[Seoul District News] Seongdong-gu Forms Visiting Team on 29th to Support Vaccination for 50 Developmentally Disabled with Care Helpers... Dedicated Support for Each Recipient from Transport to Pre-screening and Completion... 'Dongjak Madang' January 2022 New Year Special Issue Published, Including District Mayor’s New Year Message and Dongjak Residents’ Wishes... Songpa-gu Hosts ‘Songpa-style Literacy’ Book Concert... Gwanak-gu Opens Applications for Gang Gam-chan Urban Agriculture Center Rental... Mapo-gu Wins Ministry of Health’s Top Welfare Award for ‘Home Care Doctor’ Program for Vulnerable Housing... Gangbuk-gu, Nae
In August, a vaccination support staff member is seen talking with a vaccine recipient at the Seongdong-gu Vaccination Center. Seongdong-gu will provide a home vaccination service for people with developmental disabilities on the 29th.
[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Seongdong-gu (Mayor Jung Won-oh) will provide a ‘one-day home vaccination service’ on the 29th for 50 people with developmental disabilities who face difficulties in getting vaccinated.
Severe disabled individuals who received their first and second doses at the Seongdong-gu vaccination center in August will now receive their third dose at a partner medical institution due to the closure of the vaccination center. Families have expressed difficulties with vaccination due to unexpected behaviors caused by unfamiliar environments or fear of injections, so the district has prepared active measures to support their vaccination.
The district formed a ‘Health Center Home Vaccination Team’ consisting of one doctor and one nurse to conduct one-day home vaccinations at the Seongdong Developmental Disabilities Lifelong Education Center and provide direct vaccination support.
Through the Parents’ Solidarity for the Disabled, 50 vaccine recipients were recruited, and 12 teachers from the Seongdong Developmental Disabilities Lifelong Education Center along with staff from the Elderly and Disabled Welfare Team at Seongdong-gu Office volunteered as helpers to ensure safe vaccination.
Based on their accumulated experience, each vaccine recipient is assigned a dedicated staff member who accompanies them throughout the entire process, from moving to the vaccination site, pre-screening, to completion of vaccination. They kindly and gently greet the individuals with developmental disabilities to help them comfortably adapt to the unfamiliar environment, actively respond to their questions, and soothe their minds with warm voices. During vaccination, with the cooperation of guardians, they assist in holding the individuals to ensure safe vaccination when movements are excessive.
Last year, the district distributed ‘Smart Insoles’ equipped with GPS-enabled Internet of Things (IoT) services to prevent the disappearance of people with developmental disabilities. It also installed sign language interpretation video phones at COVID-19 screening clinics to support communication for the hearing impaired.
In May, the district held a documentary screening titled ‘The Way to School’ for people with developmental disabilities and their parents, attended by 99 members of the Seoul Parents’ Solidarity for the Disabled Seongdong Branch, providing an opportunity for empathy with their families. Earlier this month, Seongdong-gu was the only Seoul local government to receive a plaque of appreciation at the 19th National Disabled Parents Activists Conference.
Jung Won-oh, Mayor of Seongdong-gu, said, “After seeing the plaque of appreciation from the National Disabled Parents Solidarity recently, I felt the hearts of parents striving to create a world where disabled and non-disabled people live together. We will do our best with our staff to carefully care for socially vulnerable groups and ensure no inconvenience throughout the vaccination process, not only for this developmental disability vaccination.”
Dongjak-gu (Mayor Lee Chang-woo) announced that its honorary reporters compiled ‘2021 Dongjak Stories’ that are too good to keep to themselves and published them in a special edition of the customized newsletter ‘2022 Dongjak Madang January Issue’ on the 27th.
The district moved away from uniformly delivering major policy and project information and instead had the honorary reporters directly cover stories to understand policies from the residents’ perspective and vividly convey voices from the policy field.
This issue was planned as a New Year special, featuring Mayor Lee Chang-woo’s New Year message expressing gratitude to residents who helped block COVID-19 and including ‘Dongjak Residents’ New Year Wishes’ hoping their wishes come true.
It also provides tailored policy information by life cycle and offers a comprehensive view of various changes in the district this year, such as the construction of Yongyang Bongjeojeong Park, operation of Moms Heart Cafe, and opening of Kkamangdol Library.
The newsletter ‘Dongjak Madang’ consists of 32 pages monthly, including ▲‘Feature Special’ introducing major themed policies ▲‘Vitamin’ delivering health and health center news ▲‘Live Info’ with helpful information ▲‘Now, Our Neighborhood’ introducing ongoing projects and good stories by district ▲‘Dongjak TALK’ where residents can participate through contributions, recommended books, and reader events.
Most importantly, the ‘Honorary Reporter Report’ not only delivers district news and good stories through on-site coverage by residents but also serves as a communication channel to collect residents’ opinions.
Additionally, since March 2019, the district has produced ‘Dongjak Senior News’ reflecting larger font sizes and expanded pages to make it easier for seniors to read. The honorary reporters participate not only in the general newsletter but also in the senior newsletter, providing specialized articles tailored to seniors’ needs.
Residents wishing to subscribe to ‘Dongjak Madang’ can apply through ‘Dongjak-gu website → Administrative Information → Dongjak-gu Newsletter’ and receive it via mobile, mail, or email.
Somi Kyung, Public Relations Manager, said, “Policies are often thought of as broad and difficult information, but since our residents directly cover and deliver district news, we can provide user-centered news. We will continue to communicate by creating our Dongjak stories together with residents.”
The award ceremony for the ‘22nd Beautiful Smile Photo Exhibition’ was held on the 27th at the Naru Art Center exhibition hall.
Hosted by Gwangjin-gu and organized by the Korean Photographers Association Gwangjin Branch, the ‘Beautiful Smile Photo Exhibition’ is a nationwide photo contest held since 1999 with the theme of ‘Beautiful Smile.’
This year, amid the prolonged COVID-19 situation, the contest was held with the purpose of finding smiles hidden behind masks and sharing hope.
A total of 933 entries were submitted, with 11 winning prizes and 183 selected for exhibition.
Selected works in the smile photo category receive prize money and certificates: one gold prize of 7 million KRW, two silver prizes of 3 million KRW each, three bronze prizes of 1 million KRW each, and five honorable mentions of 500,000 KRW each. Selected works receive certificates.
The gold prize-winning work ‘Our Smile’ by Kim Soon-beom was highly evaluated for its artistic value, depicting a smiling mask that evokes the image of a happy person hidden beneath.
Silver prize winner Kim Young-sook’s ‘Childlike Innocence’ captures innocent children in a rural landscape, while another silver prize winner Yang Sung-mi’s ‘Happiness’ portrays foreigners enjoying themselves.
The judging results are posted on the Korean Photographers Association Gwangjin Branch website, and the winning works are exhibited at the Naru Art Center exhibition hall from December 27 to 31.
Kim Sun-gap, Mayor of Gwangjin-gu, said, “The ‘Beautiful Smile Photo Contest,’ which began in 1999 amid the aftermath of the foreign exchange crisis, has become a nationwide photo contest producing excellent works filled with joy and hope. I hope this contest, highlighting beautiful smiles hidden behind masks, will offer hope to overcome difficult times and restore daily life.”
Songpa-gu (Mayor Park Sung-soo) held the ‘2021 Hari (Hi Literacy) Concert ? Picture Book Snow Falling on Songpa’ book concert on the 27th at ‘Seokchon Lake Atelier,’ hosted by announcer Oh Jung-yeon, to summarize the achievements of the first year of the resident literacy education program ‘Songpa-ga Songpa-hari (Hi Literacy, High Songpa),’ the first of its kind nationwide, and to promote the value of literacy education.
The ‘Songpa-ga Songpa-hari’ project is a core initiative of Mayor Park Sung-soo and an extension of Songpa’s unique lifelong education support system, Songpa SSEM (Songpa Smart Education Model). Starting from 2021, it provides specialized age-specific education to all residents, based on the consensus that literacy skills are the foundation of all education, especially important in the COVID-19 era where communication is more vital.
In particular, picture books that can be enjoyed from ‘0 to 100 years old’ are set as a specialized brand of ‘Songpa-type literacy’ content. Various picture book literacy programs are conducted, combining diverse cultural and artistic genres and participants, including exhibitions, online lectures by invited authors, and operation of the resident literacy club ‘Citizen Culture Salon.’
The book concert, opened by Mayor Park Sung-soo as the host, featured works by Lee So-young, a world-renowned picture book author selected as the Illustrator of the Year at the 2014 Bologna International Children’s Book Fair, including her work ‘Winter Star,’ combined with jazz, dance, mime, and other cultural and artistic genres.
Following this, a dialogue titled ‘The Era of Coexistence ? Literacy’ between Mayor Park Sung-soo and announcer Oh Jung-yeon delved into the background and activation process of Songpa-gu’s creative and friendly concept of literacy education called ‘Hari (Hi Literacy).’
A participant said, “This event made literacy education, which was considered rigid, feel much closer. It was impressive to discover various artistic elements contained in picture books through music and performance.”
Mayor Park Sung-soo said, “Songpa-gu is a city passionate about lifelong education, with over 170,000 users of its own education support system ‘Songpa SSEM’ in 2021 alone. We will actively expand literacy education, which develops thinking, empathy, and communication skills?the foundation of lifelong education?to further enhance the value of Songpa as an education city.”
The ‘2021 Hari Concert ? Picture Book Snow Falling on Songpa’ can be viewed again on Songpa-gu’s YouTube channel ‘SongpaTV.’
Nowon-gu (Mayor Oh Seung-rok) announced that it will operate various experience and counseling programs for elementary, middle, and high school students during the school vacation.
First, the Nowon Math Culture Center will hold a creative experience program called ‘Math Picnic’ from January 19 to 22 for four days to spark interest in mathematics.
‘Math Picnic’ is a program for elementary school students in grades 3 to 6, where participants can view exhibits at the Nowon Math Culture Center with explanations and directly see and experience various mathematical principles.
Classes are divided into two groups by grade: grades 3-4 will learn about ancient numbers, M?bius strips, delta polyhedra, and Soma cubes; grades 5-6 will study knot theory, Joseon mathematicians, tessellation, and equilateral polygons.
Participation applications open on January 4 at 10 a.m. on the Seoul Public Service Reservation website on a first-come, first-served basis. The program may be canceled or changed depending on COVID-19 and social distancing policies.
Next, the Nowon Education Platform (NEP) will operate a free ‘Comprehensive Counseling Program’ for students and parents of elementary, middle, and high schools in Nowon-gu during January and February.
The program includes ▲child education and reading guidance counseling for parents of elementary students ▲career and academic counseling for prospective middle school 2nd graders to high school 3rd graders and their parents ▲student record coaching for prospective high school 1st to 3rd graders and their parents ▲subject-specific learning coaching in Korean, English, and math for middle and high school students.
Applications open on the 30th at 2 p.m. on a first-come, first-served basis through the Nowon-gu Office website’s integrated application system. Inquiries can be made at the Nowon Education Platform.
Additionally, Nowon-gu prepared exhibitions for students seeking unique experiential learning during the vacation. The ‘World Butterfly Special Exhibition’ at Bulamsan Butterfly Garden, where visitors can see butterflies from around the world, runs until February 27. It is open from Tuesday to Sunday (closed Mondays) from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and is free to all.
The Seoul Metropolitan Bukseoul Museum of Art in Junggye-dong is hosting the ‘Light: Tate Britain Special Exhibition’ featuring world-renowned artworks until May 8. It will be a special cultural experience stimulating children’s artistic imagination.
Oh Seung-rok, Mayor of Nowon-gu, said, “We prepared experience and counseling programs so that children in Nowon can spend a meaningful time during winter vacation. Despite many restrictions due to COVID-19, I hope students can satisfy their learning desires close to home.”
Gwanak-gu (Mayor Park Jun-hee) is recruiting applicants for rental of the experience room, education room, and special exhibition hall at the Gang Gam-chan Urban Agriculture Center in January 2022.
Located opposite Nakseongdae Park, the Gang Gam-chan Urban Agriculture Center is a representative urban agriculture complex space in southern Seoul. Since its opening in May, it has hosted various events (cultural performances, photo exhibitions) and educational programs, providing a place for citizen communication and culture.
In addition to operating various programs to heal the body and mind of residents exhausted by the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic, the center rents out multipurpose spaces such as the experience room, education room, and special exhibition hall to support diverse urban agriculture activities.
The education room is 80㎡ and equipped with audiovisual facilities such as a projector and microphone, suitable for urban agriculture education, discussions, and seminars. The experience room is 61㎡ and equipped with induction cookers, mini ovens, sinks, and cooking worktables, allowing cooking activities using agricultural products.
The special exhibition hall is 65㎡ and suitable for special agricultural exhibitions, equipped with lighting and heating/cooling facilities.
Rental is available for exhibitions, education, and events contributing to urban agriculture activation, and strict compliance with COVID-19 prevention rules such as capacity limits and vaccination passes is required. However, private meetings, political, religious, or profit-oriented groups are not allowed.
The rental application deadline is by the 10th of the month prior to the scheduled date. Individuals or groups wishing to apply should contact the Urban Agriculture Team of the Parks and Greenery Division at Gwanak-gu Office and submit application documents for review and individual notification.
The rental fee is 20,000 KRW (excluding VAT) for 2 hours, with an additional 10,000 KRW per extra hour. Rentals are available from January to December except on holidays, facility inspection days, and for in-house programs.
An official said, “We hope many individuals and groups interested in urban agriculture activities will participate through rentals. We will continue efforts to establish the Gang Gam-chan Urban Agriculture Center as a hub for urban agriculture.”
“The stairs leading up to my home are steep, and I used to fall several times, but thanks to the home care primary doctor, after installing a safety bar, I can now move around without worry.” (Elderly resident Kim Young-chul (alias), living on the 3rd floor of a multi-family house)
Mapo-gu, which has been working to build a housing safety net for residents’ healthy lives by implementing the ‘Home Care Primary Doctor Project’ targeting vulnerable households needing housing environment improvement and care, such as single elderly households, old housing residents, and hoarding households, was selected as the best local government nationwide.
Mapo-gu (Mayor Yoo Dong-gyun) announced on the 28th that it won the grand prize at the ‘2021 Social Economy Promotion Support Project in the Social Service Sector’ performance competition hosted by the Ministry of Health and Welfare.
The competition was held to review the achievements of 16 local governments (10 consortium-type, 6 resident participation-type) conducting pilot projects for social economy promotion in the social service sector and to develop and spread social service provision models essential to local communities.
Since April 2020, the district has been promoting the ‘Home Care Primary Doctor Project for Housing Vulnerable Homes’ in close cooperation with local social economy organizations under the vision of ‘Safe Mapo for All through Integrated Housing Care.’
The ‘Home Care Primary Doctor Project’ identifies residents of housing vulnerable homes and households needing continuous housing care services in Mapo-gu. Social economy organizations form a ‘Home Care Task Force’ composed of related companies to provide demand-tailored services such as house repair and management based on professional skills and capabilities.
The goal is to establish a model social economy foundation to solve local housing problems and expand it as a sustainable business based on this business model.
Since its launch in April last year, over 120 households with difficulty managing their homes have received meticulous housing care services through home care primary doctors. According to a satisfaction survey conducted in November, 97% of respondents expressed satisfaction with the home care primary doctor service, noting improvements in quality of life through reduced housing maintenance costs and prevention of safety accidents.
The ‘Home Care Task Force’ provides regular safety inspections in preparation for rainy seasons, cold waves, and heat waves, installs safety equipment considering household characteristics, and offers consulting on organizing and simple home repair education to enhance residents’ self-care abilities. Notably, for suspected hoarding households, after one-time large-scale waste disposal, follow-up management and treatment through linkage with mental health welfare centers are also conducted, establishing a continuous integrated management system in cooperation with related institutions, which is regarded as a remarkable achievement.
Yoo Dong-gyun, Mayor of Mapo-gu, said, “Thanks to the passion and efforts of the Mapo-gu Social Economy Integrated Support Center and social economy organizations, the Home Care Primary Doctor Project has successfully taken root. We will continue to strive to ensure residents can live healthy and safe lives without housing worries and make Mapo’s ‘Home Care Primary Doctor Project’ a nationwide model project.”
Seongbuk-gu (Mayor Lee Seung-ro) has been receiving great responses from residents since opening the ‘2021 Seongbuk-gu Photo Exhibition’ on the 20th.
This photo exhibition displays 14 award-winning works selected through the ‘2021 Seongbuk-gu Photo Contest’ on the first floor of Seongbuk-gu Office, aiming to foster interest and affection for Seongbuk.
Under the theme ‘Seongbuk, How Much Do You Know?’ the photo contest, held since October, received 417 entries from 173 participants regardless of age, nationality, or region, capturing ordinary yet new aspects of Seongbuk’s natural scenery, landmarks, and daily life of its people.
The grand prize went to Jager Yetz, a Dutch national, for ‘Heung-an TV Electronic General Store,’ a photo depicting the store owner opening his day at a 50-year-old electronics shop, capturing the daily life of Seongbuk passed down from the past.
The photo exhibition will continue until the first half of 2022, and after the exhibition ends, the works will be delivered to vulnerable groups in the region.
Seongbuk-gu (Mayor Lee Seung-ro) will waive all fees for issuing 12 types of documents, including resident registration certificates and family relation documents, from unmanned civil service kiosks starting next year.
Based on analysis of usage, the district will eliminate fees for documents that account for 70% of issued documents, including resident registration certificates and 12 types of family relation documents, allowing residents to obtain necessary documents free of charge. This will reduce the fee burden of about 200 to 500 KRW per issuance for residents.
Lee Seung-ro, Mayor of Seongbuk-gu, said, “I hope this fee waiver for unmanned civil service kiosks will ease the burden on residents tired from the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic. By expanding non-face-to-face civil administrative services, we expect to proactively prevent COVID-19 infections, reduce waiting times at civil service counters, improve work efficiency, and provide high-quality administrative services to the public.”
Currently, Seongbuk-gu operates 24 unmanned civil service kiosks at the district office, tax office, subway stations, hospitals, and community service centers to enhance residents’ convenience and respond to various civil demands. Five additional kiosks will be installed in 2022.
Yangcheon-gu (Mayor Kim Soo-young) announced that the Yangcheon Public Library will offer a free ‘audiobook’ service starting January 3.
As more people listen to books, audiobooks, which allow e-books to be heard, are rapidly becoming a new reading culture. Especially with COVID-19 making library visits difficult, the district plans to enable residents to enjoy various readings anytime and anywhere through free audiobook services on the Yangcheon Public Library website without visiting the library.
First, Yangcheon Central Library has been operating an audiobook experience space on the 3rd floor general materials room since December 18. It currently offers 417 audiobooks of bestsellers in various fields such as humanities and finance, including ‘Nudge’ and ‘The Nature of Money,’ to residents.
The audiobook service, officially starting in January 2022, can be accessed through the ‘Yangcheon-gu Integrated Library Website’ or the mobile app ‘Audien Library.’ Any member of the Yangcheon Public Library can use the service. Each person can download up to 100 books per month, with a 14-day loan period. Up to five people can download the same book, and real-time listening is unlimited.
Kim Soo-young, Mayor of Yangcheon-gu, said, “Introducing audiobooks at Yangcheon Public Library is a meaningful step to expand the subscription economy trend led by the private sector into the public domain. Following subscription-based e-book services, we will create a culture where residents can enjoy non-face-to-face reading more conveniently and easily through free audiobook services ahead of trends.”
For more information about audiobooks, refer to the library website or contact the Library Operations Team at the Yangcheon Cultural Foundation.
Winter vacation, shall we embark on an easy and fun Korean history experience?
Gangseo-gu, Seoul (Mayor Roh Hyun-song) announced that it will operate the autonomous community center winter vacation program ‘DreamON Storytelling Korean History’ online to help youth spend a meaningful vacation.
With COVID-19 making experiential learning difficult for youth, the program aims to provide experiential learning opportunities to local elementary students and help them develop interest and competence in Korean history.
The program, held on January 18, will be conducted via Zoom online lectures, helping participants learn Korean history easily and enjoyably.
The education includes ▲cultural heritage making experience ▲storytelling classes ▲online historical tours, with teaching materials and experience kits provided to participants.
Through the ‘Cultural Heritage Making’ kit, participants create Korean historical artifacts such as Cheomseongdae and Geunjeongjeon while learning related historical knowledge. The storytelling class features fictional historical characters appropriate to the era, explaining historical backgrounds in an easy-to-understand story format. Participants also watch videos filmed on-site to vividly experience actual locations.
Additionally, real-time communication with instructors via video apps will enhance concentration and interest. The program targets elementary students residing in Gangseo-gu, and applications can be made by phone or visit to the local community center from December 29 to January 6.
The program is limited to 100 participants (5 per each neighborhood) on a first-come, first-served basis. The tuition fee is 5,000 KRW, waived for households receiving basic living subsidies.
An official said, “This program offers an opportunity to learn history, which can be perceived as rigid and difficult, in an easy and fun way. We hope many students interested in history will participate and show interest.”
Gangbuk-gu (Mayor Park Kyum-soo) will significantly expand childcare support funds for infants and toddlers born from January next year.
Newly introduced childcare support funds include the ‘First Meeting Voucher’ and infant allowance. The ‘First Meeting Voucher’ is a system that provides 2 million KRW once to all newborn families regardless of birth order via the National Happiness Card. It must be used within one year from the child’s birth and cannot be used for gambling, leisure businesses, or other purposes unrelated to childbirth encouragement policies.
The infant allowance combines the existing daycare fee voucher and home care allowance. Families raising children under two years old at home receive 300,000 KRW monthly in cash. They can also choose daycare fee vouchers or full-day childcare services.
The child allowance payment age range has also been extended. Previously for children under 7, it now applies to children under 8 years old, with a monthly payment of 100,000 KRW. Due to related law amendments, those who stopped receiving child allowance due to age (born between February 1, 2014, and March 31, 2015) will receive retroactive payments for January to March next year.
Applicants include not only legal guardians but also caregivers and guardians who actually protect the child. Relatives and social welfare officers can also apply as proxies. Applications can be made at local community centers or via the Bokjiro website. The infant allowance will be paid from January next year, and others from April depending on preparation.
Park Kyum-soo, Mayor of Gangbuk-gu, said, “Low birth rates are a top priority issue that must be responsibly addressed by not only the public but the entire social community. We will devote all efforts under a long-term plan to enable families to give birth and raise children without economic burdens.”
Eunpyeong-gu (Mayor Kim Mi-kyung) announced that the Eunpyeong Senior Care Integrated Support Center won the Minister of Health and Welfare Award at the ‘2021 Vulnerable Elderly Protection Project Contest’ hosted by the Comprehensive Support Center for the Elderly Living Alone.
The contest was held by the Comprehensive Support Center for the Elderly Living Alone under the Ministry of Health and Welfare to promote vulnerable elderly protection projects and raise social interest. From September 6, 108 elderly customized care service institutions nationwide participated in programs, videos, essays, and photo categories related to vulnerable elderly protection.
The Eunpyeong Senior Care Integrated Support Center (Director Ma Jung-wook) achieved the honor of winning the Encouragement Award in the elderly protection program category with the non-face-to-face social participation program ‘Challenge! Chan-chan-bo’ to overcome COVID blues.
‘Challenge! Chan-chan-bo’ combines the meanings of ‘carefully’ and ‘walking.’ Participating seniors set their own target step counts, and those who achieve their goals weekly receive small prizes. A total of 120 seniors participated in four sessions since March.
The program naturally encourages seniors living alone at home to engage in walking exercises. It has shown various effects, including health improvement for seniors with insufficient exercise and providing vitality in life.
Kim Mi-kyung, Mayor of Eunpyeong-gu, said, “Congratulations to the Eunpyeong Senior Care Integrated Support Center, which always strives to protect local seniors living alone. Eunpyeong-gu will also discover various programs related to elderly protection and actively support programs conducted by institutions in the future.”
‘Challenge! Chan-chan-bo’ was mainly conducted for elderly customized care service recipients. This service provides tailored care reflecting individual welfare needs, including IoT safety management, hospital accompaniment, outings support, medication management, and health support. Applications are open to basic livelihood security recipients, near-poverty groups, and basic pension recipients, and can be made by visiting or calling the local community center.
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