Seongdong 50 Plus Center Opens... Installation of Symbolic Sculpture for Hongdae Cultural Arts Tourism Zone

[Seoul District News] Seongdong-gu Establishes Hub Spaces Including ‘Startup Preparation Office,’ ‘Media Room,’ ‘Community Room,’ and ‘Cafe’ for 50s Generation; Launches Customized Projects Like ‘Life Redesign’ and ‘Social Participation’ from June... Mapo-gu Exhibits 5-Layered Hangul Design and Doll Characters Representing Hongdae Festival Street Tourist Zone... Yangcheon-gu Opens Mokdong Kkaebi Market Customer Parking Lot and Sharing Center... Yongsan-gu Publishes Lifelong Learning Comprehensive Newsletter ‘Baeum Together’

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Seongdong-gu (Mayor Jung Won-oh) will open the 'Seongdong 50 Plus Center' on the 29th.

The 'Seongdong 50 Plus Center,' the first facility established in Seongdong-gu for middle-aged people aged 50 and over, covers an area of 1,071.3㎡ and consists of various spaces such as classrooms, computer rooms, and counseling rooms that can be used by generations before and after retirement.

To support entrepreneurship and organization establishment for middle-aged people, the center provides basic infrastructure such as office space and office equipment in the 'Startup Preparation Office,' as well as spaces like the 'Computer Room' and 'Media Room' where essential competencies needed in the Fourth Industrial Revolution era can be developed.

There are also spaces such as the 'Community Room' where people with similar interests can communicate with each other, a healing space where various cultural and artistic programs like exhibitions, concerts, and book concerts can be enjoyed, and places like 'Cafe Bomi' where cooking programs are available, making it a comfortable place for local residents to visit and stay.

Located in Haengdang-dong (241 Wangsimni-ro), it is accessible within 10 minutes from Hanyang University Station on Line 2 and Wangsimni Station on Lines 2, 5, Gyeongui-Jungang Line, and Bundang Line, and within 5 minutes from bus stops. It also has ample parking facilities, making it convenient for visitors using vehicles.

The age group from 50 to 65, often called the Baby Boomer generation, was born during a period of social and economic stability after experiencing wars and other hardships. In Korea, this generation led economic growth and is characterized by particularly high educational levels and rich social experiences.

As the oldest age group just before entering old age among the economically active population, there are a total of 68,509 people in this generation in Seongdong-gu (as of November 2021), accounting for 24% of the total population. Therefore, the district is actively working to help them prepare for their second life.

Following the enactment of the Ordinance on Support for the Second Life of Middle-aged People in Seongdong-gu (March 2021), the district has been promoting the installation of 'Second Life Support Facilities,' focusing on building infrastructure for middle-aged people, which has been lacking compared to numerous facilities for seniors aged 60 and over such as welfare centers and senior classrooms.

Along with support for income activities such as reemployment, the district is preparing comprehensive support policies including life redesign and social participation. Using the 'Seongdong 50 Plus Center' as a base, it plans to fully launch customized 'Second Life Projects' starting in June.

The 'Second Life Project' consists of 'Life Planning,' which redesigns the overall structure of life including peer counseling and preparation for a new daily life, and 'Work and Activity Support' programs that help middle-aged people utilize their experience and wisdom for social activities. The project also includes '50+ Participant Support Projects' such as open lectures and village schools that utilize the expertise and talents of the 50s generation, aiming to cheer on the vibrant daily lives of the still energetic middle-aged population.

Jung Won-oh, Mayor of Seongdong-gu, said, "I salute the 50s and 60s generation who have run without looking back and with dedication," and added, "Through the carefully and richly prepared Seongdong 50 Plus Center, we will create a city where life after 50 is secure and where anyone can dream of the future."

Mapo-gu announced that it has installed a symbolic sculpture on Hongdae Festival Street to promote the Hongdae Culture and Arts Tourism Special Zone to domestic and international tourists.

The sculpture measures 4.5m in width, 1.6m in height, and 1m in depth, featuring a five-layer colorful Hangul design representing the tourism special zone and a doll character playing an electric guitar.

The Hangul design sculpture uses the 'Mapo Danginri Power Plant' font, one of the Mapo brand fonts. The five overlapping colored letters visually express the beauty of Hangul to the world and symbolize the diversity of the Hongdae area harmonizing with the city.

The Mapo brand font was created by nine young people as part of Mapo-gu's youth job project, reflecting the local characteristics of Mapo. Nine types are registered in Hancom Office, and three types are scheduled to be included in MS Office.

The district installed the character sculpture symbolizing youth, passion, and culture and arts of the Hongdae area alongside the letter sculpture to provide enjoyment and fun to tourists and plans to use it as a photo zone.

Since the Hongdae area was designated as a tourism special zone in December 2021, this character was created and will be actively used to promote the Hongdae Culture and Arts Tourism Special Zone as a mascot in various forms such as keychains, magnets, and dolls.

Meanwhile, starting with the installation of this symbolic sculpture, the district plans to continuously provide various performances and exhibitions filling Hongdae Festival Street to comfort citizens exhausted by COVID-19 and help the local tourism industry return to normal life.

A district official said, "It is very meaningful that a symbolic sculpture promoting the Hongdae Culture and Arts Tourism Special Zone was installed at a time when the return to daily life after COVID-19 is approaching," and added, "We hope the letter and character sculptures representing Hongdae will become good memories for tourists visiting Mapo."

Yangcheon-gu (Mayor Kim Soo-young) held the opening ceremony of the 'Mokdong Kkaebi Market Customer Parking Lot and Sharing Center (208 Deungchon-ro)' at 2 p.m. on the 27th.

The Mokdong Kkaebi Market Customer Parking Lot & Sharing Center was created as a communication space that revitalizes the local commercial district and allows all generations from children to the elderly to gather and use together.

Construction began in May 2020, with a total investment of 20.47 billion KRW, covering a total area of 3,698.23㎡ from the second basement floor to the fourth floor above ground.

Main facilities include ▲Customer Parking Lot, ▲Mokdong Senior Smart Education Center, ▲Cafe Masilda-sil, ▲Toy Library & Shared Childcare Room, ▲Our Neighborhood Care Center, and ▲Metropolitan Job Cafe.

Yangcheon-gu (Mayor Kim Soo-young) held the opening ceremony of the 'Mokdong Kkaebi Market Customer Parking Lot and Sharing Center (208 Deungchon-ro)' at 2 p.m. on the 27th.

The Mokdong Kkaebi Market Customer Parking Lot & Sharing Center was created as a communication space that revitalizes the local commercial district and allows all generations from children to the elderly to gather and use together.

Construction began in May 2020, with a total investment of 20.47 billion KRW, covering a total area of 3,698.23㎡ from the second basement floor to the fourth floor above ground.

Main facilities include ▲Customer Parking Lot, ▲Mokdong Senior Smart Education Center, ▲Cafe Masilda-sil, ▲Toy Library & Shared Childcare Room, ▲Our Neighborhood Care Center, and ▲Metropolitan Job Cafe.

Yongsan-gu (Mayor Sung Chang-hyun) published 3,000 copies of the 14th issue of the lifelong learning program comprehensive information magazine 'Learning Together' and distributed them to multiple public facilities.

The district has been producing the lifelong education comprehensive information magazine for 14 years to improve the quality of life of residents through learning and to strengthen the network among lifelong education institutions in the region.

The 14th issue of Learning Together is A5 size (148mm width x 210mm height), 90 pages long. It includes ▲the status of lifelong education institutions such as libraries and museums in the region, ▲lifelong education programs operated by the district office, community centers, welfare centers, cultural centers, and youth training centers, ▲programs operated by institutions such as libraries and museums, and ▲a lifelong learning map of Yongsan-gu.

The major lifelong education institutions introduced in Learning Together include a total of 77 places such as the Yongsan-gu Lifelong Learning Center, private facilities, libraries, and museums. The district included operating hours, addresses, contact information, and website URLs to make it easy for residents to use lifelong education facilities in the region.

Lifelong education programs cover all generations, including preschool children, school-age children, adolescents, adults, and those aged 60 and over, with courses ranging from general education to qualification acquisition and employment linkage.

In March, the district completed distribution of the magazine with 1,600 copies to community centers, 1,000 copies to lifelong education institutions, and 400 copies to each department of the district office, and posted image files on the Yongsan-gu website and the Yongsan-gu Education Comprehensive Portal.

Mayor Sung Chang-hyun of Yongsan-gu quoted a passage from the Book of Rites, "Jade cannot become a vessel without being polished, and a person cannot know righteousness without learning," and said, "I hope Yongsan families find the meaning of life and enrich their lives through learning."

In June 2016, the district opened the Yongsan-gu Lifelong Learning Center and was selected as a lifelong learning city by the Ministry of Education. In 2018, it joined the UNESCO Global Network of Learning Cities and continues to promote lifelong education projects.