Seodaemun-gu's 'Donor Hall of Fame' Established at Hongjecheon Waterfall Plaza... Songpa-gu Conducts Test Water Flow for Jangjicheon Han River Water Supply Construction

[Seoul District News] Seodaemun-gu Creates Nameplates for 266 Sponsors Including 100 Family Care and Happiness Sharing, Installs Monitors Displaying Videos of 573 Donors Including Small Contributors; Songpa-gu Shares Progress with Residents During Test Water Flow at Wirye Island (Tentative) on 30th; Yongsan-gu Enhances PR Capabilities with ‘I Am a Reporter’ Initiative

The 'Seodaemun-gu Donor Hall of Honor' installed on the wall of the Hongjecheon Waterfall Square

[Asia Economy Reporter Jongil Park] Seodaemun-gu (Mayor Moon Seok-jin) held an unveiling ceremony on the 31st to establish the ‘Donor Hall of Fame’ on the wall of the Hongjecheon Waterfall Square to promote a culture of donation and honor donors.

The district created nameplates for 266 individuals and organizations who have shown warmth to neighbors through projects such as “Supporting 100 Families,” “Sharing More Happiness,” and “Warm Winter Campaign,” and displayed them here.

Additionally, a monitor was installed to continuously display the names of 573 donors (individuals and organizations included), including small donors, via video. Donors come from various backgrounds such as religious institutions, medical facilities, businesses, and individuals.

The district designed the facility considering overall aesthetic appeal, smooth maintenance, and nameplate updates.

Under the motto “The nation is the home of the people,” Seodaemun-gu has implemented advanced welfare policies to make the district office a home for its residents.

In 2012, it was the first in the nation to reorganize community centers into frontline welfare hubs, a model that has since spread nationwide.

Started in 2011, the “Supporting 100 Families” project identifies and connects residents in need who do not qualify for public support with donors. To date, it has supported 742 households with a cumulative amount exceeding 4.1 billion KRW, establishing itself as Seodaemun-gu’s sharing welfare system.

Launched in 2012, the “Sharing More Happiness” project discovers and connects various customized welfare services desired by donors and beneficiaries, such as support for glasses and hearing aids, meal coupon issuance, and medical consultations, providing practical help to residents in need.

Mayor Moon Seok-jin said, “Through the establishment of the Donor Hall of Fame, I hope more people will join us in creating a welfare Seodaemun without blind spots.”

Those wishing to donate or in need of assistance can contact the Seodaemun-gu Happy Angel Call Center for detailed guidance.

Songpa-gu (Mayor Park Seong-su) held the ‘Songpa Dullegil Season 2 Jangjicheon Han River Water Supply Project Test Water Flow Ceremony’ on the 30th at the tentative-named Wirye Island near the Wirye-dong Community Center.

The “Jangjicheon Han River Water Supply Project” is a core project of Songpa-gu’s 7th elected administration’s key initiative, “Songpa Dullegil Season 2.” It involves supplying Han River water to Jangjicheon, connecting the newly created Jangjicheon and Wirye District Neighborhood Park 1 (Waterfront Park) walking trails and ecosystems within the Wirye New Town in conjunction with Songpa Dullegil.

Starting with the signing of the “Songpa-gu-Hanam City River Maintenance Water Supply Improvement Project Basic Agreement” with Hanam City, SH, and LH in May last year, the district held a groundbreaking ceremony in November and has been actively progressing with construction aiming for completion this year.

This test water flow ceremony was organized to confirm that Han River water is supplied smoothly to Jangjicheon and to share the progress of the construction with residents.

Mayor Park Seong-su, who attended the ceremony, said, “The ‘Jangjicheon Han River Water Supply Project’ is a long-cherished wish of residents, so it has been carefully carried out. Once Han River water flows through the Jangji and Wirye areas, the river water quality and waterfront ecology will greatly improve.” He added, “A place where nature breathes well is also good for people to live. We will provide better rest and leisure to enhance residents’ quality of life.”

He also stated, “Since the opening of the Tancheon Trail in July last year, completing the 21 km circular walking trail of Songpa Dullegil, the promotion of ‘Songpa Dullegil Season 2,’ which connects various tourist resources throughout Songpa-gu, is in full swing. This Han River water supply project is also part of that effort. Once the Wirye Waterfront Park is established, it is expected to become a nature-friendly premium walking tourism course representing Wirye and Jangji. We will create synergy with Songpa Dullegil to further enhance residents’ happiness and the value of Songpa based on a better natural ecological environment.”

Gyuhoon Kim, an administrative officer, is conducting an interview to prepare a press release.

Yongsan-gu (Mayor Seong Chang-hyun) is promoting the “I am also a reporter” initiative to strengthen internal publicity capabilities.

Last year, Yongsan-gu issued 387 press releases, of which only 88 (22.7%) were submitted by departments. This means that 8 out of 10 media reports are discovered, covered, and written by the publicity department.

“I am also a reporter” is a press release writing practice that allows any employee to become a press officer and have the opportunity for their materials to be reported in the media.

Since January, the district has been posting media publicity education content in the form of card news once a month on the internal online bulletin board. So far, topics covered include ▲January: Business plans that make publicity easier ▲February: Timeliness of press coverage ▲March: Publicity is all about the headline, totaling three posts.

The first half-year mock practice was conducted in March. Three outstanding materials will be distributed starting April 1.

In May, a lecture by a current journalist will be held. The session consists of a 40-minute lecture followed by a 40-minute Q&A, conducted face-to-face. The instructor is a Seoul-based reporter with over five years of experience. The target audience is 30 district employees.

Originally, the district planned to hold a lecture and press practice for Yongsan-gu public officials in February, but due to a surge in COVID-19 cases, the mock practice was conducted first.

Mayor Seong Chang-hyun said, “There is no area of district administration unrelated to residents’ lives, so publicity is more important than anything else. We will actively work to strengthen employee capabilities until the day all staff become publicity officers.”

The district produces and posts card news on topics such as ▲Understanding press photos ▲Understanding the media environment ▲How to respond to reporters ▲Field administration ▲Responding to false reports ▲The five Ws and one H ▲Result reports that make publicity easier ▲How to highlight common projects of autonomous districts. The second half-year press practice will be conducted in November.