[Seoul District News] Applications Open from 15th to 31st for 43 Households on 6th and 7th Floors · Youth Entrepreneurs Targeted: One-Person Creative Entrepreneurs, (Preliminary) Social Entrepreneurs, Prospective Startups... Yongsan-gu Produces and Distributes 2022 Yongsan Welfare Calendar... Dobong-type After-School Program Expanded in 2022... Yeongdeungpo-gu Issues Additional 10 Billion Won of ‘Yeongdeungpo Love Gift Certificates (Special Support for Commercial Recovery)’ on 14th, Launches New ‘eSeoul Love Gift Certificates’ Usable on Online Platforms from 20th... Gwanak-gu Issues 11.7 Billion Won of Two Types of Online and Offline Local Currency
[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] “We support the youth who take on challenges!”
Guro-gu (Mayor Lee Sung) is recruiting 43 households for the youth attic room (多樂房) ‘Dojeon-suk’.
Located at 70 Gyeongin-ro (Oryu-dong 360), the youth attic room was built on a 13,461.53㎡ site with 2 basement floors and 7 above-ground floors. From the 1st to the 5th floor, there are 106 general youth rental housing units, and on the 6th and 7th floors, Dojeon-suk is located.
‘Dojeon-suk’ (a house supporting the dreams of people who challenge) is a public rental housing combining affordable residential and office spaces for young entrepreneurs.
Applicants must meet all the set criteria as of the announcement date (2021.12.15.): one-person creative entrepreneurs, (preliminary) social entrepreneurs, prospective entrepreneurs, residents of Seoul who are members of a one-person household without home ownership, aged 19 to 39 (born between 1983 and 2003), and meet the standards for average monthly urban worker income and assets.
Youth entrepreneurs who meet the eligibility can focus on their startups without burden by paying affordable rent for up to 6 years (2-year lease with evaluations before contract expiration allowing two extensions).
Youth entrepreneurs wishing to apply should submit the application form, business plan, resident registration certificate and abstract, family relation certificate, and supporting documents for youth entrepreneurs via email (holmes1438@guro.go.kr) from the 15th to the 31st of this month. For detailed information on application methods and qualifications, refer to the Guro-gu Office website’s news and announcement sections.
A Guro-gu official said, “We expect Dojeon-suk, a youth-tailored rental housing, to be a driving force for housing stability and self-reliance for young entrepreneurs,” adding, “We will continue to prepare various support measures for youth challenging startups.”
Meanwhile, general youth rental housing tenants from the 1st to the 5th floor will be recruited by Seoul Housing Corporation (SH Corporation) starting December 30.
Yongsan-gu (Mayor Seong Chang-hyun) will produce 5,000 copies of the 2022 welfare calendar and distribute them to residents through community service centers in December.
This is to improve access to welfare systems for beneficiaries such as recipients of the National Basic Livelihood Security.
The calendar is an A4 size (297mm×205mm) desk calendar with 14 pages including the cover. The front side of the calendar shows the welfare payment dates of the month, verification survey schedules, government grain application deadlines, Culture Nuri Card recharge deadlines, education benefit application deadlines, and energy voucher application periods.
Living and housing benefits, single-parent family child-rearing expenses, disability pensions, and disability allowances are paid on the 20th of each month; basic pensions, child, parenting, and infant allowances are paid on the 25th. If the payment date falls on a weekend (holiday), payment is made the day before. Since payment dates are marked on the calendar, there is no need for separate inquiries.
The verification survey is a periodic check conducted by the district on welfare recipients’ residence area, household members, living conditions (income, assets), work ability, employment status, and presence of support obligors. The calendar marks regular and occasional verification survey schedules to prevent fraudulent receipt caused by missing these dates.
The back of the calendar summarizes the 2022 National Basic Livelihood Security system, major reductions and support for welfare recipients, reporting obligations, and welfare policies by situation such as for seniors, single-parent families, children and adolescents, and infants. It also shows six cultural shuttle bus routes passing through health centers, district offices, and welfare facilities.
Yongsan-gu Mayor Seong Chang-hyun said, “You have to know to get benefits,” adding, “The welfare calendar is an excellent information tool that allows vulnerable groups needing social and economic support to claim their rights themselves.”
Since 2019, the district has produced welfare calendars annually and distributed them to households receiving living and medical benefits. As of December 2021, there are about 5,000 such households. Considering this, 5,000 calendars were prepared this year, 500 more than last year.
Dobong-gu (Mayor Lee Dong-jin) will expand the ‘Dobong-type After-school Program,’ which has been steadily operated since 2017 as the first local government initiative, to 16 schools in 2022.
Accordingly, on the 10th, Dobong-gu signed new business agreements on operating the ‘Dobong-type After-school Program’ with four schools: Seoul Nuwon Elementary, Seoul Shinhak Elementary, Seoul Changgyeong Elementary, and Seoul Chodang Elementary at the Widad Hall of the district office.
To prevent COVID-19, only the minimum number of people attended the signing ceremony, including the Dobong-gu mayor and the principals of the four newly participating schools. As a result of the agreement, from March next year, the ‘Dobong-type After-school Program’ will operate in a total of 16 schools, adding these four to the existing 12.
Since February 2017, starting with the district office-school cooperation model ‘Dobong-type After-school Program,’ the district has built a system to directly operate 12 public elementary schools within the district. Currently, the program operates in 12 schools: Dobong Elementary, Banghak Elementary, Sungmi Elementary, Sinbanghak Elementary, Sinchang Elementary, Sinhwa Elementary, Ssangmun Elementary, Wolcheon Elementary, Changdong Elementary, Changwon Elementary, Gain Elementary, and Obong Elementary.
The ‘Dobong-type After-school Program’ was recognized as a UNESCO ESD official project in 2018 for discovering sustainable development education and was re-certified in July this year.
Dobong-gu Mayor Lee Dong-jin said, “Based on the achievements of the ever-evolving Dobong-type After-school Program, we plan to operate differentiated programs unique to our district to expand care and learning opportunities for students and increase satisfaction for students, parents, and schools. We ask for the school’s continued active support and cooperation.”
Yeongdeungpo-gu (Mayor Chae Hyun-il) announced that it will issue an additional 10 billion KRW of ‘Yeongdeungpo Love Gift Certificates (Special Support Gift Certificates for Commercial Recovery)’ on the 14th and launch a new ‘e-Seoul Love Gift Certificate’ usable on online platforms on the 20th to boost sales of small business owners struggling due to COVID-19.
The special support gift certificates to be issued this time have the same usage and benefits as the existing Yeongdeungpo Love Gift Certificates but shorten the usage period to six months from the purchase date to maximize the short-term commercial revitalization effect and adjust the monthly purchase limit per person to 500,000 KRW to allow more residents to purchase.
A 10% discount applies at purchase, and a ‘payback event’ will be held, returning 10% of the payment amount to consumers who pay with the special support gift certificates. The payback event ends when the budget is exhausted, and a maximum of 20,000 KRW can be refunded per person.
The Yeongdeungpo commercial recovery gift certificates can be purchased through more than 20 mobile applications, including Beeple Zero Pay and Check Pay, starting at 10 a.m. on December 14.
The gift certificates can be used at Zero Pay affiliated stores such as restaurants, cafes, and convenience stores in the district but cannot be used for online payments like Zero Delivery Union.
Accordingly, on the 20th at 1 p.m., the ‘e-Seoul Love Gift Certificate’ usable at 11st online shopping mall’s ‘Small Business Seoul Love Gift Certificate Online Market Exclusive Zone’ and 14 delivery apps affiliated with ‘Zero Delivery Union’ will be issued.
The total issuance amount of the ‘e-Seoul Love Gift Certificate’ is 1.64 billion KRW, and it can be purchased through mobile apps such as Beeple Zero Pay and Check Pay, just like existing gift certificates. The monthly purchase limit per person is 300,000 KRW, and a 5% discount applies at purchase.
Yeongdeungpo-gu Mayor Chae Hyun-il said, “Love gift certificates provide small business owners and self-employed people with benefits such as exemption from payment fees, and consumers receive discounts and year-end tax deduction benefits, greatly contributing to revitalizing the local economy,” adding, “We hope this additional issuance will awaken the depressed consumer sentiment and bring a warm breeze to frozen neighborhood commercial districts.”
Gwanak-gu (Mayor Park Jun-hee) announced that it will issue online and offline gift certificates to revitalize the local commercial district and increase sales of small business owners amid the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic.
The gift certificates to be issued are 10 billion KRW for offline ‘Special Support Gift Certificates for Commercial Recovery (Gwanak)’ and 1.7 billion KRW for online ‘e-Seoul Love Gift Certificates (Gwanak).’ These are local currencies derived from the ‘Gwanak Love Gift Certificates,’ which were issued in large quantities with 7-10% discounts totaling 23.1 billion KRW last year and 54 billion KRW this year, receiving great responses from residents.
First, the offline ‘Special Support Gift Certificates for Commercial Recovery (Gwanak)’ are issued to support sales of small business owners affected by the prolonged social distancing in Seoul and will be issued at a 10% discount from 12 noon on December 14.
Also, a payback event returning 10% of the payment amount up to 20,000 KRW will be held simultaneously. The purchase limit is 500,000 KRW per month, and up to 2 million KRW can be held. The certificates must be used within six months from the purchase date and can be used at Zero Pay affiliated stores in the district, excluding entertainment, luxury, and large-scale businesses.
As of the end of November, there are 15,322 Zero Pay affiliated stores in the district, expanding consumer choices. Twenty different payment apps, including Beeple Zero Pay, Post Office, and Woori WON Banking, are provided, allowing convenient mobile non-face-to-face payments suitable for the untact era.
The online ‘e-Seoul Love Gift Certificates (Gwanak)’ are issued to support small business owners whose offline distribution channels have been blocked due to increased online consumption caused by COVID-19 and will be issued at a 5% discount from 10 a.m. on the 21st.
A payback event returning 10% of the payment amount up to 35,000 KRW will be held. The purchase limit is 300,000 KRW per month, and the holding limit is 2 million KRW. The validity period is five years from the purchase date. Usage locations include the 11st small business Seoul Love Gift Certificate online market (exclusive zone) opening on December 15 and Zero Delivery Union.
Zero Delivery Union participating businesses include Dingdong, Meokkebi, BRS Burusimzero, Seoul Aebae Delivery, Nolreowayo Market (Seoul), Mamma Meokja, Romarket, Wemakeprice O, Payco Order, Delivery Secretary, and Public (00) Delivery, totaling 11 companies.
The gift certificates are issued in three types of mobile denominations: 10,000 KRW, 50,000 KRW, and 100,000 KRW. Refund criteria are full refunds possible within 7 days of purchase cancellation; partial refunds are possible if more than 60% of the face value is used, excluding discount support funds. The payback event is automatically entered for those who agree to personal information use in the payment app event on a first-come, first-served basis and ends when the budget is exhausted.
With this issuance, the total amount of local currency issued in Gwanak-gu reaches 88.8 billion KRW. As of the end of November, 57.5 billion KRW of the 77.1 billion KRW sold has been used. Usage is mainly at local small business stores such as restaurants and grocery stores, significantly contributing to the actual sales increase of small business owners affected by the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic.
For more details about the gift certificates, check the Gwanak-gu Office blog or contact the Korea Simple Payment Promotion Agency call center.
Jungnang-gu (Mayor Ryu Kyung-gi) will issue 10 billion KRW worth of Special Support Gift Certificates for Commercial Recovery starting at 10 a.m. on the 15th.
The gift certificates can be purchased at a 10% discount within a monthly limit of 500,000 KRW per person regardless of residence area through mobile gift certificate payment apps. To stimulate consumption in a short period at the end and beginning of the year, the validity period is limited to six months from the purchase date.
In particular, a payback event will be held where up to 20,000 KRW per person can be returned as 10% of the payment amount, providing an additional discount opportunity. Additionally, a 30% income deduction benefit is available, enabling more reasonable consumption.
Usage locations are the same as existing Jungnang Love Gift Certificates. They can be used at about 13,400 Zero Pay affiliated stores in the district, including traditional markets, restaurants, academies, and convenience stores. Stores can be found using the Zero Pay store finder website or the Z-MAP app.
In addition to issuing special support gift certificates, the ‘e-Seoul Love Gift Certificate’ usable only online will be issued starting at 1 p.m. on the 21st.
The e-Seoul Love Gift Certificate can be purchased with a 5% discount up to 300,000 KRW per month and used without regional restrictions at the 11st small business Seoul Love Gift Certificate online market exclusive zone and Seoul’s good delivery app ‘Zero Delivery Union.’
Jungnang-gu Mayor Ryu Kyung-gi said, “We ask for much interest in purchasing special support gift certificates that help revive our neighborhood commercial districts,” adding, “We will continue efforts to stimulate depressed consumption and revitalize the local economy.”
Seongbuk-gu (Mayor Lee Seung-ro) partnered with the Seongbuk-gu Childcare Comprehensive Support Center to hold the ‘1st Dad Childcare Golden Bell’ on the 11th.
To increase fathers’ participation and interest in childcare, the event was held online non-face-to-face. Eighty-five fathers answered various questions about childcare knowledge, Seongbuk-gu news, and childcare support policies. Despite the cold winter, the house was filled with warm energy from the fathers’ enthusiasm and the children’s bright-eyed encouragement.
One participating father said, “It was hard to study after a long time, but it was beneficial to learn a lot about childcare information and policies, and I had a good time thanks to the children’s support and encouragement.”
Seongbuk-gu Mayor Lee Seung-ro said, “I hope this event helps deepen family bonds and attachment and boosts fathers’ confidence in their roles.”
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