Dobong-gu Eases Requirements for Residents' Ordinance Proposal and Amendment... Monthly Payment of 300,000 Won to Infants Aged 0 to 1 Year

A Comprehensive Overview of Dobong's New Changes in 2022: Newly Implemented or Updated Policies and Systems on the District Website... Introduction to 19 Projects Across 6 Areas: Autonomy, Culture, Education, Welfare, Balance, and Safety

[Asia Economy Reporter Jongil Park] Dobong-gu (Mayor Dongjin Lee) has posted the '2022 Dobong-gu Changing Policies' on the district's official website, allowing residents to easily review the new or revised policies and systems implemented from 2022.

The changing policies cover a total of 19 projects across six areas related to residents' convenience: ▲Autonomy ▲Culture ▲Education ▲Welfare ▲Balance ▲Safety. The main contents by area are as follows.

First, in the autonomy sector, following the full revision of the Local Autonomy Act on January 13, 2022, the requirements for residents to propose the enactment, revision, or repeal of ordinances have been relaxed and procedures simplified. The age of petitioners has been lowered from 19 to residents aged 18 or older, and residents can submit a petition ordinance with signatures from at least one-seventieth of the population. Previously, resident petition ordinances had to be submitted to the local council via the head of the local government, but now the submission procedure is simplified to allow direct submission to the local council.

In the cultural sector, additional cultural spaces for healing the body and mind exhausted by COVID-19 will be created. The 'Pyeonghwa Ullimteo,' a large-scale eco-friendly outdoor performance facility that performs without separate sound equipment but uses sound reflection effects, will open as the first public institution facility of its kind. Residents can enjoy cultural events and music performances with nature, including regular performances by professional artists. Also, a 'Hanok Library' specialized in history and culture, utilizing the characteristics of traditional Korean houses, is scheduled to open in May 2022.

In the education sector, the scope of educational support will be diversified to guarantee equal rights to education for all. To provide healthy meals without discrimination to all young children, the 'Eco-friendly Free Meal Support' will be expanded from existing elementary, middle, high, and special schools to include both public and private kindergartens. The 'Entrance Preparation Fund' support, which helps purchase essential items for new students, will be extended from middle and high school students to include elementary school freshmen. Elementary school freshmen will receive 200,000 KRW per person, and middle and high school freshmen will receive 300,000 KRW per person as entrance preparation funds.

In the welfare sector, new welfare services will be introduced to discover welfare blind spots and support daily life. For vulnerable groups with mobility difficulties such as elderly living alone without caregivers and severely disabled persons, free collection, laundry, and delivery services for large laundry items will be provided.

Additionally, to overcome the low birthrate crisis and reduce childcare burdens, infant and child policies will be strengthened. From April 2022, the 'Child Allowance' of 100,000 KRW per month will be paid to children under 8 years old (previously under 7 years old), and a 'First Meeting Voucher' of 2 million KRW will be provided to all newborns in 2022. An 'Infant Allowance' will also be newly established, providing 300,000 KRW per month to infants aged 0 to 1 who do not use childcare facilities.

In the balance sector, sports facilities will be reinforced and opportunities for recreational sports expanded to improve residents' health and quality of life. The existing Dobong Indoor Swimming Pool will be remodeled, and the 'Dobong-dong Indoor Sports Center Annex,' equipped with Pilates machines, circuit fit, and GX rooms, will open in February 2022. To increase sports participation opportunities for vulnerable youth and disabled persons, the 'Sports Lecture Use Voucher' support period will be extended from 8 to 10 months, and the support amount will increase from 80,000 KRW to 85,000 KRW per month.

Along with this, the 'Interest-free Living Stabilization Fund Loan Support' for low-income residents facing difficulties will be reinforced and operated. The interest-free loan period will be extended until December 31, 2022, and the eligibility for loan applications will be expanded to those with credit ratings from 1 to 6 and household property tax under 500,000 KRW annually.

In the safety sector, in response to the spread of COVID-19, the 'Seoul COVID-19 Testing Center' will be additionally operated at the west side public parking lot of Changdong Station. It will operate from 1 PM to 9 PM on weekdays and weekends, supporting nighttime COVID-19 testing. During the summer, when environmental complaints are frequent, a 'Saturday Environmental Keeper' will be operated to promptly resolve living inconvenience complaints.

In addition, various new projects such as ▲(Preliminary) Cultural City project promotion ▲Basic pension selection criteria changes ▲Housing lease reporting system will be newly implemented.

For more detailed information, please visit the Dobong-gu website under 'Notices/Budget, Notice Board, Changing Policies,' or contact the respective department in charge of each project.

Mayor Dongjin Lee of Dobong-gu said, "The '2022 Dobong-gu Changing Policies,' which allows residents to easily review the significant changes in Dobong for the new year, has been posted on the website. We hope these changes will make the daily lives of Dobong residents more convenient and enriched. We ask for your active use."