[Seoul District News] Jungnang-gu Opens ‘Mangwoo Majung Village Vitality Center’ on Former Mangwoo 3-dong Community Center Site on 31st; Houses Resident Community Space, Jungnang Village Support Center, Shared Childcare Room, Gender Equality Activity Center... Gangdong-gu to Construct 2nd District Sports Center with 3 Basement and 4 Above-Ground Floors, Scheduled for Completion in Late 2024... Songpa-gu Builds 174-Space Public Parking Lot on Donated Land in Geoye 2-1 District... Seodaemun-gu to Build Public Postpartum Care Center... Yeongdeungpo-gu Operates ‘Youth Woodworking Expert Training Program’... Next to Mapo Yusuji Public Parking Lot, Pet Dog Facility...
[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Jungnang-gu (Mayor Ryu Gyeong-gi) held the opening ceremony of the Mangwoo Majung Village Vitality Center (Mangwoo-dong 454-7) on the 31st of last month and has started its operation.
The newly opened Mangwoo Majung Village Vitality Center was built on the site where the Mangwoo 3-dong Community Service Center used to be, with a total floor area of 842㎡ (approximately 255 pyeong), consisting of one basement floor and four above-ground floors. It will be utilized as a shared space for the resident community, supporting space rental projects for resident meetings and education, as well as resident-led program operations.
Inside the Vitality Center, the basement floor houses a resident community space, the first floor includes a resident rest area and parking lot. The second floor contains a joint childcare room and a gender equality activity center, the third floor has a large conference room and small meeting rooms, and the fourth floor includes the Jungnang Village Support Center office, meeting rooms, and a rooftop garden.
At the opening ceremony held on the 31st, key guests, local residents, village activists, and resident organizations attended. The event included a progress report on the creation of the Village Vitality Center, a ribbon-cutting ceremony, and a facility tour.
Ryu Gyeong-gi, Mayor of Jungnang-gu, said, “I hope the Mangwoo Majung Village Vitality Center will serve as a hub space supporting residents’ gatherings and activities, contributing to the revitalization of the local community.” He added, “Since the Village Vitality Center is a space for residents, I ask for active participation and vigorous activities.”
Jungnang-gu currently has four Village Vitality Centers, including the newly opened Mangwoo Majung Village Vitality Center, Sangbong Majung (Mangwoo-ro 55-gil 19, 2nd floor), Gyeomjae Majung (Gyeomjae-ro 68, 1st-2nd floors), and Junghwa Majung (Dongil-ro 123-gil 13, 2nd floor). Including the Sagajeong Majung Village Vitality Center (Myeonmok-dong 496-12), scheduled for completion by the end of this year, there will be a total of five centers.
Gangdong-gu (Mayor Lee Jeong-hoon) announced that on March 31, a groundbreaking ceremony was held at 665-5 and 665-12 Gangil-dong for the construction of the 2nd Citizen Sports Center, a complex sports and cultural center where various sports leisure activities can be enjoyed, marking the official start of construction.
The 2nd Citizen Sports Center is the second multi-purpose sports center to be built in Gangdong-gu following the Onjo Daewang Cultural Sports Hall. The basic and detailed designs were completed in 2021, construction began in April 2022, and completion is planned for the second half of 2024.
The project site initially consisted of 665-5 Gangil-dong (1,763㎡), and in 2020, an additional 717㎡ was secured from part of the Gangil-dong public parking lot and tow truck storage site at 665-12 Gangil-dong, expanding the construction area. The 2nd Citizen Sports Center will cover a site area of 2,480㎡, a total floor area of 7,466㎡, with three basement floors and four above-ground floors, and a total project cost of 38.4 billion KRW.
Main facilities will include ▲a multi-purpose gymnasium (1,043㎡) where badminton, basketball, and volleyball can be played together ▲a swimming pool (25m × 6 lanes) ▲a small gymnasium (948㎡) ▲a fitness center ▲a spinning room ▲yoga and Pilates rooms, among others.
The 2nd Citizen Sports Center is expected to meet residents’ demand for participation in lifestyle sports and provide high-quality sports services by dispersing users from existing public sports facilities such as the Onjo Daewang Cultural Sports Hall and the Youth Sports Center.
Lee Jeong-hoon, Mayor of Gangdong-gu, said, “The construction of the 2nd Citizen Sports Center will help expand the base of lifestyle sports in Gangdong-gu and promote the health of residents.” He added, “The district will continue to prepare thoroughly to ensure the smooth completion of the 2nd Citizen Sports Center and do its best to promote lifestyle sports in Gangdong-gu.”
Songpa-gu (Mayor Park Seong-su) has created and begun full operation of the Resident Coexistence Parking Lot (hereafter Coexistence Parking Lot), a long-awaited facility for residents, on the donation land in Geoyeo-dong where redevelopment is underway.
Park Seong-su, Mayor of Songpa-gu, said, “The Geoyeo-dong Resident Coexistence Parking Lot is the first achievement of the ‘Geoyeo-Macheon Area Comprehensive Development Plan,’ which is being promoted for regional balanced development.” He added, “Above all, it is meaningful that residents’ opinions were actively reflected during the planning process, solving the parking problems that have caused inconvenience for a long time.”
The Coexistence Parking Lot was built on 5,636.9㎡ of future public land in Geoyeo 2-1 District (around 41-4 Geoyeo-dong) with 174 parking spaces.
The site was donated by the redevelopment association and is scheduled to be transferred to the district government in the second half of this year. The district plans to build an education and cultural complex center (tentative name) there by 2025.
However, considering that construction will take 3 to 4 years until commencement, the district first created the parking lot to help alleviate the parking shortage that residents have been experiencing.
In particular, the district operates the Coexistence Parking Lot as both a resident-priority parking area with 104 spaces allocated to local residents and a shared parking lot with 70 spaces that anyone visiting the nearby shops and stores can freely use, reflecting the characteristics of the area.
Through this, the district plans to provide parking convenience to residents and further revitalize the local commercial district.
Additionally, as a major transportation hub in central Seoul, the district is working to expand public parking lots in residential areas to solve residents’ parking problems. As part of the 7th local government administration’s pledge projects, it is promoting the construction of public parking lots at Samjeon Neighborhood Park and the old complex public office building in Bangi-dong, and is expanding resident-priority parking spaces, green parking projects, and parking sharing projects by discovering idle land.
Park Seong-su, Mayor of Songpa-gu, said, “Starting with the opening of this Coexistence Parking Lot, we will steadily promote the ‘Geoyeo-Macheon Area Comprehensive Development Plan’ to develop the Geoyeo-Macheon area in the direction residents want and make it a new premium residential city.”
Meanwhile, since last year, Mayor Park Seong-su has been promoting the ‘Geoyeo-Macheon Area Comprehensive Development Plan’ as the top priority project for regional balanced development. To this end, related research was completed in February, and various projects to improve residents’ quality of life are being pursued, including the construction of the Geoyeo 2-1 District Education and Cultural Complex Center, the Macheon 4 District Comprehensive Welfare Town, restoration of Seongnaecheon Stream, ecological attraction of Cheonma Park, and creation of parks within five minutes of living areas.
Seodaemun-gu (Mayor Moon Seok-jin) announced on the 1st that it will build a public postpartum care center in Bukgajwa 2-dong (Jeungga-ro 30-gil 45, 49, 51) to provide public health care services related to childbirth and to alleviate the economic burden on families with newborns.
The ‘Seodaemun-gu Public Postpartum Care Center’ will have a total floor area of 1,351㎡ with one basement floor and four above-ground floors, consisting of 12 mother-and-baby rooms (rooms where mothers and newborns stay together), a mother-child health center, and a parking lot.
The budget, including land acquisition and construction costs, is expected to be about 9.7 billion KRW. Construction is planned to be completed by October this year, so the first mothers are expected to be welcomed by the end of the year.
According to the ‘Seodaemun-gu Public Postpartum Care Center Installation, Operation, and Pregnant Women Support Ordinance’ enacted in December last year, the care center will provide health care services for postpartum care and health management of mothers and newborns, as well as maternal education programs.
The usage period is 14 days, and up to 312 mothers can be admitted annually.
The basic usage fee (for 14 days) is 2.5 million KRW, which is cheaper than private facilities. However, mothers who are basic livelihood security recipients, low-income families, multicultural families, or single-parent families can be admitted preferentially and receive a 50% discount on the basic usage fee.
Mothers who have been registered residents of Seodaemun-gu for more than one year based on the newborn’s birth date also receive a 10% discount on the basic usage fee.
Additionally, the ‘Mother-Child Health Center’ within the care center performs functions such as ▲health checkups and education related to pregnancy preparation ▲medical expense support for infertile couples ▲health management for pregnant women ▲preventive medical expense support for infants and young children.
Thus, the ‘Seodaemun-gu Public Postpartum Care Center’ will provide a one-stop comprehensive support service from pregnancy preparation to childbirth and childcare.
Currently, about 1,500 newborns are born annually in Seodaemun-gu, but there are only two private postpartum care centers in the area, making it difficult for residents to use them conveniently, and cost was also an issue for residents with financial difficulties.
Moon Seok-jin, Mayor of Seodaemun-gu, said, “One of the roles local governments can play in addressing low birth rates is building public postpartum care centers.” He added, “We will prepare well to increase resident satisfaction with the best services.”
The district held a groundbreaking ceremony at the new site on the 30th of last month and signed a business agreement with ‘Honey Naps,’ a postpartum care center advisory company, to ensure smooth preparation and operation of the care center.
Yeongdeungpo-gu (Mayor Chae Hyun-il) announced that it is operating a woodworking expert training course for local youth, striving to nurture professional woodworkers.
Since 2000, the district has operated woodworking expert training courses, linking them to employment and entrepreneurship in related fields, and supporting mentoring with current professionals to help youth build a foundation for independence and networks.
This year, new woodworking expert courses such as woodworking craftsman and furniture manufacturing craftsman will be operated, focusing on nurturing professionals and linking to employment and entrepreneurship.
The training will be conducted in five sessions from March to December. The first session runs until May 5 with 12 lectures, and the second session will start immediately after in May.
To prevent COVID-19 infection and allow direct instructor guidance, the number of students per class is limited to four. Instructors are current professionals who have won awards in furniture skills competitions or operate workshops, ensuring comprehensive transmission of woodworking skills used in the field.
The training consists of a basic class making simple items using basic woodworking materials and tools, an advanced class practicing actual furniture production, and an expert class aiming to acquire certifications such as woodworking craftsman and furniture manufacturing craftsman.
Additionally, theoretical education on the operation of hand tools, power tools, woodworking machines, characteristics and processing methods of various woods, safety management, and woodworking concepts will be conducted simultaneously.
The district will also provide consulting for workshop startups to graduates who complete the training, fully supporting their success in employment and entrepreneurship in the field.
The upcoming 2nd to 5th sessions are open to Seoul residents under 39 years old interested in woodworking. Application methods and training schedules can be found on the Yeongdeungpo-gu website.
The training is held at the Montov Workshop (65-1 Singil-ro) in Singil 5-dong. The training is free, but material costs are charged separately.
Chae Hyun-il, Mayor of Yeongdeungpo-gu, said, “This woodworking training is designed to focus on practical skills education and network building for employment and entrepreneurship so that youth can actively work as woodworking experts in the field.” He added, “We will continue to promote various cultural and artistic creative support projects, including woodworking education, so that young people can develop their capabilities and thrive in their desired fields.”
Mapo-gu (Mayor Yoo Dong-gyun) announced that it officially opened a dog playground for animal welfare on April 1. This is welcome news for dog owners looking for spaces where their dogs can run freely since the leash length was mandated to be kept within 2 meters during outings with dogs.
The dog playground, named ‘Daengdaengi Playground,’ was created at 36-4 Mapo-dong (next to Mapo Yusuji public parking lot), using the newly coined term ‘Daengdaengi,’ which replaces the sound ‘meong-meong’ (bark) with the similar-sounding ‘daeng-daeng’ to make it friendly and fun.
The playground covers 372㎡ and consists of one medium and small dog playground and one management office. Inside, there are play and training facilities such as stairs and obstacle courses, a dog drinking fountain to allow exercise without a leash, and pet etiquette education for owners. Shade tents and benches provide rest areas for owners.
Use is free for any dog registered with animal registration and under 40cm in height, along with their owners. Children under 13 can use the playground only when accompanied by an adult guardian.
Operating hours are Monday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., excluding public holidays, and during extreme heat or cold periods.
‘Mapo Daengdaengi Playground’ is the ninth public dog playground in Seoul and the fifth created by a district government independently.
The district explained that it created the playground independently because the single ‘World Cup Park Dog Playground’ established by Seoul City could not meet the demand of 17,000 dog owners for dog play spaces.
Additionally, since October last year, the district has established a five-year animal welfare plan, the first among Seoul districts, and is implementing various projects such as supporting adoption and medical expenses for abandoned animals, operating pet culture classes, and running animal protection honorary monitors.
A district official said, “We hope the opening of this dog playground will foster a mature pet culture and become a place for dog owners to exchange information.” He added, “We will also strive for animal welfare projects where animals can be happy.”
Gangnam-gu (Mayor Jung Soon-gyun) will establish a dedicated department for major accident prevention, the ‘Major Accident Prevention Office,’ on April 1.
Operating directly under the Deputy Mayor, the ‘Major Accident Prevention Office’ will serve as a control tower to protect workers and residents in Gangnam-gu from major accidents. It will be divided into two teams: the Major Industrial Accident Prevention Team and the Major Citizen Accident Prevention Team, with 11 staff members who will establish plans for industrial and citizen accident prevention and build a safety and health management system.
In this organizational restructuring, professional personnel were prioritized for placement in the office, and personnel appointments were made focusing on practical capabilities.
Earlier, ahead of the enforcement of the ‘Serious Accidents Punishment Act,’ on January 1, the district established the Major Accident Prevention Team within the Disaster Safety Division and formed the ‘Gangnam-gu Safety Management Advisory Group’ consisting of experts in industrial accidents, construction, and health fields. From January 20 to March 20, a ‘Major Accident Prevention Consulting Service’ was conducted to assess the risks of four major hazardous tasks (cleaning, park greenery, roads, and flood control) in the district and establish an annual safety and health management plan.
Jung Soon-gyun, Mayor of Gangnam-gu, said, “We established this dedicated department to protect the lives and property of residents from major accidents through proactive response.” He added, “We will continue to do our best to create a safe and livable city where everyone can live with peace of mind and feel the distinctiveness of ‘Gangnam is different.’”
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