[Seoul District News] Family Participates in Sponsorship for the 4th Time with Seventh Child Birth Draws Attention... Park Seong-su, District Mayor, States “Songpa, Seoul’s No.1 in Births, Committed to Creating a Child-Friendly Environment”... 100 Working Youth in Gwanak-gu Start Saving with 'Euddeum Gwanak Youth Account'... Guro-gu Holds 2022 Online College Admission Information Session... Yangcheon-gu Choir Delivers Deep Emotion with Music Choir Video 'Majung' Reflecting Ordinary Life... Nowon-gu Promotes 'Human Rights Week' to Reflect on Human Rights Together... Seocho-gu Launches New Metaverse
Park Seong-su, Mayor of Songpa District, is giving a greeting speech at the 'One Company, One Multi-Child Family' signing ceremony held at Songpa District Office on November 8, 2019. Following last year, the district individually delivered the partnership certificates to companies and families this year instead of holding a signing ceremony due to COVID-19.
[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Park Seong-su, Mayor of Songpa District, has launched an initiative called ‘One Company, One Large Family Connection’ to ease the childcare burden for families with four or more children and foster a community atmosphere of shared parenting.
Mayor Park stated on the 7th, “We will do our best to create a child-friendly city in Songpa by joining forces with local businesses and organizations.”
‘One Company, One Large Family Connection’ is a program where local companies and organizations form partnerships with families having a fourth or subsequent child and provide monthly childcare support of 100,000 KRW for one year.
Since 2012, Songpa District has continued this partnership to cultivate positive values regarding childbirth and childcare and to raise social interest. As a result of annual partnerships, 144 companies and organizations have participated, supporting 250 families with a total of 306 million KRW.
Due to COVID-19, this year, like last year, the partnership certificates were mailed to companies and families instead of holding a ceremony.
In its 10th year, the partnership includes nine companies such as Baekje Red Ginseng, Korea Forest Service Central Association, Daemyung Welfare Foundation, Serving and Sharing Association, Seoul Private Taxi Association Saemaeul Geumgo, Shinil CM, Songpa District Oriental Medicine Association, Songpa Goeunbit Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Korea Health Management Association Seoul Gangnam Branch, supporting 15 families with a total of 18 million KRW.
This year, there are 13 families with four children, one family with five children, and notably, a family with seven children. The parents of the seven-child family, participating for the fourth time due to the birth of their seventh child this year, shared, “The annual support and warm interest have been a great help in raising our children.” Additionally, companies that had previously participated have continued their partnerships with large families, bringing more heartwarming news.
Park Seong-su, Mayor of Songpa District, expressed gratitude to the companies and organizations that actively supported large families despite the ongoing COVID-19 situation, saying, “We will continue to unite with the community to realize ‘Happy Parents and Children in Songpa.’”
Songpa District ranks first among Seoul’s 25 autonomous districts in the number of births (3,791 in 2020) and is implementing various projects to create a child-friendly environment. In July, it opened its 103rd district-run daycare center, the most in Seoul, operates the largest number of Seoul city babysitters, and provides night emergency care services, all to support childbirth and childcare.
Gwanak District (Mayor Park Jun-hee) announced that it has confirmed 100 new participants for the 2021 ‘Excellent Gwanak Youth Savings Account,’ which doubles the saved amount, and will begin savings.
The ‘Excellent Gwanak Youth Savings Account’ is a youth savings program aimed at asset formation and self-reliance support for working youth facing difficulties such as tuition and housing costs. Gwanak District was the first among Seoul’s autonomous districts to implement this program last year.
Participants who consistently save 100,000 KRW or 150,000 KRW monthly for two or three years receive an earned income subsidy matching their savings from the district, plus additional interest from partner banks.
For example, saving 150,000 KRW monthly for three years results in a total of 5.4 million KRW saved by the participant, matched by 5.4 million KRW from the district, totaling 10.8 million KRW, plus additional interest from partner banks.
Last year, 60 participants were selected; this year, the number has increased to 100 to provide more youth with saving opportunities, and another 100 will be selected next year.
Selected participants must sign agreements and open savings accounts by the 15th, then start saving the first installment on December 1. The district will verify savings and begin the first earned income subsidy at the end of December.
A district official said, “We hope the ‘Excellent Gwanak Youth Savings Account’ becomes a valuable opportunity for youth struggling with housing costs, employment difficulties, and student loans to take a step closer to their dreams,” adding, “We will actively support more youth to realize diverse dreams.”
For more details about the ‘Excellent Gwanak Youth Savings Account,’ contact the Youth Policy Division of Gwanak District Office.
"Winning Strategy for Regular Admissions! We will be your guide!"
Guro District (Mayor Lee Seong) will hold an online college entrance regular admissions briefing session for the 2022 academic year.
Guro District announced on the 7th, “We have prepared this briefing session to help examinees and parents establish proper college entrance strategies during the main preparation period after the CSAT. To prevent COVID-19, the session will be pre-recorded and released online.”
The briefing will be available on the 17th at 9 a.m. via the YouTube channel ‘Guro District Office Broadcasting Center’ and the district website. Examinees can watch at their convenience.
Lee Chi-woo, head of admissions evaluation at Visang Education, will lecture on ▲CSAT scoring result analysis ▲major university recruitment guidelines for regular admissions ▲features and success strategies for regular admissions, and answer pre-submitted questions.
The briefing materials can be downloaded as electronic files from the district website.
From the 13th to the 30th, Guro District will also operate a special counseling period for regular admissions preparation. Current and former teachers from the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education’s university guidance team will provide one-on-one customized counseling based on CSAT score reports and school records.
Counseling can be chosen online or offline and applications are accepted via the Guro Learning Support Center website. The program is limited to the first 70 applicants.
A Guro District official said, “We hope this regular admissions support program helps examinees achieve their desired results.”
After two years of COVID-19, the preciousness of meeting familiar faces in daily life has grown, and the Yangcheon District Choir (Conductor Kim Ki-yong) has produced a choral music video that is receiving great love from residents.
To comfort residents and public officials exhausted by COVID-19, the Yangcheon District Choir collaborated with ‘Yangcheon Voice,’ a local male vocal ensemble active for four years since its founding in 2018, to produce a music video for the song ‘Majung’ (Meeting), which was uploaded on the official Yangcheon District YouTube channel “Yangcheon TV” on the 1st.
The music video features an omnibus-style drama depicting everyday “meetings,” such as a father greeting his daughter after school, a pet dog welcoming its owner home, and a mother welcoming her discharged soldier son, capturing attention.
According to Yangcheon District, the choir and Yangcheon Voice ensemble have been working together since September for over three months, coordinating everything from singing to choreography and drama filming to convey the message of overcoming COVID-19 by going out to meet ordinary life together.
The video features Hwang Hee, Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, participating as a member of Yangcheon Voice, performing solo and bass parts. Minister Hwang said, “I did my best to soothe residents’ hearts through song,” adding, “It was an opportunity to reflect on my role in empathizing with the joys and sorrows of the people through ‘culture.’”
Kim Ki-yong, conductor and chief director of the Yangcheon District Choir, who previously delivered a comic and unique charm with the ‘Old-fashioned Love Song’ music video last summer, said, “This time, I planned it to provide great emotion by soothing residents’ hearts with our choir’s emotional voices.”
Residents commented, “The beautiful harmonies seem to heal the gloomy feelings caused by COVID-19,” and “It reminded me of loved ones and gave me a gentle emotional experience. I hope daily life recovers soon so I can see familiar faces.”
Kim Soo-young, Mayor of Yangcheon District, said, “Although the COVID-19 spread continues and everyone is going through a difficult time, I hope we overcome this crisis together and welcome the day when we can joyfully meet daily life again.”
Nowon District (Mayor Oh Seung-rok) announced that it will designate the second week of December as Human Rights Week and promote various events.
This is to commemorate the 73rd anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on December 10 and to cultivate sensitivity to human rights and spread a culture of respect for human rights.
First, a free human rights film screening will be held on the 9th. To prevent COVID-19 spread, the number of viewers is limited to 60 per session, with two sessions in total. The venue is Lotte Cinema Nowon.
The first screening at 10 a.m. features a film directed by Lim Seon-ae (69), which won the ‘KNN Audience Award’ at the 24th Busan International Film Festival, receiving high praise from audiences. Based on a true story, the film reflects on the position of elderly female victims of sexual assault in our society.
The second screening at 3 p.m. is the film ‘CODA.’ CODA refers to a child born to deaf parents. The protagonist Ruby, the only hearing member of her family, acts as a bridge between the world and her family. The film lightly addresses the conflict between pursuing her dreams and the responsibility she feels toward her family.
Following this, the Human Rights Travel Concert ‘Searching for What I Want to See More Than Stars’ will be held on the 10th at 3 p.m. in the district office’s second-floor auditorium, with about 50 participants.
Led by Yang Jeong-hoon, editor-in-chief of Art Travel, writer, and human rights lecturer, the event includes a human rights talk concert and performances by singer-songwriters Jeon Yoo-dong and Bok Da-jin, offering a time for reflection on human dignity.
Participation in the free film screenings and human rights travel concert is on a first-come, first-served basis and limited to those who have received their second COVID-19 vaccine dose at least 14 days prior.
For participation and more details, contact the district office’s Audit Officer.
Since 2019, the district has been establishing the ‘Nowon District Human Rights Protection and Promotion Basic Plan’ annually and implementing various projects to create a happy human rights city where all residents enjoy human rights.
This year, to enhance disability sensitivity, all employees watched the film ‘School Road,’ experiencing social conflict cases surrounding people with developmental disabilities in a vivid way rather than through simple lectures.
Oh Seung-rok, Mayor of Nowon District, said, “While we know that others’ human rights are as important as our own, it is not easy to find time to think about human rights due to busy schedules,” adding, “We will continue to expand opportunities to cultivate sensitivity to human rights.”
Eunpyeong District (Mayor Kim Mi-kyung) will hold the ‘2021 Eunpyeong Human Rights Forum’ on December 10 at 3 p.m., focusing on women’s human rights. The forum will be broadcast live on Eunpyeong District Office’s YouTube channel.
The theme of the 2021 Eunpyeong Human Rights Forum is ‘Eunpyeong Women, Human Rights and Well-being.’ The district organized this forum to foster a culture where women’s human rights are guaranteed and respected in the community and to explore policy and practical tasks.
Previously, the district conducted a survey on human rights status among 500 women in Eunpyeong. The forum will share the survey results and gather opinions, aiming to communicate with all citizens interested in human rights beyond regional boundaries.
The forum will begin with a welcome speech by the district mayor. Part 1 includes topics such as ▲2021 Eunpyeong Women’s Labor reviewed through counseling cases ▲Digital sex crime prevention activities and future tasks ▲Eunpyeong District women’s policy overview and women-friendly city ▲Review of Eunpyeong District’s autonomous regulations for women’s human rights protection and promotion. Part 2 will report on the survey results of women’s human rights in Eunpyeong.
Mayor Kim Mi-kyung said, “To reduce the perception gap on gender equality between classes, active communication channels in the community are necessary. I hope this forum becomes a place for discussion to share and deliberate on women’s human rights status and various challenges.”
Anyone interested can participate in the forum via Eunpyeong District Office’s YouTube channel. For further inquiries, contact the Eunpyeong Human Rights Center.
Seocho District and the Seocho Cultural Foundation have established the metaverse platform ‘Seoripul Z Live Town,’ where the activities of the future-oriented youth artist development project ‘Seoripul Z Live with Metaverse’ can be viewed at a glance.
‘Seoripul Z Live with Metaverse’ is the nation’s first project matching youth artist performance teams with metaverse creators, providing opportunities for youth artists to perform using the Metaverse platform and enhance future readiness.
On the 6th, the newly created ‘Seoripul Z Live Town’ on the metaverse platform Gather.Town allows visitors to move through virtual spaces via avatars and explore the results of ‘Seoripul Z Live with Metaverse.’ Notably, visitors can view ▲performance videos by youth artists and ▲team-specific metaverse promotional halls.
The district selected six youth artist teams through a public contest. They performed non-face-to-face shows at local cultural spaces such as Banpo Simsang Art Hall and Seoripul Youth Art Gallery, which were broadcast on the Seocho Cultural Foundation’s YouTube channel. The performance videos attracted over 65,000 cumulative views, drawing significant interest. Especially, the screening of performance videos on the metaverse platform ifland provided a unique experience of enjoying performances together in a virtual space.
Additionally, through one-on-one matching between the six youth artist teams and youth creators, team-specific metaverse promotional halls reflecting each team’s personality were created and released on the ZEPETO platform. From November 19 to December 3, visitor numbers to each promotional hall will be counted, and the top two teams with outstanding results will receive separate awards.
The link to visit ‘Seoripul Z Live Town’ on the Gather.Town platform can be found in the announcements section of the Seocho Cultural Foundation website.
Kwon Mi-jung, Director of the Culture and Tourism Division, said, “This ‘Seoripul Z Live with Metaverse’ project has been an important opportunity for talented youth artists to grow by discovering their abilities and providing chances to challenge and strengthen skills through new platforms,” adding, “We will continue meaningful youth artist support projects that envision the future of art through various platforms.”
Seongdong District (Mayor Jung Won-oh) will hold the family festival ‘Dad, Lee Jung-seop’ featuring convergent art play on the 11th.
At the Creative Art Playground of the ‘Seongdong Ai Sarang Complex Cultural Center,’ which opened in July, the district has prepared a family experience program with about 100 participants centered on the painter Lee Jung-seop.
Like the painter Lee Jung-seop, who especially missed his family and created artworks using silver foil from cigarette packs, families will draw each other’s faces on metal boards in a ‘Silver Foil Painting Experience.’ There will also be a story-driven performance with narration and traditional Korean music performed by a professional gugak ensemble.
Traditional play areas such as ‘Gate Play’ and ‘Fox, Fox, What Are You Doing?’ will be available for group play, along with a ‘Kids Talk Concert’ with the district mayor. Children participating in the ‘Little Music Concert Kalimba in My Hand,’ which uses the African thumb piano to heal the heart, will have the opportunity to perform carols and classical pieces they have practiced for their families and friends.
The district conducted a demand survey for programs targeting children visiting the Creative Art Playground. Last month, programs such as ‘Emotional Art Experience with Sand Art,’ where participants express emotions using sand and create their own stories, and the ‘Little Music Concert Kalimba in My Hand,’ which greatly helps heal the heart, were offered. Both programs were highly popular, with applications closing within an hour.
The Seongdong Ai Sarang Complex Cultural Center has a total floor area of 1,292.51㎡ and a building area of 458.55㎡, with four floors above ground. Each floor is equipped with various facilities such as a music kids studio, shared childcare space, digital art zone, art play zone, media art zone, and multipurpose hall, providing a cultural experience center where families can enjoy, learn, and participate together.
The district plans to continue offering various cultural and artistic experiences and peer activity programs centered on the Seongdong Ai Sarang Complex Cultural Center to help children develop artistic sensitivity and social skills to grow into future talents.
A parent participating in the program said, “Parents of elementary school children will understand the proposition that opportunities to experience culture and arts in the surrounding environment are proportional to children’s creativity,” adding, “Through the Seongdong Creative Art Playground, we are satisfying various literary needs.”
Jung Won-oh, Mayor of Seongdong District, said, “I hope children play one instrument each and experience various activities such as theater, media, music, and art through the Creative Art Playground programs,” adding, “I hope Seongdong children grow into creative, flexible leaders with open minds through the special power of culture and arts.”
How about taking a world tour following classical melodies at the end of this year?
Gangseo District, Seoul (Mayor Noh Hyun-song) announced it will hold the 160th online Knowledge Vitamin lecture themed ‘Classical World Tour.’
This lecture was prepared to bring vitality and fun to residents’ daily lives, which have been difficult to enjoy properly due to COVID-19. Notably, violinist Cho Yoon-beom, known as the ‘monster of the music world’ leading classical music popularization, will serve as the commentator.
Cho will introduce and share interesting anecdotes about representative composers from various countries, including ▲Handel (UK, Germany) ▲Saint-Sa?ns (France) ▲Dvo??k (Czech Republic, USA) ▲Pachelbel (Germany) ▲Brahms (Germany, Austria) ▲Elgar (UK).
Along with fascinating musical stories by country, the string quartet ‘Quartet X,’ consisting of Cho Yoon-beom (first violin), Yang Seung-bin (second violin), Hong Sung-won (viola), and Lim I-rang (cello), will perform, enriching the lecture with fantastic performances.
Residents wishing to watch can participate without prior registration on the Gangseo District Office YouTube channel from the 9th to the 18th for 10 days. The event is free of charge.
A district official said, “The classical journey around the world narrated by an expert will offer new inspiration,” adding, “We hope it becomes a time to comfort tired daily lives and hearts as the year ends.”
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