9.15% Tax Credit for Car Tax Paid in January in Advance

[Seoul District News] Songpa-gu Office Tax Division 2 and ETAX accept applications until February 3... Automatic issuance of annual tax bills on January 12 for those who prepaid last year... Gangdong Village Media Support Center offers media education, experience, studio rental, and equipment loan for residents... Geumcheon-gu Doksan Library recruiting participants for New Year reading and writing programs... Gwangjin-gu Welfare Calendar production

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Songpa-gu (Mayor Park Seong-su) announced that it will accept applications for the annual prepayment of automobile tax, which offers a 9.15% deduction on the tax amount if paid in advance for one year, until February 3.

Regular automobile tax payments are due in June and December, but by using the prepayment system and paying in January, taxpayers can receive a 9.15% discount on the tax amount (10% discount if paid after the deadline).

Applicants can apply by calling the Tax Division 2 of Songpa-gu Office or by accessing the Seoul tax payment site ETAX. Payments can be made at financial institutions nationwide, cash dispensers (CD/ATM), bank transfers, ARS phone, ETAX (internet), or STAX (mobile app). It is also possible to pay automobile tax for others after checking the electronic payment number using bankbooks, cash cards, or credit cards.

Those who prepaid last year will automatically receive a tax bill with a 9.15% deduction sent on January 12 without a separate application. Prepayment is optional, and there is no disadvantage if payment is not made after application; regular payments will be charged normally in June and December.

If you move to another area after prepayment, no separate correction application is required. If you transfer ownership of the vehicle to another person or scrap the vehicle, you can receive a refund calculated on a pro-rata basis for the remaining period of the automobile tax.

Mayor Park Seong-su said, “We will actively support smart administration so that Songpa-gu residents can prepay automobile tax without difficulty and enjoy tax-saving benefits.” For inquiries, contact the Automobile Tax Team of Tax Division 2 at Songpa-gu Office.

“I dreamed of becoming a voice actor, and now I’m trying it like this.”

Gangdong-gu (Mayor Lee Jeong-hoon) held an ‘Animation Dubbing Club’ for residents on the 8th at the Gangdong Village Media Support Center (752 Olympic-ro, 6th floor, Gangdong-gu). This dubbing experience program was planned to make media easily accessible, with 10 residents participating.

On the day, participants gathered in the radio studio at the Gangdong Village Media Support Center, watched animation scenes to be dubbed, and practiced reading by assigning roles. After practice, they took their places in front of the microphone and acted out characters like voice actors. Some regretted missing lines due to the subtitles passing faster than expected, and a man in his 50s amusingly played the role of a mother scolding her son, drawing laughter.

A district official said, “Experiences conducted in the studio are rare and well received. The center also offers media education such as YouTube production, which fills up within 3 to 4 days of application due to popularity. We will continue to provide various media programs.”

The Gangdong Village Media Support Center, where the experience was held, has a total floor area of 346.63㎡ and consists of a video studio, radio studio, media study room, single-person media room, editing room, and media communication room.

The center operates customized media education to strengthen residents’ media capabilities, including various experience programs such as announcers, radio DJs, and voice actors, as well as video editing and SNS management. It also rents out studio facilities necessary for content production and more than 20 types of filming and sound equipment. More details can be found on the center’s website.

Mayor Lee Jeong-hoon of Gangdong-gu said, “We established the Gangdong Village Media Support Center in November last year to support residents’ media activities. We will continue to support residents to freely enjoy media as media subjects and communicate with neighbors through media.”

Dongjak-gu (Mayor Lee Chang-woo) will install a Seoul City-operated COVID-19 testing site at Dongjak Parking Park near Dongjak Station and begin operation from the 13th.

Since December 10 last year, Seoul City has been operating four directly managed testing facilities by region, separate from existing testing facilities (screening clinics, temporary screening clinics, and mobile screening clinics).

Although testing volume has recently decreased due to strengthened social distancing measures and severe cold weather, the city plans to expand the Seoul City COVID-19 testing sites by region from the 13th in cooperation with specialized private companies to strengthen testing capacity in preparation for a surge in confirmed cases and reduce inconvenience to residents and the burden on public health centers.

The locations were selected after comprehensive review of accessibility by foot or car and regional balance, designating four regions. The southeastern region of Seoul was designated as Dongjak Parking Park (326-3 Dongjak-dong), which is easily accessible from exits 2 and 5 of Dongjak Station on Line 9.

With the installation of the testing site at Dongjak Parking Park, accessibility will improve, alleviating the inconvenience of residents in Heukseok-dong who previously had to travel far for testing, and it is expected to quickly identify hidden confirmed cases and block infection risk factors.

Anyone can visit for testing, and operating hours are from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. daily, including weekends, with night operation. The closing time will be decided based on the trend of confirmed cases.

Additionally, since November 25 last year, a mobile screening clinic has been set up at Noryangjin Fish Market, where about 700 merchants have been tested daily so far.

To systematically and continuously conduct preemptive testing for fish market workers who are easily exposed to transmission due to contact with unspecified many people, the operation period of the mobile screening clinic has been extended until January 28.

Meanwhile, the COVID-19 screening clinics operated by the district include three locations: the public health center, Dongjak-gu Office temporary screening clinic, and Sadang temporary screening clinic. Residents can quickly and conveniently receive COVID-19 tests by checking real-time waiting status and filling out electronic questionnaires using QR codes available on the Dongjak-gu Office website and on-site.

Since operating hours of COVID-19 screening clinics and testing sites differ, prior confirmation is necessary. Operating hours can be checked on the Dongjak-gu or Seoul City websites.

Public Health Center Director Mo Hyun-hee said, “We expect residents to receive tests quickly with the operation of Seoul City COVID-19 testing sites in Dongjak-gu,” and added, “We ask for participation in the third vaccine dose, regular preemptive testing, and compliance with quarantine rules as ways to protect family and neighbors.”

Mapo-gu (Mayor Yoo Dong-gyun) announced that it held a ‘Future Education Agreement Ceremony’ online with the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education (Superintendent Cho Hee-yeon) on the 7th to realize a happy educational city, Mapo.

The district added that the agreement was made to present and implement educational policies to residents to strengthen the competencies children and youth need to live in future society.

The agreement ceremony was held online via the Zoom platform with participation from Yoo Dong-gyun, Mayor of Mapo-gu, and Cho Hee-yeon, Superintendent of Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, and was live-streamed on YouTube.

The agreement includes six agendas: three selected by Mapo-gu ? ▲Soft power education to cultivate life skills for future talents ▲Autonomous education to develop proactive competencies for future talents ▲Career education to dream of diverse possibilities for future talents ? and three proposed by the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education ? ▲Support for leap to Seoul-type Innovative Education District 2.0 ▲Operation of school-village discussion and debate programs ▲Combination of ecological transition education and ecological village practice.

The district plans to build a cooperative system among related departments based on the selected agendas and continuously discover educational agendas and projects reflecting the demands of educational stakeholders to promote future education projects until October 2025.

Superintendent Cho Hee-yeon said, “I appreciate Mapo-gu for leading the Innovative Education District project,” and added, “This agreement will be an important turning point for a new leap and deepening of the innovative education project.”

Mayor Yoo Dong-gyun of Mapo-gu said, “I hope educational cooperation between Mapo-gu and the education office will be further strengthened through today’s agreement,” and “We will continue to do our best so that children and youth can grow into healthy talents.”

Geumcheon Cultural Foundation (CEO Oh Jin-yi) announced that it will operate the ‘HoRakHoRak Library Enjoyment’ program at Geumcheon-gu Independent Doksan Library to help residents easily enjoy the new year 2022.

First, from January 20, a total of 15 sessions of the humanities program ‘Reading Philosophy through Literature’ will be held, which helps understand the world and develop the strength to live through reading classics that contain unchanging essential elements of life and universal values pursued by humanity.

Also, from January 22, a winter vacation special lecture ‘Easy Writing’ for local elementary school students will be held for 7 weeks. Participants will learn enjoyable writing from author Shin Chae-yeon, who has written many fairy tales, and create their own fairy tales. The program will be divided into two classes.

In addition, Doksan Library holds a ‘Deep Reading of Authors’ event on the last Wednesday of every month as a cultural day program. This program allows residents to read books and share thoughts. Participants can feel and understand books more deeply through detailed explanations by authors. This year, the program will be held with author Eom Hye-sook, and the first book to be read on January 26 is ‘My Green Sweater.’

All programs will be conducted online in real-time via ZOOM until further notice to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Applications can be made on the Geumcheon-gu Library website under ‘Cultural Program Application.’ CEO Oh Jin-yi said, “We ask for much interest and participation in the newly revamped New Year programs,” and added, “We will continue to operate reading culture programs for local residents with substance.”

Seocho-gu announced that from the 17th it will begin towing personal mobility devices such as electric kickboards that are indiscriminately abandoned on sidewalks and subway station entrances and exits.

Shared personal mobility devices (PM), represented by electric kickboards, are popular as eco-friendly short-distance transportation, but they are often left carelessly on roads and sidewalks after use, causing inconvenience to pedestrians. They also pose a significant threat to pedestrian safety due to collisions during operation.

To solve problems causing inconvenience and danger to pedestrians, the district has operated a ‘civil complaint hotline’ system since February 2020, in cooperation with shared electric kickboard companies, to immediately contact companies upon receiving reports for prompt handling. This time, towing of illegally parked electric kickboards will be implemented to foster a safer personal mobility usage culture.

First, in five areas with high accident risk or that threaten the passage of vulnerable groups ? ▲roadways ▲subway station entrances and exits ▲within 10 meters of bus stops and taxi stands ▲on tactile paving ▲entrances to elevators for vulnerable groups ▲crosswalks ? electric kickboards reported as parked or stopped will be towed immediately.

For electric kickboards causing inconvenience on general sidewalks, companies will be given a 3-hour grace period to remove them upon report; if not removed, towing will be enforced. The towing fee is 40,000 KRW per device, with an additional 700 KRW per 30 minutes for storage at the towing facility.

To report illegally parked electric kickboards, users can access the Seoul City electric kickboard parking violation reporting system and scan the QR code attached to the device for easy reporting and to check processing results.

The district has been striving to create a safe personal mobility usage culture through pioneering policies. In February 2020, it installed the nation’s first ‘electric kickboard parking zones.’ In June of the same year, it established the first electric kickboard no-parking zones in congested areas among Seoul’s autonomous districts and designated some bicycle racks for shared electric kickboard parking.

Acting Mayor Cheon Jeong-wook of Seocho-gu said, “For electric kickboards, which are attracting attention as personal mobility, to settle as convenient transportation, a safe usage culture must come first,” and added, “We will create a traffic culture where both users and pedestrians can feel safe by towing illegally parked shared kickboards.”

Gangnam-gu Venture Business Promotion District

Gangnam-gu (Mayor Jung Soon-gyun) was designated as a ‘Venture Business Promotion District’ by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups on the 11th.

Yeoksam-ro ‘Startup Street,’ which Gangnam-gu is developing as a ‘Venture and Startup Specialized Street,’ houses 132 venture companies, startup support institutions such as Gangnam Startup Center, TIPS Town, and Maru360, as well as universities and research institutions related to startups, finance, and research.

Among 15 domestic unicorn companies, 8 including Wemakeprice and Kurly, as well as 91 venture capital (VC) firms, are located in Gangnam-gu. Venture companies within the promotion district will enjoy various tax benefits such as a 37.5% reduction in real estate acquisition and property taxes and exemption from various charges.

Last year, Gangnam-gu established the ‘Gangnam Startup Fund No. 1’ worth 53 billion KRW, including 1 billion KRW in investment capital. This year, it plans to establish ‘Gangnam Startup Fund No. 2’ to create a ‘virtuous cycle ecosystem for venture investment’ and provide seed money for venture and startup support.

In addition, in May last year, it invested 33 billion KRW, the largest among basic local governments, to promote the construction of the ‘Gangnam Employment and Startup Hub Center,’ scheduled for completion in the first half of this year.

Mayor Jung Soon-gyun of Gangnam-gu said, “Gangnam is a city where young people dreaming of startups can build a growth foundation with a well-established startup ecosystem,” and added, “We will continue generous investment, infrastructure expansion, and policy support worthy of Gangnam’s reputation as the ‘Silicon Valley of Korea,’ so that the phrase ‘Go to Gangnam to start up’ can be heard.”

Eunpyeong-gu (Mayor Kim Mi-kyung) is striving to establish a culture of carbon neutrality practice early to respond to the climate crisis. Accordingly, it announced the production of the ‘Eunpyeong-gu Citizens’ Carbon Neutral Lifestyle Practice Guide,’ which contains concrete execution information on reducing greenhouse gases in daily life.

It was analyzed that 43% of the total greenhouse gas emissions in Eunpyeong-gu come from households, so the success or failure of carbon neutrality by 2050 depends on the practice of reducing greenhouse gases at home.

The guide includes 41 carbon neutrality practice rules for households, 27 eco-friendly related systems, environmental certification marks, and a household greenhouse gas emission record book. For each practice rule, it presents the amount of greenhouse gas reduction per household, cost-saving effects, tree-planting effects, and even the practice effect if 10% of residents participate.

The district distributed the guide to departments, community service centers, public institutions in the region, financial institutions, and local establishments such as real estate agencies and hair salons that serve as community hubs to encourage residents to participate in carbon-neutral lifestyle practices. The guide is also available on the Eunpyeong-gu website.

Mayor Kim Mi-kyung of Eunpyeong-gu said, “I ask for residents’ active interest and participation for carbon neutrality by 2050,” and added, “We will do our best to establish a phased implementation foundation in line with international and government efforts to overcome the climate crisis and respond proactively.”

Gwangjin-gu (Mayor Kim Seon-gap) produced and distributed a 2022 annual desk calendar containing welfare service support information.

The calendar was created to promote livelihood security projects to low-income residents and to serve as a reference for social welfare officials and welfare planners during work.

The distribution targets are about 1,000 people, including newly designated National Basic Livelihood Security recipients in 2022 and welfare planners at community service centers.

The calendar focuses on information necessary for basic livelihood security recipients and includes major changes for 2022.

Specifically, it contains ▲2022 National Basic Livelihood Security recipient selection criteria ▲major support contents for recipients ▲support for livelihood, medical care, housing, and education benefits ▲welfare resource service guides by sector ▲contact information for departments, community service centers, and related organizations by task.

The calendar is 25 cm wide and 18.5 cm high, consists of 28 pages, and is designed as a desk calendar for ease of use.

Mayor Kim Seon-gap of Gwangjin-gu said, “We produced the calendar to more efficiently guide and promote the National Basic Livelihood Security project,” and added, “Through this calendar, we expect to provide the right to know to low-income residents and offer necessary materials for complaint handling and work understanding to related workers.”