Gwanak-gu's '2022 Hope Ondol Warm Winter Campaign' Surpasses 1.8 Billion Won Goal Ahead of Schedule

[Seoul District News] Gwanak-gu Raises Total Donations of 1.92 Billion KRW as of the 24th, Exceeding Target... ‘Eunpyeong Bukhansan Han Culture Experience Zone’ Designation Period Approved for Second Extension

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] In these challenging times of prolonged COVID-19, the warm hand of kindness in Gwanak-gu remained heartfelt.

Gwanak-gu (Mayor Park Jun-hee) announced that it has early achieved the target amount of 1.8 billion KRW in the '2022 Hope Ondol Warm Winter Campaign,' heating up the temperature of love to 100℃.

From November last year until February 14, the '2022 Hope Ondol Warm Winter Campaign' led by the district successfully encouraged active participation from residents, raising a total of 1.92 billion KRW as of January 24, including 880 million KRW in donations and 1.022 billion KRW in goods, surpassing the target of 1.8 billion KRW ahead of schedule.

This surprising result overturned expectations that fundraising would decline significantly due to the COVID-19-impacted local economy. Although social distancing increased physical distance between individuals, the emotional distance in helping neighbors in need grew closer.

Despite the absence of major donors and corporations compared to other local governments, various helping hands conveyed warm hearts, including local marts, elderly couples saving pocket money received from their children, collective contributions from workers in the same industry, support funds from residents’ self-help groups, and anonymous donors.

Additionally, Gwanak-gu public officials contributed by donating part of their monthly salaries over the past year, raising 95 million KRW, which was donated to the Seoul Community Chest of Korea to participate in sharing activities.

The district plans to use the collected donations and goods to support low-income families and social welfare facilities. Goods will be delivered to elderly living alone, disabled persons, single-parent families, and related facilities, while donations will be used year-round for living expenses, medical costs, and education fees for families in crisis and neighbors in need.

A district official said, “We thank all residents who have united with one heart to extend warm hands of kindness during these difficult times of prolonged COVID-19, and we will put all our efforts into fundraising until the very end.”

Meanwhile, the 2022 Hope Ondol Warm Winter Campaign continues until February 14. Residents, businesses, and organizations wishing to participate can contact the district’s Welfare Policy Division or local community centers. Donations can be made by transferring funds to Gwanak-gu’s official account.

Panoramic view of the Hanok Village within the Eunpyeong Bukhansan Han Culture Experience Special Zone

Eunpyeong-gu (Mayor Kim Mi-kyung) announced on the 26th that the designation period for the ‘Eunpyeong Bukhansan Han Culture Experience Special Zone’ has been approved for a second extension.

First designated in 2015, the Eunpyeong Bukhansan Han Culture Experience Special Zone is the only special zone in Seoul’s urban area where visitors can experience and enjoy traditional Korean culture. The designation period was first extended in 2019, and on the 25th, the Ministry of SMEs and Startups approved a second extension, extending it until 2024. (Initial: 2015?2018, 1st extension: 2019?2021, 2nd extension: 2022?2024)

A ‘special zone’ is a system where the Ministry of SMEs and Startups designates certain areas as special zones upon local government applications to apply regulatory exemptions aimed at regional development and economic revitalization. Extensions of special zone designations are approved annually based on performance evaluations of the zone’s operation.

The district explained that it succeeded in obtaining the extension approval by receiving favorable evaluations for revitalizing the local economy around Eunpyeong Hanok Village and Bukhansanseong Fortress and fostering Han culture content.

Since 2015, the district has invested a total of 36.4 billion KRW in an area of approximately 642,500 square meters around Jingwan-dong Hanok Village and Bukhansanseong Village, steadily implementing 13 specialized projects across three fields in phases.

In the traditional culture specialization field, projects such as ▲ Eunpyeong Hanok Village and ▲ Eunpyeong History Hanok Museum were promoted. In the Bukhansan tourism specialization field, projects included ▲ Bukhansan Han Culture Festival, ▲ Jingwansa Han Culture Experience Center, and ▲ Neona-deuli Center. In the promotional marketing specialization field, projects such as ▲ Bukhansan Han Culture promotion marketing and related cooperative promotions were carried out.

According to the district, the operation of the Han Culture Experience Special Zone has been highly praised for significantly contributing to expanding the insufficient cultural tourism infrastructure in the northwest area. Eunpyeong Hanok Village, Jingwansa Temple, and the Bukhansan Han Culture Festival have attracted media attention. Recently, the special zone areas like Eunpyeong Hanok Village have gained popularity on social networking services (SNS), becoming urban healing tourist spots favored by younger generations.

The recent extension approval includes an expansion of the special zone area, newly incorporating the Korean Classics Translation Institute and Sabina Museum of Art areas. The district explained that the operational direction of the special zone has been broadened to allow visitors to experience diverse cultural and artistic activities.

Looking ahead, the district plans to additionally include the National Korean Literature Museum, scheduled for completion in the second half of 2024, and the art village around Gijachon as part of the special zone. The vision is to develop the zone from a tourism-focused area into one with diverse cultural content including education, experience, and learning.

Kim Mi-kyung, Mayor of Eunpyeong-gu, said, “Through this extension, we will expand the Han Culture Special Zone’s specialized projects and operate them more solidly to promote job creation and regional economic revitalization. We will continue to do our best to advance Eunpyeong-gu as a city representing Han culture.”