Four 'Eoulmaru' Village Vitality Centers to Be Established in Nowon-gu Within the Year

Doam Eoulmaru Shared Kitchen, Program Room, and Book Cafe Equipped... Serving as a Cultural Hub through Programs and Activities Linked with Nearby Schools of Wonter Eoulmaru... Junggye Eoulmaru and Hagye Eoulmaru Also Scheduled to Open by the End of November

Book Cafe

[Asia Economy Reporter Jongil Park] Nowon-gu (Mayor Oh Seung-rok) announced plans to newly establish four village vitality centers called 'Eoulmaru,' which will serve as hubs for revitalizing village communities, and to open them within the year.

'Eoulmaru' is a ‘village vitality center’ space created and operated directly by residents using idle local spaces. Its main goal is to foster a local community culture through enhanced communication among residents.

The first to open will be Doam Eoulmaru (Sanggye 3·4-dong), which has completed its final interior inspection and will open in early November. It utilizes a vacant 134.98㎡ space on the second floor of the Doam Senior Citizens’ Center.

The main areas include ▲a ‘book caf?’ where anyone can enjoy fragrant tea and books ▲a ‘program room’ for learning various knowledge ▲a ‘shared kitchen’ where everyone can cook together.

In particular, the program room and shared kitchen are connected by folding doors to allow for expanded use.

Originally, a typical community room was planned, but at the residents’ request?believing that cooking and sharing meals together would promote neighborly friendship?the shared kitchen was created.

The Doam Eoulmaru Operating Committee, composed of residents, expressed regret over the increasing tendency of single-person households to rely on delivery food and stated plans to expand opportunities for communication across various age groups through cooking classes and other programs using the shared kitchen.

Wonteo Eoulmaru (Sanggye 6,7-dong) is also in the final stages of construction. It covers a total area of 119㎡ and is located within Wonteo Neighborhood Park.

Primarily designed with a book caf? and program room, this center reflects the opinions of the Residents’ Autonomy Committee, who hoped to emphasize diverse program activities for residents and children, as Shinsang Middle School and Sangsu Elementary School are nearby. A moving wall was installed to allow flexible use of the two spaces.

Additionally, large glass windows provide a full view of the park’s scenery.

Notably, Wonteo Eoulmaru is attracting attention for its eco-friendly design, including rainwater circulation, rooftop greening facilities, and electricity supplied through solar power generation.

The district also announced that two other centers?Junggye Eoulmaru (Junggye 4-dong) inside the Junggye On Village Center and Hagye Eoullim Center’s ‘Hagye Eoulmaru’?are expected to open around the end of November after finishing interior work.

Mayor Oh Seung-rok said, “Eoulmaru is a space where village experts, the residents, gather to think about the village’s development and care for each other,” adding, “We will continue to do our best to create a village full of joy and a village community culture where people can enjoy small daily happiness.”