[Seoul District News] Sangye Jugong 15 Complex 'Garden of Happiness' Created Through This Year's Vacation Project Wins Both Grand Prize and Special Award; Sangye 1-dong Residents' Autonomy Association and Junggye-dong Social Welfare Facility 'The Home' Gardens Receive Encouragement and Seedling Awards Respectively... Gwanak-gu Wins Top Prize in 2021 National Local Government Disability Welfare Project Evaluation... Yongsan-gu Selects 3 Outstanding Public Officials for Active Administration in Second Half of 2021 (Top: Yu Yangwan, Excellent: Jeong Ejin, Encouragement: Kim Minho)... Gwangjin-gu Receives Ministry of the Interior and Safety Award in 'Subsidy24 Local Government Evaluation'
[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Nowon-gu (Mayor Oh Seung-rok) won a total of four awards, including the grand prize in the public-private cooperation category and a special award given by Seoul citizens, at the ‘2021 Green City Seoul Awards Contest.’
The Green City Seoul Awards is an awards ceremony hosted by Seoul City that annually selects and honors outstanding cases of creating gardens in living spaces such as individual homes, apartment complexes, and alleys to improve the urban environment.
Nowon-gu’s Sanggye Jugong 15 Complex ‘Happy Garden,’ which won the grand prize in the public-private cooperation category, received the highest evaluation in terms of resident participation, landscape, and greening level. Additionally, it was selected as the ‘Beautiful Garden’ by direct citizen voting, receiving a special award simultaneously.
Furthermore, the garden created by the Sanggye 1-dong Residents’ Autonomy Committee won the encouragement award, and the garden of ‘The Home,’ a social welfare facility in Junggye-dong, won the Seedling Award, resulting in three gardens in Nowon-gu sweeping four awards.
This achievement reflects the district’s commitment to pursuing green rest spaces in daily life. Nowon-gu enacted the ‘Ordinance on the Creation and Promotion of Garden Culture in Nowon-gu, Seoul’ in 2018 and has been striving to create a healing city with rest.
Especially this year, the district implemented the Rest (休) Garden project in a total of 12 complexes, including Sanggye Jugong 15 Complex. Each complex received 22 million KRW for design and construction costs, encouraging residents to actively participate from planning to design, construction, and planting. As a result, idle spaces within the complexes were transformed into beautiful green spaces and centers of community life.
Additionally, professional village gardeners with expertise in landscaping were assigned by zones to assist residents in garden maintenance, helping strengthen community bonds and resident activities, leading to a virtuous cycle of spreading garden culture and increasing interest in green spaces.
The district plans to continue securing sufficient green spaces as resting places for residents and to promote various park and green space projects to allow residents to enjoy a rich green culture.
Moreover, the district created healing towns by zones to allow residents to enjoy nature close to home, utilizing regional characteristics. In particular, the Bulamsan Healing Town project was selected as the ‘2021 Best District Policy Supporting My Life’ by Nowon-gu residents, receiving great response from the community.
Oh Seung-rok, Mayor of Nowon-gu, said, “The proportion of green spaces in daily life is a very important factor that determines quality of life. We will continue to create healing spaces where residents can encounter nature and rest in their daily lives and persistently carry out green space projects including the Rest Garden project.”
Gwanak-gu (Mayor Park Jun-hee) won the grand prize in the ‘2021 National Local Government Disability Welfare Project Evaluation.’
Hosted by the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the ‘National Local Government Disability Welfare Project Evaluation’ is conducted annually to review the achievements of local governments nationwide in disability welfare and to discover and spread excellent cases.
This evaluation consisted of quantitative assessments in three areas?support for disabled persons’ independence, support for disabled persons’ services, and disability welfare delivery system?covering 10 items, as well as qualitative assessments including excellent policy projects and cases.
Particularly, it quantified overall disability welfare matters such as support and response systems for vulnerable groups who faced difficulties during COVID-19.
The evaluation targeted 41 cities, counties, and districts recommended by provinces, and through a review by an evaluation committee composed of experts from disability organizations and academia, 11 outstanding local governments were selected. Gwanak-gu was the only district in Seoul to be selected.
The district has actively promoted more systematic and leading disability welfare policies under the vision of ‘Inclusive City Gwanak Responsible for a Better Life for Disabled Persons.’
It received high evaluations for its prompt response to changes in the disabled population structure and welfare paradigm, striving to provide customized services considering local characteristics, disabled persons’ needs, and environment.
Examples include the nation’s first electric wheelchair-only driving practice center, integrated care for solitary disabled persons using artificial intelligence (AI), and support for vehicle usage fees for wheelchair users, focusing on user-centered services and improving quality of life for disabled persons.
Additionally, based on an excellent community network, the district strengthened community integration care and eliminated welfare blind spots by gathering opinions from various groups through integrated public-private case meetings, local welfare councils, and rehabilitation council meetings.
Furthermore, during the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic, it provided emergency care services and non-face-to-face online services, and made notable efforts to reduce the digital divide for disabled persons in the untact era by enhancing digital capabilities to help them escape online exclusion.
A district official said, “We will continue to strive so that disabled persons can live healthy and equal lives as neighbors without distinction from non-disabled persons, firmly establishing Gwanak as a ‘Top Welfare City Together.’”
Yongsan-gu (Mayor Seong Jang-hyun) selected three ‘Outstanding Public Officials for Proactive Administration’ for the second half of 2021.
The awardees are Yoo Yang-wan (41), administrative officer of the Regional Economy Team, Job Economy Division (Grand Prize), Jung Eui-jin (female, 41), head of the Home Treatment Task Force Team, Administrative Support Division (Excellence Award), and Kim Min-ho (37), administrative officer of the Administrative Civil Service Team, Wonhyo-ro 1-dong (Encouragement Award).
◆ Communication Master Revitalizing Itaewon Commercial District
Yoo Yang-wan, who marked his 17th year in service this year, was honored as an outstanding proactive public official for leading the ‘Itaewon Commercial District Revitalization Project.’
Due to the sharp rise in rent and the impact of COVID-19, drastic measures were needed to revive the Itaewon commercial district.
Yoo launched the Itaewon Commercial District Revitalization Promotion Group, consisting of 17 members including merchants, landlords, residents, and officials, and worked hard to induce commercial district recovery through merchant-tailored project discovery and joint cooperation.
Projects included the Star Shop Project, selecting and nurturing prospective entrepreneurs by linking vacant stores in Itaewon with benevolent landlords (20 locations); the Our Neighborhood Store Artterior Project, matching stores in the Itaewon Tourism Special Zone with local artists to improve interior and exterior design (40 locations); and the Smart Pilot Store applying smart technology to enhance store competitiveness (57 locations), serving as catalysts for commercial district recovery.
Separately, the district provided a total of 5.2577 billion KRW in support funds for small business owners affected by COVID-19, including Yongsan-type Alley Commercial District Survival Funds, Seoul Economic Vitality Funds, and support funds for closed small businesses.
Yoo said, “There was an urgent need to create a communication channel as opinions between Itaewon merchants and landlords diverged. We will strive to develop the revitalization promotion group into a model of coexistence and cooperation between merchants and landlords.”
◆ COVID-19 Vaccination and Home Treatment Management
Jung Eui-jin, a 20-year veteran nurse public official, was selected as an outstanding proactive public official for ‘Active Response to Vaccination and Home Treatment Patient Management.’
Jung managed the COVID-19 vaccination call center, monitored adverse reactions post-vaccination, and handled home treatment tasks, efficiently working to prevent infectious disease spread according to rapidly changing government quarantine guidelines.
The vaccination call center, established in April, provided phone reservation services for elderly seniors who had difficulty booking online, supporting timely vaccination guidance and reservations by target group, handling about 170,000 pre-reservations and 72,000 health consultations by the end of September.
To respond swiftly to severe adverse reactions after vaccination, the district established an organic cooperation system with Seoul Soonchunhyang University Hospital and guided compensation for adverse reaction victims, with 95 people receiving support.
Since home treatment was promoted in October, Jung has led a dedicated team managing home patients’ health and urgent hospital bed allocation.
Jung said, “It has been tough for the team to handle COVID-19 response work without specific guidelines, adapting to the situation. I am grateful to the staff who worked hard together.”
◆ Creating Rest Areas in Chronic Illegal Dumping Complaint Zones
Kim Min-ho, a 6-year administrative public official, resolved resident inconvenience by transforming a chronic complaint area plagued by large waste dumping into a rest area.
The location was 23-16 Singye-dong (river area), with 40㎡ out of a total 583.340㎡ plot. In April, the district established an environmental maintenance plan for the river area and cooperated with the Resource Circulation Division to conduct joint illegal waste cleanup.
Boundary surveying to determine the rest area scope was handled by the Construction Management Division; the Road Division created a pedestrian environment by paving sidewalks; and the Parks and Greenery Division developed the rest area.
Since the issue was difficult to resolve at the neighborhood level and had caused complaints for years, the cooperation of four district office departments was actively led to solve it.
The selection of outstanding proactive public officials follows the ‘2021 Yongsan-gu Proactive Administration Implementation Plan.’ The district established related policies in March, proceeded with candidate recommendations, performance verification, and selection committee meetings.
Outstanding officials receive incentives such as mayoral commendations, highest grade performance bonuses, priority selection for overseas training, and priority assignment to recreational facilities.
Additionally, the district plans to improve organizational culture through various methods including operating a proactive administration committee, selecting and promoting key proactive tasks, and protecting proactive officials (pre-consultation and exemption).
Seong Jang-hyun, Mayor of Yongsan-gu, said, “A small flap of a butterfly’s wings can cause a tremendous wind on the other side of the earth. Small changes in the public service will bring great benefits to residents, so we will strive to spread a culture of proactive administration.”
Gwangjin-gu (Mayor Kim Seon-gap) was selected as an excellent local government in the basic local government category in the ‘2021 Subsidy24 Local Government Evaluation’ hosted by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety.
Subsidy24 is a service that allows users to check and apply for various benefits provided by the government and local governments at a glance. The government service was launched in April, and the local government service was launched on December 16.
This evaluation assessed the achievements and performance since the first implementation of the Subsidy24 service this year, targeting 243 local governments nationwide.
Gwangjin-gu scored highly in all four evaluation items: leader’s interest, service provision performance, proactiveness for nationwide service launch, and efforts for self-promotion.
As a result, along with Dongjak-gu in Seoul and Goseong-gun in Gyeongnam, it won the encouragement award, receiving a commendation from the Ministry of the Interior and Safety and securing a special grant of 20 million KRW. Only 12 institutions, including top and excellent local governments, were awarded.
Subsidy24 can be accessed with a single login through ‘Government24,’ a portal integrating government policy information. It provides personalized services and finds hidden benefits. Digital vulnerable groups can visit local community centers to receive guidance equivalent to online services.
Kim Seon-gap, Mayor of Gwangjin-gu, said, “We are pleased to successfully operate Subsidy24, an integrated platform that allows checking policies for a happy life at a glance, and to receive an award. We will make every effort to promote and establish the service so that residents do not miss out on benefits and rights they deserve.”
Eunpyeong-gu (Mayor Kim Mi-kyung) announced on the 21st that it has been designated as a ‘Stage 2 Women-Friendly City’ by the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family.
This year, the district established an administrative foundation for gender equality policies and strengthened public-private cooperation systems, earning the honor of being re-designated as a women-friendly city.
A ‘Women-Friendly City’ refers to a local government that promotes a gender-equal environment by ensuring equal participation of women and men in local policy processes, empowering women, and realizing care and safety. This year, among 50 local governments applying for designation, the Ministry selected 8 for Stage 1, 16 for Stage 2, and 5 for Stage 3.
Since being designated Stage 1 in 2015, Eunpyeong-gu has pursued various projects centered on five goals: establishing a foundation for gender equality policies, expanding economic and social participation, enhancing community safety, creating a family-friendly environment, and strengthening community activity capacity.
In the area of expanding economic and social participation, the district has continuously operated specialized education funded by the district to connect education completion to employment. This year, it opened an ‘AI Annotator Training Course’ to enter the 4th industrial revolution, attempting to improve occupational segregation by gender.
It also expanded public elementary care through women’s safety support projects and neighborhood care centers, establishing a village-centered care system. Particularly, through active participation and activities of local women such as 100-person roundtable meetings, women’s policy forums, human rights debates, and the creation of the Imalsan Gungnyeomyo theme trail, the foundation for advancing to Stage 2 women-friendly city was laid.
Eunpyeong-gu plans to expand the achievements of Stage 1 by linking local resources and implementing projects such as job capacity-building programs, establishing a safety net that residents can feel, and discovering niche care areas. The district envisions creating a ‘gender-equal city of coexistence based on respect and inclusion’ together with the public and private sectors.
Kim Mi-kyung, Mayor of Eunpyeong-gu, said, “The Stage 2 designation as a women-friendly city is the result of steady efforts by administration and residents to spread gender equality values despite difficulties caused by COVID-19. We will actively work to reflect and establish a culture of gender equality throughout policies so that Eunpyeong-gu can grow into a ‘Women-Friendly City’ where not only socially vulnerable but all residents are happy.”
Dongdaemun-gu (Mayor Yoo Deok-yeol) Dementia Safety Center won the grand prize in the specialized project competition category at the 2021 Dementia Management Project Performance Evaluation hosted by Seoul City with its specialized project ‘My Friend Aria Care Smart Home by My Side.’
The 2021 Dementia Management Project Performance Evaluation was held targeting 25 autonomous districts in Seoul, including memory friend leaders and volunteer groups, dementia public guardianship competitions, autonomous district specialized project competitions, and family support project excellence presentations. Dongdaemun-gu Dementia Safety Center won the grand prize in the specialized project category, and occupational therapist Jang Kyung-soon received the Seoul Mayor’s Commendation.
The district received high evaluations for promoting a new type of dementia management service for elderly people with mild cognitive impairment or dementia in the non-face-to-face era through the IoT-based ‘Artificial Intelligence Speaker Aria.’
The ‘Artificial Intelligence Speaker Aria’ is a smart device that not only enhances cognitive function but also provides emotional support services and links with emergency rescue systems, allowing users to live and be managed in daily life. By introducing ‘Artificial Intelligence Speaker Aria,’ Dongdaemun-gu Dementia Safety Center formed a smart zone at home, solving the blind spots in dementia care and contributing to qualitative improvement in integrated dementia management by establishing an on-site close monitoring system.
Yoo Deok-yeol, Mayor of Dongdaemun-gu, said, “I am very pleased that the Dementia Safety Center, which actively supports dementia prevention and severity reduction services for the elderly in the region, received such a good evaluation. We will continue to develop and introduce various programs such as ‘Home-Tube Value’ and ‘My Friend Aria Care Smart Home’ and do our best in dementia prevention and management that fits the changing times.”
Dongdaemun-gu Dementia Safety Center supports integrated dementia management services including early screening, prevention registration, cognitive health programs, and prevention awareness projects for local residents’ dementia disease management and prevention, including specialized projects.
Gangdong-gu (Mayor Lee Jung-hoon) announced that it installed smart crosswalks in school zones to create a safe commuting environment.
Earlier, in September, the district installed voice guidance auxiliary devices (4 locations in school zones) and intersection alert devices (3 locations in school zones) as part of the smart crosswalk project. This time, it newly and additionally installed LED floor signals, runway-type crosswalks, and intersection alert devices.
The ‘LED floor signals’ installed at 16 school zones in the district are LED floor-type pedestrian signals linked with pedestrian signals. When the crosswalk signal changes, the floor signals installed on the sidewalk change simultaneously.
They can be easily recognized even by pedestrians looking at their smartphones, preventing pedestrian safety accidents in advance. Reflecting the social change of increasing smartphone use among elementary students, the installation in school zones has received positive responses from schools and parents.
Additionally, ‘runway-type crosswalks’ with embedded guide lights at regular intervals were installed at 32 locations including school zones to enhance driver visibility at crosswalks with high pedestrian accident risk.
Moreover, intersection alert devices that detect vehicle approach were installed at 10 school zones located on non-signal side roads with high traffic accident risk.
The ‘intersection alert device’ operates with continuous yellow flashing during the day to remind drivers to be cautious when entering intersections, aiding safe driving. At night, it detects vehicle headlights approaching the intersection and lights red warning lights on the left and right sides of the vehicle to alert drivers and pedestrians, preventing traffic accidents.
Lee Jung-hoon, Mayor of Gangdong-gu, said, “The district has been steadily working to improve safe commuting environments, and we expect the installation of smart crosswalks to contribute further to creating a safe pedestrian environment. We will continue to expand the installation of traffic safety facilities and do our best for the safety of children and pedestrians.”
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