Guro-gu Installs Customized 'Guro-type Smart Poles' for Child Protection Zones

[Seoul District News] Operation of 'Integrated Safety Smart Poles' at 4 Locations Including Mirae, Cheonwang, Oryunam Elementary Schools and Samsung Daycare Center; 7 More to Be Added This Year... Seongdong-gu Hosts '4 Colors 4 People Seongdong Celebrity Lectures'... Seongbuk-gu Provides Sexual and Domestic Violence Prevention Training for Grade 5+ Managers... Gwanak-gu Holds Integrity Pledge Event for New Public Officials... Seongbuk-gu Releases 'Seongbuk Village Archive' Materials Commemorating the 575th Hangeul Day... Gwangjin-gu Installs QR Code-Based Promotional Paving Blocks for District Administration

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Guro-gu (Mayor Lee Sung) is installing ‘Guro-type Smart Poles’ at four child protection zones to enhance children's pedestrian safety and crime prevention.

The ‘Guro-type Smart Pole’ is an integrated smart safety system that prevents traffic accidents and crimes simultaneously. It integrates functions such as crime prevention, illegal dumping prevention, traffic safety, and Wi-Fi into a single pole, resulting in budget savings by avoiding redundant installations and improving urban aesthetics.

Considering regional characteristics, Guro-gu has produced and installed three types of customized smart poles: ‘Integrated Safety Smart Poles’ in child protection zones, residential-type ‘CCTV Smart Poles’ on residential backstreets, and urban-type ‘Streetlight Smart Poles’ along main roads.

The locations equipped with child protection zone customized ‘Integrated Safety Smart Poles’ include eight sites at Mirae Elementary School, Cheonwang Elementary School, Oryu Nam Elementary School, and Guro Samsung Daycare Center. Traffic signs, illegal parking enforcement, and crime prevention CCTV functions are integrated into a single pole. A pedestrian signal voice guidance device is also installed, which emits warning sounds if pedestrians jaywalk or cross the stop line during a red light.

Applications for the ‘Smombie Prevention App’ are also accepted for nearby school students. Upon consent from students and parents and installation of the app, a message saying ‘Be careful with your smartphone while walking’ appears when crossing the street.

Guro-gu invested a total budget of 400 million KRW to install the smart poles at four child protection zones starting in March this year and completed the installation in September. Additional installations are planned for seven more child protection zones within the year.

In 2019, through close cooperation with the Guro Police Station, Guro-gu became the first local government nationwide to install residential-type ‘CCTV Smart Poles’ on residential backstreets with high crime risk. Last year, two ‘Integrated Safety Smart Poles’ customized for child protection zones were installed at Shinmirim Elementary School, and five urban-type ‘Streetlight Smart Poles’ were installed along main roads such as Gyeongin-ro.

By the end of this year, Guro-gu plans to install a total of 90 regionally customized ‘Guro-type Smart Poles.’ To this end, a total budget of 3.75 billion KRW, including national and city funds secured through the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport’s ‘Smart City Solution Expansion Project’ contest, will be invested.

Meanwhile, Guro-gu has also installed ‘Smart Alimi’ devices in areas with traffic safety risks such as crosswalks without traffic lights and blind spots at intersections. A total of 17 ‘Smart Alimi’ devices are currently operating, mainly in areas with heavy pedestrian and vehicle traffic such as child protection zones.

Seongdong-gu (Mayor Jung Won-oh) will hold the ‘Seongdong Celebrity Lecture Series’ from the 14th of this month to the 6th of next month.

This lecture series, prepared to give hope and wisdom to residents weary from the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic, will be held four times under the theme ‘Recovery of Daily Life, Preparing for the Future.’

Topics popular among residents, such as overcoming COVID-19 and preparing for future society, were selected, and four distinguished figures with expertise and knowledge were invited to share their professional fields and life know-how.

On the 14th, under the theme ‘Precious Me,’ cooking researcher Lee Hye-jung, widely known as ‘Big Mama’ through numerous TV programs, will discuss ways to love oneself. On the 19th, Pyo Chang-won, a 20th National Assembly member and a profiler known for his excellent criminal psychology analysis and upright image, will give a lecture titled ‘Finding Happiness through Understanding Human Psychology,’ aimed at encouraging residents psychologically exhausted by COVID-19.

On the 28th, Professor Park Hyun-ah of Seoul Baek Hospital, who is popular for delivering health and medical information in an easy-to-understand manner, will present ‘Protecting Our Family’s Health from COVID-19,’ offering essential health management methods for today’s era. On November 6th, Professor Kim Sang-gyun of Kangwon National University will lecture on the ‘Metaverse,’ a 3D virtual reality technology in the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, to enhance residents’ understanding of future technology.

The lectures will be held offline with 20 participants per session through prior registration, allowing direct interaction with the lecturers, and simultaneously broadcast live online via Seongdong-gu Office’s YouTube channel.

Participation applications can be made through Seongdong-gu Office’s integrated reservation system. Among online participants on the day, 50 will be selected by lottery to receive beverage gifticons, and three offline questioners will receive the lecturer’s book or two beverage gifticons.

Seongdong-gu Mayor Jung Won-oh said, “This celebrity lecture series, which has been well received by residents in the past, provides an opportunity for residents to recover their daily lives and prepare for the future,” adding, “I hope it will be a chance to empathize and recover through communication with lecturers on various topics.”

Seongbuk-gu (Mayor Lee Seung-ro) conducted ‘Sexual Violence and Domestic Violence Prevention Education’ for senior officials at grade 5 and above. The education was held on the 5th at Seongbuk-gu Office’s multipurpose hall, attended by Mayor Lee Seung-ro, deputy mayor, and department heads, to foster sound sexual awareness and human rights sensitivity.

Seongbuk-gu requires all employees to complete sexual violence and domestic violence prevention education. This year, separate education was conducted for managers at grade 5 and above, including agency heads.

The education was led by Yoo Jung-heun, director of the Gender Sensitivity Improvement Education Center, focusing on enhancing managers’ gender sensitivity and their roles and responsibilities in case of sexual violence within the organization, under the theme ‘Sexual Violence and Domestic Violence Prevention Education from a Gender Perspective.’

Mayor Lee Seung-ro said, “Continuous education will cultivate gender sensitivity and correct perceptions of violence, creating a mutually respectful organization. I also hope managers will lead by example to spread a healthy and fair organizational culture.”

Jungnang-gu (Mayor Ryu Kyung-gi) held a one-day special lecture titled ‘Neighborhood Learning Center Multiple Values’ with local residents on the 5th.

This event was organized to introduce lifelong learning programs to residents and promote the Neighborhood Learning Center project. The ‘Neighborhood Learning Center’ project utilizes idle spaces as learning spaces for residents, enabling participation in lifelong learning close to home. Currently, the district operates 128 customized courses for residents at 16 Neighborhood Learning Centers, the most among Seoul’s autonomous districts.

The special lecture included laughter therapy classes to invigorate the gloomy daily life caused by COVID-19 and digital guide classes on QR codes and kiosks.

Jungnang-gu Mayor Ryu Kyung-gi said, “Through Neighborhood Learning Centers, people of all ages can quench their thirst for learning near their homes,” adding, “We will create a solid lifelong learning environment so that learning does not end as a one-time event but leads to continuous activities.”

Yongsan-gu (Mayor Sung Chang-hyun, right) and Yongsan Police Station (Chief Park Joo-hyun) signed a business agreement on the 5th to protect socially vulnerable groups.

This was arranged to strengthen community safety cooperation in the era of autonomous police and establish a joint cooperation system to eradicate crimes against socially vulnerable groups.

The signing ceremony was held in the 4th-floor conference room of Yongsan Police Station and proceeded with opening, introduction of guests, greetings from heads of both organizations, signing of the agreement, and commemorative photo session.

Going forward, both organizations will actively cooperate in ▲establishing a dedicated response system for socially vulnerable groups ▲installing facilities to inspect and prevent illegal filming to eradicate sex crimes ▲welfare cooperation for protection and support of sex crime victims ▲monitoring child abuse and domestic violence and linking with specialized agencies ▲implementing policy projects targeting socially vulnerable groups such as children and women.

Before the ceremony, Yongsan Police Chief Park Joo-hyun said, “We will work as one team with Yongsan-gu Office to protect socially vulnerable groups and maintain local security.”

In July, the government fully implemented the autonomous police system, allowing local governments to command and supervise areas closely related to residents’ lives, such as life safety, traffic, protection of socially vulnerable groups, and basic order violation enforcement. The aim is to enhance safety by providing resident-centered police administrative services through active cooperation between local administration and police administration.

Yongsan-gu Mayor Sung Chang-hyun said, “In the era of autonomous police, we signed this agreement with Yongsan Police Station to strengthen the protection system for socially vulnerable groups,” adding, “We will strive harder to eradicate crimes against socially vulnerable groups such as sexual violence, domestic violence, and child abuse, and to protect the safety of 300,000 Yongsan residents.”

Nowon-gu (Mayor Oh Seung-rok) announced that it will hold an exhibition and experience event themed on the picture book ‘It’s Good to Come Out’ at four youth centers.

The event aims to provide opportunities for comfortable cultural experiences in everyday spaces to comfort youth and local residents exhausted by the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic.

The planned exhibition will be held at four youth centers: ▲Meetup Center (Wolgye 2-dong), ▲Arcade (Junggye 2,3-dong), ▲Hakuna Matata (Sanggye 3,4-dong), and ▲Hilkkum Hilkkum, Kkeullim (Sanggye 6,7-dong) until October 31.

The theme is the picture book ‘It’s Good to Come Out’ by author Kim Joong-seok. The book narrates episodes of Lila and Dochi, who have different personalities, going camping together. The exhibition and experience event allows participants to become the book’s protagonists, feel the camping atmosphere, and relieve the frustration caused by COVID-19.

Each youth center will host various events such as ▲‘Picture Book Illustration Exhibition,’ ▲‘Photo Zone’ based on episodes from the book, and ▲‘Postcard Writing and Coloring’ themed on the picture book.

An online exhibition experience allowing non-face-to-face viewing will also be operated. Additionally, on October 16, a ‘Meeting with Author Kim Joong-seok’ will be held, where participants can hear various stories related to the picture book, draw as an author, and create and exhibit their own works.

To prevent COVID-19, the exhibition and experience sessions are limited to three times a day (1:00 PM, 2:30 PM, 4:00 PM) with prior reservation.

Experience applications can be made for free through the Nowon-gu Youth Center blog. The first 2,000 applicants will receive experience kits. More details are available on the Youth Center blog and each center’s website.

Meanwhile, the district empathizes with the need for youth-exclusive spaces where adolescents stressed by excessive competition and academic pressure can find psychological stability and recovery. It is expanding youth centers utilizing idle spaces such as underground passages. Currently, five centers operate, each designed with unique spaces such as band practice rooms, dance rooms, and book cafes, reflecting youth opinions.

Nowon-gu Mayor Oh Seung-rok said, “I hope this exhibition themed on a picture book will provide healing opportunities for youth and local residents exhausted by COVID-19,” adding, “We will strive to provide opportunities for youth and residents to enjoy culture by utilizing various spaces in the region.”

Eunpyeong-gu (Mayor Kim Mi-kyung) will hold a photo exhibition titled ‘We Are Eunpyeong’ from the 6th to the 14th to commemorate the third anniversary of the 7th elected mayor’s inauguration and the 26th Residents’ Day.

This photo exhibition was prepared to deliver messages of hope and courage to residents. It vividly captures the scenes of district administration and the process of overcoming COVID-19 over the past three years of the 7th elected mayor’s term.

The exhibition will be held in the lobby on the first floor of Eunpyeong-gu Office’s main building, displaying about 50 printed photos and 400 photos in video format.

Main exhibits include ▲major sites of district administration over the past three years of the 7th elected mayor’s term ▲storytelling photos depicting COVID-19 response and overcoming process ▲Eunpyeong’s landmarks and nature (seasonal landscapes, etc.) ▲major photos of Eunpyeong’s 16 neighborhoods and media photos.

Anyone visiting Eunpyeong-gu Office can participate in the viewing. However, social distancing must be observed inside the exhibition hall according to COVID-19 prevention guidelines, and those with a fever of 37.5°C or higher will be restricted from viewing.

Eunpyeong-gu Mayor Kim Mi-kyung said, “Many things have happened over the past three years of the 7th elected mayor’s term. This photo exhibition captures Eunpyeong’s scenes before and after COVID-19, from moments of festivals and harmony with residents to the struggles after the pandemic,” adding, “I hope this exhibition will give some hope and courage to Eunpyeong residents fighting against COVID-19.”

Yongsan-gu (Mayor Sung Chang-hyun) will hold the Yongsan Art & Craft Center BI (Brand Identity) announcement ceremony at 5 PM on the 7th at the outdoor performance hall of Yongsan Art & Craft Center. Since last year, the district has been promoting the BI advancement project to concretize the future vision of the center.

The BI advancement is based on the slogan ‘A complex cultural space connecting past and present, city and city.’ The symbol, inspired by traditional knots, represents ▲organic nature of crafts ▲connectivity between cities ▲the center’s role as a stepping stone for popularizing craft culture.

The ceremony will be a small-scale face-to-face event attended by the mayor and related personnel according to social distancing levels. The program includes a progress report, awarding of merit to designers who contributed to BI design advancement, and a tour of facilities including the 4th-floor outdoor performance hall.

The district will release a sketch video of the ceremony and congratulatory performance videos on YouTube one week later. The performances include ‘Baebangi Gut’ by master singer Park Jung-wook of Seodo Sori, ‘Daegum Performance’ by Kim Jong-hwan, ‘Gyobang Dance’ by Park Kyung-ryang of Yeongnam Gyobang Preservation Society, and ‘Gyeonggi Minyo’ by intangible cultural heritage holders Choi Eun-ho and Kim Jeom-soon.

The BI advancement was completed in January and trademark rights were applied for in April. The center’s English name will also be changed to ‘Yongsan Art & Craft Center’ to better suit foreign tourists.

To commemorate the 2021 Craft Week (October 1?10), Yongsan Art & Craft Center has prepared programs.

From the 5th to the 10th, the rooftop garden, newly renovated as part of the Seoul Public Art Project, will be open with special experiences offered. Participants interested in making items such as ▲pearl rings ▲summaehwa hand mirrors ▲ceramic wind chimes ▲chilbo silver-plated brooches ▲hanji mood lamps should apply through the center’s website two days before the experience. Material costs vary by experience.

On the 9th, a traditional wedding exhibition titled ‘Centennial Marriage’ will be held. Three teams selected through a story contest on the center’s website will receive wedding dress rental, hair, makeup, photography, and frames.

Yongsan-gu Mayor Sung Chang-hyun said, “During his 18 years of exile, scholar Dasan Jeong Yak-yong gained strength from poetry and music and encouraged his children to frequently engage with the arts,” adding, “I hope people find comfort at Yongsan Art & Craft Center during these difficult times of the pandemic and endure the hardships.”

Yongsan Art & Craft Center (274 Itaewon-ro) is a traditional craft hub built in the city center in 2018. In March, the district was selected for the Seoul City?Ministry of Culture and Sports Public Art Project, receiving 160 million KRW in national funds and 40 million KRW in city funds, and on the 30th of last month, the outdoor performance hall and garden were newly renovated.

Gwanak-gu (Mayor Park Jun-hee) held an integrity pledge event for 111 new public officials taking their first steps in public service.

The event, held from August to the end of September, aimed to help new officials reflect on the meaning of integrity and use it meaningfully to spread a culture of integrity.

Each new official personally wrote an integrity pledge phrase, which was engraved on tumblers and distributed, making the event meaningful. All 111 new employees participated, enhancing its significance.

The submitted phrases included creative ideas reflecting the characteristics of newcomers, such as ‘Integrity from the budding tree,’ ‘I will only contain cleanliness,’ ‘Requests go to the trash can,’ ‘A cup a day like integrity,’ ‘A sip of integrity, a sip of happiness,’ and a witty rhyme, ‘Corruption is sweet, but integrity is proud.’

A district official said, “Each phrase is creative and fully reflects the employees’ commitment to integrity,” adding, “We hope this event will be an opportunity for all employees to reflect on the meaning of integrity.”

The district plans to continue promoting various integrity education methods tailored to different groups, moving away from uniform education, to foster an organizational culture of integrity.

Seongbuk-gu (Mayor Lee Seung-ro) and Seongbuk Cultural Center (Director Jo Tae-kwon) have released materials related to Hangul on the Seongbuk Village Archive website, a local archive.

The materials include various stories about figures closely related to Seongbuk-gu who were active in or associated with the Joseon Language Society, an organization that worked to protect and study the Korean language and script under Japanese oppression, such as Lee Geuk-ro, Choi Doo-seon, Ahn Jae-hong, Seo Seung-hyo, and Jo Ji-hoon, who served as a compilation committee member for the Hangul textbook after liberation.

Additionally, documents that rediscover the outstanding value of Hangul can be viewed. These include cultural heritage Hangul artifacts such as the ‘Research on Korean Script’ and the ‘Hunminjeongeum Haerye’ held at the Kansong Art Museum in Seongbuk-dong, and ‘Donggukjeongun,’ ‘Yongbieocheonga,’ and ‘Hongmujeongunyeokhun’ held at Korea University Central Library.

Also, the elegant and dignified calligraphy of Princess Deok-on (third daughter of King Sunjo, the 23rd Joseon king) and her son Yoon Yong-gu, whose tomb was located in Jangwi-dong, demonstrates the greatness and importance of Hangul.

Jo Tae-kwon, director of Seongbuk Cultural Center, said, “We hope the materials released to commemorate the 575th Hangul Day will increase interest in Seongbuk-gu and Hangul,” adding, “We will continue efforts to discover more stories.”

Mayor Lee Seung-ro said, “I hope the various stories related to Hangul in Seongbuk-gu, including historical figures and cultural heritage, will help reflect on the meaning of Hangul Day, and we will continue to strive to promote the value of our language and script.”

Stories and records related to Hangul in Seongbuk-gu can be found under ‘Seongbuk by Theme’ on the Seongbuk Village Archive website.

Gwangjin-gu (Mayor Kim Sun-gap) is promoting district administration using QR codes amid the expansion of non-face-to-face systems due to the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic.

Promotional QR codes have been installed at 11 locations across four sections of sidewalks with heavy foot traffic near Gangbyeon Station, Konkuk University Station, Achasan Station, and around Gwangjin-gu Office.

Scanning the QR codes connects to the ‘Gwangjin-gu Tourism Promotion Video’ on the official Gwangjin-gu Office YouTube channel. The video features Gwangjin-gu’s attractions such as Achasan, Seoul Children’s Grand Park, Konkuk University Culture Street, and Hangang Ttukseom Park.

Additionally, the official YouTube channel offers eight types of content, including ‘Good Life’ delivering valuable Gwangjin-gu news, ‘Gwangjin YouTuber’ promoted by dedicated YouTubers, and ‘Gwang(진) Ju(요소식) Ri(이미지광고)’ providing lifestyle information.

The district plans to conduct resident surveys to decide on expanding installations in the future.

Gwangjin-gu Mayor Kim Sun-gap said, “By installing QR code sidewalk blocks, we aim to actively utilize digital new deal through data linkage for district promotion,” adding, “As non-face-to-face promotion has become important during the COVID-19 situation, we will consider expansion based on residents’ responses.”

Dobong-gu (Mayor Lee Dong-jin) is promoting the ‘Emergency Escape Device Installation Support Project’ to prevent casualties in small-scale houses vulnerable to fire.

The target buildings are small-scale houses with three or more floors and exclusive area of 85㎡ or less (detached, multi-family, multiplex, townhouse, and row houses). Houses located at a height of 6 meters or more from the evacuation floor are also included to broaden support.

The district will accept applications from October 7 to November 15 and support installation of emergency escape devices for about 50 households by the end of this year, with plans to gradually expand support from next year.

Applications will be reviewed by the ‘Dobong-gu Evacuation and Rescue Equipment Installation Support Committee,’ composed of fire and architecture experts, who will conduct on-site inspections and safety evaluations to decide support eligibility. Installation costs will be fully covered by the district.

Applications can be submitted by visiting Dobong-gu Office’s Architecture Division or by filling out the application form on the Dobong-gu website and sending it via email to the person in charge (hoyojo@dobong.go.kr).

After installation, Dobong Fire Station will provide training on how to use the emergency escape device to ensure safe use during fires.

Dobong-gu Mayor Lee Dong-jin said, “Through this installation, we aim to prevent casualties in small-scale house fires and will work harder to expand support projects from next year to protect residents from fire and disaster safety.”