Yuseonghun, Mayor of Geumcheon-gu, Operates Innovation TF for 8th Term District Administration

[Seoul District News] Geumcheon-gu Develops Action Plans for Early Achievement of 8th Term Election Promises and Policy Tasks with Efficient Organizational Design through Functional Adjustment and Reallocation... Gwanak-gu Operates Child Rights Monitoring Team... Seongdong-gu Concludes 'Dundun One Meal Nuliso' Program... Seodaemun-gu Opens 'Self Home Repair School for Single-Person Households'

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Geumcheon-gu (Mayor Yoo Seong-hoon) is operating the ‘Innovation TF for the 8th Term District Administration’ aimed at ‘strengthening the organization operation system centered on work and performance’ for prompt and well-structured district administration.

The Innovation TF consists of the Policy Coordination Team and the Administrative Innovation Team, which will establish practical measures for the early achievement of the 8th term election pledges and major policies, as well as basic directions for efficient organizational design.

The Policy Coordination Team will discuss ▲setting core projects ▲analyzing all pledges and practical measures ▲efficient organizational restructuring plans for pledge achievement, while the Administrative Innovation Team will propose ▲personnel system reform plans centered on work and performance ▲efficient organizational design through organizational function adjustment and office relocation ▲measures to improve work efficiency of ongoing and routine projects.

Geumcheon-gu plans to operate the TF for two weeks from June 10, starting with a general meeting, until June 24.

Mayor Yoo Seong-hoon of Geumcheon-gu said, “The 8th term must speedily promote election pledges and major policy projects to resolve residents’ long-standing demands such as regional development and urgent livelihood issues,” adding, “I hope this Innovation TF will be a time to organize tasks on how to prepare and lay the foundation for district administration.”

Gwanak-gu (Mayor Park Jun-hee) is operating the ‘2022 Gwanak-gu Child Rights Monitoring Group’ to directly listen to children’s voices and create a child-friendly city where children are the main agents.

The ‘Child Rights Monitoring Group’ is a participatory body that listens directly to children’s voices and reflects their opinions in policies. It acts as a rights guardian who considers community issues from children’s perspectives that adults might overlook, playing a role in promoting children’s participation rights and involving them in district administration.

The district launched the ‘2022 Gwanak-gu Child Rights Monitoring Group’ last May in collaboration with the nonprofit organization Good Neighbors. The monitoring group consists of a total of 51 members (10 mentors and 41 children) ranging from elementary to high school students in the area.

The Child Rights Monitoring Group engages in various child rights activities such as ▲child rights education and session-based activities, exploring and practicing child rights protection activities ▲policy proposal activities reflecting children’s needs considering regional characteristics ▲conducting community awareness improvement campaigns, and producing child rights and policy UCCs.

Since 2019, the district has started the Child Rights Monitoring Group activities to create a city where children are happy, presenting various opinions and policies. In 2020, it reflected four projects in policies including the creation of a child-friendly play environment at Seonbong Children’s Park and the installation and operation of a smoke-free bell incorporating children’s voices in 2021.

The district has introduced the four fundamental rights of children (survival, protection, development, participation) as stipulated in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child throughout district administration, actively promoting child-friendly policies and projects, and was certified as a child-friendly city by UNICEF in March 2020.

Additionally, the district operates an ombudsman for child rights relief, assigns dedicated officials for child abuse, produces a child-friendly budget book, and promotes various projects. It also strives to realize children’s rights and fundamental rights through business agreements with local fire stations, police stations, and education support offices for the promotion of a child-friendly city.

Mayor Park Jun-hee said, “Guaranteeing children’s participation rights, recognizing children not as objects of rights but as subjects, is the most important element of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child,” adding, “We will actively promote child-friendly policies to secure children’s participation rights and provide emotional support to children emotionally isolated due to COVID-19.”

Seongdong-gu (Mayor Jung Won-oh)’s ‘Dundun One Meal Nuri-so’ ended its operation on May 19 in Majang-dong.

‘Dundun One Meal Nuri-so’ operated a total of 109 times from February last year to last month, assisting 21,205 residents. The value of the supported goods amounts to approximately 270 million KRW. Together with various welfare organizations in the area, comprehensive welfare counseling was provided to a total of 325 people, achieving valuable results in eliminating welfare blind spots through public welfare benefit payments and linking and supporting private resources.

‘Dundun One Meal Nuri-so’ is a project that supports goods voluntarily donated by local companies and residents to crisis families facing difficulties in daily life. To provide a hearty meal, food items such as rice, instant rice, ramen, canned food, and seaweed were stocked at local base locations, allowing Seongdong-gu residents who suddenly face livelihood difficulties due to COVID-19 and cold waves to freely take food.

At the initial operation (February 2021), considering residents’ accessibility, display shelves were installed at four locations outside community centers such as Haengdang 1-dong and Geumho 2-3 ga-dong, making it easy to use from outside. Over 5,300 people benefited in that month, and the expected donated goods more than doubled, activating sharing.

‘Dundun One Meal Nuri-so,’ carried out through small donations, gained momentum for extended operation through active participation of local residents and companies. From March last year, welfare services linked with community centers were provided at ‘Ongdalsem,’ a resident autonomy lounge located next to Haengdang 1-dong Community Center in Seongdong-gu.

Selecting fields of greatest interest such as welfare, housing, jobs, and mental health checkups, a ‘Visiting Hope Welfare Counseling Center’ was operated. Thanks to high resident response, from the second half of the year, it moved to Seongsu Cultural Welfare Center, Geumho 1-ga dong, and Seongdong Comprehensive Social Welfare Center to allow more residents to use it.

In particular, ‘Dundun One Meal Nuri-so’ is evaluated as a successful operation based on public-private cooperation. At the beginning of operation, social distancing was practiced, and local community security council members and the Fruit of Love Sharing Volunteer Group actively volunteered for sharing events such as donated goods display. Seongdong-gu Office (Welfare Policy Division) and Seongdong Hope Food Sharing Center cooperated actively to support vulnerable residents.

Donation boxes were installed in the district office and community center offices, and staff also participated in donations. Three comprehensive social welfare centers (Seongdong, Oksu, Seongsu), Seongdong Volunteer Center, and local community security councils, along with district office sanitation workers, also donated many goods.

For the operation of the ‘Visiting Hope Welfare Counseling Center’ conducted with ‘Dundun One Meal Nuri-so,’ active cooperation was made with Seongdong-gu Public Health Center, Seongdong Housing Welfare Center, Seongdong Hope Job Center, Seongdong Mental Health Welfare Center, Oksu Comprehensive Social Welfare Center, Seongdong Senior Comprehensive Welfare Center, and Seongdong Disabled Comprehensive Welfare Center.

There were cases such as an elderly person who was lonely staying at home daily but was able to receive information about programs at Seongdong Senior Comprehensive Welfare Center, and Mr. Kim (58), who obtained job information nearby and decided to receive in-depth counseling by phone. Notably, a high-risk depression case was discovered through selective testing and linked to various programs at Seongdong Mental Health Welfare Center for continuous management.

Mayor Jung Won-oh of Seongdong-gu said, “‘Dundun One Meal Nuri-so,’ which has played the role of a guardian for welfare blind spots with numerous heartwarming cases, was selected as one of the ‘Top 10 News of Seongdong-gu’ last year, receiving high praise and response from residents,” adding, “As a welfare advanced culture was created through voluntary donations and participation amid the COVID-19 crisis, we will continue efforts to discover welfare blind spots through public-private cooperation projects such as ‘Activation of Donation Food Provision’ promoted with Seongdong Hope Food Sharing Center.”

Seodaemun-gu (Mayor Moon Seok-jin) will hold a ‘Self Home Repair School’ for single-person households in the area every Thursday from 7 to 11 p.m. at the Green Zone Cooperative lecture room (8, Hongeunjungang-ro 8-gil), near Hongeun 1-dong Community Center, from June 30 to August 18.

The education consists of a total of 8 sessions covering ▲handling tools ▲building a mini house frame ▲replacing electrical materials, LED lights, and ventilators ▲replacing switches and outlets ▲replacing sink and bathroom faucets and pipes ▲door installation and defect repair ▲replacing screens ▲installing curtains and blinds.

Applicants can download the application form from the Seodaemun-gu website notice board, fill it out, and submit it by email by June 24.

Eight people will be recruited on a first-come, first-served basis, and the tuition fee is 50,000 KRW. The district plans to award certificates of completion to those who attend at least 7 out of the 8 sessions.

Mayor Moon Seok-jin of Seodaemun-gu said, “I hope this education, which teaches basic and practical home repair skills, will help improve the living environment of single-person household residents.” For more details, please contact the Seodaemun-gu Urban Regeneration Division or the Green Zone Cooperative.