Dongjak-gu Senior Centers to Reopen Starting the 25th

[Seoul District News] Dongjak-gu Operates Senior Centers for Members Completed 3rd Vaccine Dose from 9 AM to 6 PM on Weekdays with Infection Control Officers; Meals Allowed When Social Distancing Observed from May 2... Dongdaemun-gu Launches Happy Memory Campaign... Eunpyeong-gu Publishes 2022 Welfare Project Guidebook... Gwangjin-gu Recruits Participants for 2022 Daily Learning Center Programs... Yangcheon-gu Establishes Financial Administration System for Transparent Public Fund Management... Seodaemun-gu Implements Child Protection Zones in All Areas

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Dongjak-gu (Mayor Lee Chang-woo) will resume the operation of 141 senior centers, which had been suspended since December last year due to the spread of the COVID-19 Omicron variant, starting from the 25th.

Before reopening the senior centers, the district plans to conduct monthly disinfection and quarantine through professional companies, check the status of electricity and gas supply, inspect the operation of air conditioners and refrigerators in preparation for summer, and examine facilities for leaks and mold.

Due to the persistent risk of group infections with increased users, a quarantine officer will be designated and operated within each senior center. Additionally, quarantine supplies such as hand sanitizers and thermometers will be provided, and regular disinfection and sanitation will be carried out.

Only senior center members who have completed the third dose of the COVID-19 vaccine and whose vaccination status is confirmed will be allowed entry. Operating hours are from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays. Vaccination certificates can be issued by vaccination institutions, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency's COOV app, or local community centers.

Face-to-face programs such as informatization education, health walking at base senior centers, and bean sprout cultivation, which are part of the senior center activation project, will also be operated. However, those who have not received the third dose can participate in online non-face-to-face programs. Starting May 2, meals will be allowed if social distancing by sitting apart is observed, and individual consumption of beverages such as water is permitted.

Furthermore, welfare facilities such as comprehensive social welfare centers, daycare centers, and facilities for the disabled, which had been operating with restrictions to non-face-to-face and small-scale programs, will normalize operations by providing face-to-face activities such as hobby and leisure programs and psychological support.

Lee Sun-hee, Director of the Senior and Disabled Persons Division, said, "Through the reopening of senior centers and normalization of welfare center operations, we hope to alleviate the depression and isolation experienced so far and help seniors regain happiness and a healthy daily life."

Meanwhile, on the 18th, the district held a disaster safety quarantine policy meeting to prepare post-COVID-19 response measures in line with the government's full lifting of social distancing. The meeting discussed plans to revitalize the local economy and organize local festivals for resident communication to ensure safe daily lives for citizens.

"I want to try the VR experience too"

On the 18th, seniors watching the 'Smart Dementia Prevention Cognitive Experience' memory-finding campaign held at Hongneung Neighborhood Park in Dongdaemun-gu eagerly signed up one after another to participate in the experience program.

Dongdaemun-gu (Mayor Yoo Deok-yeol) Dementia Safety Center (Director Kim Jong-woo) conducted the 'Memory Finding Campaign' on the 18th at Hongneung Neighborhood Park to convey the message that while dementia has no exceptions, prevention is possible. This campaign will continue for two weeks at Hongneung Neighborhood Park and Baebongsan Neighborhood Park until next week.

The 'Memory Finding Campaign' operates programs such as early dementia screening, professional counseling, and dementia prevention cognitive activities through bracelet making. It also includes exhibitions of drawings and crafts created by seniors through art therapy classes.

In particular, the campaign attracts local residents' attention by operating an experience zone where they can directly try various smart cognitive programs conducted at the Memory Care School, including the 'Dementia Cognitive Program VR Experience.'

Additionally, a dementia prevention signboard displaying dementia risk factors, prevention methods, and dementia prevention health clapping is installed in one corner of the park, creating a dementia-friendly park where visitors can easily follow the health clapping for dementia prevention.

Resident Bae OO from Cheongnyangni-dong, who participated in the campaign, said, "On this sunny spring day, coming out to the park and participating in the campaign in nature made me feel like I was on a childhood picnic. Trying the amazing VR experience felt like traveling the world, and it was refreshing as if my mind was cleared. It's truly amazing," expressing joy.

Kim Jong-woo, Director of Dongdaemun-gu Dementia Safety Center, said, "I hope this campaign inspires hope for dementia seniors and serves as a good opportunity to inform local residents about dementia. The Dongdaemun-gu Dementia Safety Center will continue to strive to build a dementia-friendly environment where dementia seniors and their families can live safely together with local residents."

Eunpyeong-gu has published the '2022 Eunpyeong Welfare Guide,' a booklet that provides an overview of major welfare system changes and new implementations this year.

The 'Eunpyeong Welfare Guide' is a comprehensive guide to welfare projects in Eunpyeong-gu, produced annually by the district since 2009. It covers various welfare benefits including the National Basic Livelihood Security Program and the social service electronic voucher program.

The booklet provides detailed information by project, including the responsible department, eligibility, selection criteria, and application methods to help residents and frontline workers understand the programs.

This year's edition includes the latest information on 110 welfare projects across nine fields. It organizes various welfare services in key areas such as low-income groups, women, families, seniors, persons with disabilities, housing, employment, healthcare, and various vouchers in an easy-to-understand manner.

Newly implemented projects this year include the Eunpyeong-gu citizen bicycle insurance, infant allowance support, Hope Savings Account (I, II) projects, and Youth Tomorrow Savings Account project. The bicycle insurance is a district-wide program to protect citizens from bicycle accidents. More details can be found in the booklet.

The booklet also includes QR codes for each project to enhance mobile convenience. Anyone can easily access welfare information by scanning the QR codes with a smartphone.

The booklet is available at welfare-related departments, community centers, welfare facilities, and multi-use facilities with good citizen access such as hair salons and churches. Online viewing is also available on the Eunpyeong-gu website under the menu 'Information by Field - Welfare - Other Welfare Information - Eunpyeong Welfare Guide.'

Gwangjin-gu is recruiting participants on a first-come, first-served basis for the '2022 Daily Learning Center Program' to provide lifelong learning opportunities in everyday life.

The 'Daily Learning Center' is a citizen participation budget project that utilizes idle time and spaces in local facilities as learning spaces to make lifelong learning easily accessible to residents.

Gwangjin-gu will operate 15 Daily Learning Centers this year, expanding by 8 locations compared to last year. Eleven centers are evenly designated by region, and four space-support type centers are used as learning spaces.

This time, the Daily Learning Centers will offer 14 diverse programs including picture book therapy, 3D printing crafts, miniature crafts, hand-building pottery experience, pop art, calligraphy, and acoustic guitar. Gwangjin-gu aims to provide high-quality lifelong learning opportunities by operating programs linked to institutional characteristics and local resources.

Each program will start between April 25 and May 12, with class sizes ranging from 4 to 20 participants. All programs run one day a week for 2 to 3 hours, are free of charge, but require separate material costs.

Residents wishing to participate can apply through the Gwangjin-gu lifelong learning portal site or the Gwangjin-gu Office Education Support Division.

Meanwhile, various other programs will sequentially start and operate until July 19 at the Daily Learning Centers.

Um Eui-sik, Acting Mayor of Gwangjin-gu, said, "Operating the Daily Learning Centers is significant in enhancing residents' access and universality to lifelong learning by sharing idle spaces in local facilities. We ask for active participation and support from many residents in the various programs starting this time."

Yangcheon-gu (Mayor Kim Soo-young) announced that it has established a systematic financial administration system capable of transparent management from public fund account opening to execution and post-supervision.

Amid frequent public fund embezzlement incidents in public institutions and companies recently, the district has been making every effort to prepare measures to completely block embezzlement and accounting fraud.

First, the district collaborated with the treasury bank to conduct a full survey of public fund accounts, closed unnecessary accounts, and mandated that new account openings must be requested through the Finance Department to the treasury bank in advance.

Also, account subsidiary names must include the department name and purpose to ensure accounts are used appropriately. Furthermore, withdrawal functions were removed from all ordinary deposit accounts, internet banking?which has a high risk of embezzlement?was prohibited, and daily minimum withdrawal limits were set. Withdrawal transactions not processed through the local finance management system are only allowed via official documents, strengthening procedures.

Additionally, petty cashiers continuously monitor unusual deposit and withdrawal details of department expenses, and department heads are institutionalized to approve and supervise petty cash and Zero Pay account transactions quarterly. The Finance Department, responsible for expenditure and fund management, plans to inspect detailed execution cases of petty cash, corporate cards, and Zero Pay accounts semi-annually. A full survey and cleanup of bank accounts will also be conducted at least once a year in cooperation with the audit department to secure additional safeguards.

Moreover, to address the drawback that public fund accounts cannot receive direct external deposits, a dedicated fund revenue account was opened. This enables payers to directly pay the treasury bank without going through the fund department, establishing a revenue management system to ensure flawless public fund management.

A Finance Department official said, "Through the newly established financial administration system, we will thoroughly operate it to prevent fraudulent acts at the source and further enhance the transparency of the district's financial fund management and public fund account administration."

Seodaemun-gu (Mayor Moon Seok-jin) announced on the 20th that it recently painted yellow on the curbstones between sidewalks and roadways along the entire 3.2 km sections of the school zones for Goeun, Gajaeul, and Bukgajwa Elementary Schools in the district.

Although there are guide signs at both ends of the school zones, the district painted the curbstones yellow throughout the entire protection zone to continuously alert drivers whose attention may be scattered by street facilities, navigation systems, and surveillance cameras, thereby enhancing the safety of pedestrians including children.

The district considered installing plastic materials and anti-slip pavement methods but chose yellow paint after comprehensively reviewing durability and cost-effectiveness to clearly distinguish sidewalks from roadways in the school zones.

Additionally, the curbstones have alternating inscriptions of 'School Zone' and 'No Parking or Stopping' at 5-meter intervals.

The district plans to expand the project to other schools after collecting opinions from school officials and parents and conducting monitoring.

Moon Seok-jin, Mayor of Seodaemun-gu, said, "This project is being promoted to clearly notify drivers that they are in a school zone, encouraging them to slow down and drive safely to prevent traffic accidents on school routes."

Seongbuk-gu will open applications for the '2022 Seongbuk-gu Sharing Promotion Project' starting April 20. This project aims to create social value and solve various local problems by sharing local idle spaces, residents' diverse items, talents, and experiences.

The Seongbuk-gu Sharing Promotion Project began in 2015 and has supported a total of 29 sharing projects (organizations) with about 174 million KRW in funding. In 2021, five organizations in Seongbuk-gu participated, revitalizing the alley economy through urban cultural content discovery and providing meals to local elderly living alone through temple food cooking classes.

Also, in cooperation with welfare institutions in Seongbuk-gu, the 'Seongbuk Generation Balance Project' operated cultural programs combining talent sharing by young and middle-aged adults, zero waste, art, and cooking, providing residents with an easier and more familiar opportunity to understand the value of sharing (共享).

The '2022 Seongbuk-gu Sharing Promotion Public Project' will recruit participating organizations until May 5. Eligible projects include those that utilize idle spaces for space-sharing, share infrequently used items, share intangible resources such as residents' knowledge, experience, and talents, or link education, culture, and arts resources to activate the local sharing economy or solve urban (social) problems through sharing.

Applicants must be non-profit private organizations, small and medium enterprises, social enterprises, or cooperatives located in the area or targeting local residents. Application forms can be downloaded from the Seongbuk-gu Office website (District News → Notices and Announcements) and submitted via email after completion.

Submitted projects will be reviewed by the Seongbuk-gu Sharing Promotion Committee and the Local Subsidy Deliberation Committee, with final selections announced at the end of May. Selected projects will receive funding up to a total of 25 million KRW (maximum 10 million KRW per project).