Support of 400,000 Won Welfare Points Per Person for 200 Workers in Geumcheon-gu

[Seoul District News] Geumcheon-gu Provides Emergency Living Support Funds to 11,000 Low-Income Vulnerable Households in Mapo-gu... Geumcheon-gu Targets Small and Medium Enterprises with 5 to 50 Regular Employees Located in Geumcheon-gu... Operates 246 Heat Relief Shelters to Prepare for Summer Heatwaves... Dobong-gu Village Social Economy Support Center Hosts '2022 Dobong-gu Social Economy Week' in July

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Geumcheon-gu (Mayor Yoo Sung-hoon) announced that it will participate in the 'Seoul Enterprise Welfare Plus' project hosted by the Seoul Business Agency (SBA) to improve the welfare of small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) workers and support employment stability in SMEs.

'Seoul Enterprise Welfare Plus' is a project that supports part of the welfare points for SME workers. It was promoted through cooperation between Geumcheon-gu and the Seoul Business Agency (SBA) to reduce the burden on SMEs operating employee welfare systems.

Eligibility for application includes SMEs located in Geumcheon-gu with 5 to 50 regular employees. It plans to support welfare points worth approximately 400,000 KRW per person for 200 workers.

Applications can be submitted on the Seoul Business Agency (SBA) website from June 29 to July 12. Geumcheon-gu will give preference to companies certified as youth enterprises in Geumcheon-gu before the project announcement date ('22.6.29.) to promote the youth enterprise certification system initiated this year, followed by companies with higher self-contribution amounts.

Workers of companies selected for support can purchase desired products and services with the allocated points through the Seoul Enterprise Joint Welfare Mall from July to November, and can request gifts to be delivered on designated anniversaries.

At the end of May, Geumcheon-gu also promoted the 'Seoul Enterprise Health Promotion Project,' which partially supports health checkup expenses as one of the welfare systems for SME workers.

Yoo Sung-hoon, Mayor of Geumcheon-gu, said, "We hope this SME worker welfare support project will help reduce the welfare gap between large corporations and SMEs, even if only slightly. We will continue to consult with related organizations to create a stable employment environment for Geumcheon G-Valley companies and discover various corporate support projects." For more details, inquiries can be made to the Geumcheon-gu Office Regional Economy Division.

Mapo-gu (Mayor Yoo Dong-gyun) announced that it began distributing emergency living support funds from the 27th to low-income households struggling due to the economic downturn and rapid price increases following COVID-19.

The support targets approximately 11,000 households as of May 29, including ▲basic livelihood security recipients ▲legally designated lower-income groups ▲single-parent families receiving child-rearing support.

The support amount varies by household size and eligibility: livelihood and medical recipients receive 400,000 KRW per person (1 million KRW for four persons), and ▲housing ▲education ▲lower-income ▲single-parent households receive 300,000 KRW per person (750,000 KRW for four persons).

This temporary emergency living support fund, totaling 4.7 billion KRW from national budget, is provided via rechargeable prepaid cards. Without a separate application, recipients can visit their local community service center with ID by July 29 to receive the card.

Usage is allowed at retail stores (supermarkets, convenience stores, etc.), dining establishments, and food stores (agricultural, marine products, butcher shops, etc.), but restricted at entertainment, leisure, and gift certificate businesses. The card usage period is until December 31 of this year.

An official from the district said, "We hope this will greatly help low-income households with high consumption of daily necessities amid rising raw material and price increases due to recent international situations. We will do our best to ensure no inconvenience in card issuance."

Gangdong-gu (Mayor Lee Jung-hoon) will operate 246 heatwave shelters in preparation for the full-scale summer heatwave this year.

These heatwave shelters, set up at the district office and 19 community service centers, 120 senior centers, welfare facilities, and safety accommodations, will remain open until September 30, when the heat typically subsides.

Heatwave shelters operate regularly from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays, with six senior centers with excellent accessibility in each zone extending hours until 9 p.m. When a heatwave advisory is issued, the shelters at the district office and 19 community centers will operate continuously from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends and holidays.

For residents vulnerable to heatwaves due to poor living conditions, safe accommodations are provided for July and August to avoid tropical nights.

To this end, the district signed agreements with Harmony Tourist Hotel and Bago Tourist Hotel located in Gangdong-gu, allowing use from 6 p.m. on the day a heatwave advisory is issued until 9 a.m. the next day.

Eligible for safe accommodation support are residents aged 60 or older in the district who are living alone, low-income, or in vulnerable housing conditions. They can apply by visiting their local community service center or through proxy applications by life managers or visiting nurses.

After applying and receiving confirmation from the district office, applicants should bring their ID to the safe accommodation. Use is discouraged if COVID-19 symptoms are suspected.

An official stated, "Since the average temperature is expected to be high this year, we will make every effort to operate heatwave shelters thoroughly. These spaces are open to all local residents anytime, and we hope many residents exhausted by the summer heat will use them."

Dobong-gu (Mayor Lee Dong-jin) Village Social Economy Support Center will hold the '2022 Dobong-gu Social Economy Week' both online and offline for two weeks from July 1 to 14 to broaden public consensus on social economy and expand sales channels for local social economy enterprises.

First, from July 1 to 14, the center will operate an open market called 'Gachiro Store' where products from Dobong-gu social economy enterprises can be purchased in one place. On the last two days, July 13 and 14, a special exhibition featuring the best products from 'Gachiro Store' will be held on 'Naver Shopping Live.'

Continuing from last year, 'Gachiro Store' involves eight companies selling ▲eco-friendly backpacks ▲interior crafts ▲handmade pouches ▲socks ▲DIY succulent kits for children ▲zero-waste products ▲fair trade coffee and ethical tuna ▲sustainable food culture magazines.

Participating companies and products can be checked from July 1 on the 'Gachiro Store' website or the 'Dobong-gu Social Economy Platform.'

The center will also hold a reopening event for 'Dobong SE Market' located at Exit 2 of Chang-dong Station starting July 1.

Dobong SE Market is a 'social economy and fair trade promotion and sales center' designed to conveniently meet and purchase products from social economy enterprises and fair trade organizations. It was remodeled in June this year to become a consumer-friendly 'space people want to enter.'

The reopening event includes a 'Lucky Box Draw' and 'Discount Coupon Issuance.' The event runs until supplies last, and coupons can be used until the end of the year.

Jung Hyun-hye, head of the Village Social Economy Support Center, said, "We hope the Dobong-gu Social Economy Week will provide significant support to social economy enterprises that have been stagnant due to COVID-19. We expect it to be a time for social economy enterprises to develop sales channels and for residents to experience value consumption."