main performance will be available for viewing on the Gangseo-gu Office YouTube channel from 10 a.m. on the 16th until 6 p.m. on the 18th.

A real-time ‘Family Quiz Show’ combining reading and quizzes will also be held. Participants read the selected books for the ‘One Library One Book’ project in Gangseo-gu, “The Virus of the Future Comes” and “The Happy Journey of Garbage.” Families with excellent scores will receive prizes.

Any family with elementary school children who are members of the Gangseo Integrated Library can participate after pre-registration. Each of the eight libraries has prepared various hands-on programs, including ▲Making solar-powered cars ▲Making glass bottle lamps ▲Making wooden trays ▲Making D폼 blocks clocks, among 16 different activities using various materials. Applications are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis via the Gangseo Integrated Library website. More details are available on the website.

Jung-gu, Seoul (Mayor Seo Yang-ho) announced that it will hold a special event at the Dongdaemun Buyer Lounge for four days from the 5th to the 8th to revitalize Dongdaemun fashion and support traditional market wholesalers’ online sales channels.

The event targets Dongdaemun merchants and first and second-generation influencers affiliated with the Buyer Lounge. Four expert instructors will conduct lectures on online marketing, smart store operation, and live commerce practical strategies at the Dongdaemun Buyer Lounge (4th floor, DDP Fashion Mall). The lectures will also be live-streamed on YouTube for anyone to watch.

On-site lectures will accept three teams per day (four people per team) on a first-come, first-served basis from Dongdaemun merchants and second-generation influencers. Participants will receive one-on-one customized live broadcast training from live commerce specialist company IMI Networks. Through this training, participants will learn how to produce and conduct live broadcasts and receive coaching on their broadcasting styles and habits.

Influencers wishing to participate can select their preferred date and make reservations on the Naver reservation page ‘Buyer Lounge.’

Visitors who take commemorative photos at the Buyer Lounge photo zone and post them on social media will receive various souvenirs.

The Dongdaemun Buyer Lounge is a multi-purpose fashion community space operated by Jung-gu, supporting connections between Dongdaemun wholesalers and domestic and international buyers, providing equipment and space rental for live commerce production, and product photography.

It also serves as a showroom exhibiting excellent products from Dongdaemun Market and promoting specialized brands, as well as a business meeting space. The Buyer Lounge is available free of charge through the Naver reservation page.

Mayor Seo Yang-ho said, “This event is expected to enhance accessibility and understanding of Dongdaemun fashion for influencers affiliated with the Buyer Lounge and provide a good opportunity for Dongdaemun merchants to enter online sales channels. We also hope it becomes a place for close exchange between influencers and merchants.”

Seongbuk-gu (Mayor Lee Seung-ro) residents of Jongam-dong have stepped up to address the urgent need for blood donations amid low interest and participation due to COVID-19.

The Jongam-dong Residents’ Autonomous Committee will hold the ‘Jongam-dong Resident Blood Donation Day’ event on October 13 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the 3rd floor Iyuksa Hall of the Jongam-dong Community Center.

The blood donation event started in 2017 and is now in its 6th year, organized by the Jongam-dong Residents’ Autonomous Committee and hosted by its Health and Welfare Subcommittee.

This year’s event is especially meaningful as residents lead efforts to support local blood supply amid the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic and resulting blood supply crisis.

Lee Byung-han, chairman of the Residents’ Autonomous Committee, said, “Through Jongam-dong Blood Donation Day, we hope to contribute even a little to the blood supply shortage worsened by COVID-19 and ask for residents’ interest and participation in the noble act of blood donation that saves lives.”

The event will be conducted safely by accepting reservations in advance to limit the number of participants per time slot, adhering to social distancing and personal hygiene rules to prevent COVID-19 infection. Blood donation certificates voluntarily donated by residents after donation will be given to places in need such as Korea University Hospital and the Korea Blood Cancer Association.