Geumcheon-gu Parents Become Experts in Child Career and College Admission Consulting

[Seoul District News] Geumcheon-gu Conducts Career and College Admission Certification Course for Parents... Jongno-gu Holds ‘Hanbok Photo’ Contest Evoking Memories... Guro-gu Offers 2023 College Admission Special Lectures and Counseling... Gwanak-gu Fully Resumes Community Center Programs... Seongdong-gu ‘Life Department Store’ Video Contest

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Geumcheon-gu (Mayor Yoo Sung-hoon) newly opened and conducted the ‘Career and College Admission Specialist Qualification Course for Parents’ targeting parents of elementary, middle, and high school students.

The ‘Career and College Admission Specialist Qualification Course for Parents’ is a new program of the ‘Parents Academy,’ which has been operated since last year to train parents as career, college admission, and learning planners, and was established reflecting parents’ suggestions.

The career and college admission specialist qualification course held at the Geumcheon Career and College Admission Support Center from June 28 to 30 over six sessions consisted of ▲Career development theory and understanding adolescent development ▲Understanding and utilization of diagnostic tools for career counseling ▲Understanding the college admission system reform after the 2024 academic year ▲Reading admission guidelines focusing on career and college admission terminology, receiving positive responses from parents.

All 19 parents who participated in the program obtained the ‘Career Counseling Specialist Level 3’ certificate issued by the Korea Education Consulting Institute after completing the course and evaluation. One parent said, “It was a very beneficial time because the guidance on career and college admission, which I thought was difficult, was explained easily and in detail.”

Geumcheon-gu plans to conduct the ‘Career and College Admission Specialist Qualification Course for Parents’ again with the same content from August 30 to September 1.

Yoo Sung-hoon, Mayor of Geumcheon-gu, congratulated the 19 parents who completed the entire course and said, “Education should be a path to growth,” adding, “We will continue to operate various educational programs to help ease parents’ concerns about career and college admission.”

Jongno-gu (Mayor Jeong Moon-heon) is holding the ‘2022 Jongno Hanbok Photo Contest’ to widely promote the beauty of our traditional Korean clothing, Hanbok, and to solidify the identity of Jongno as the first place of Korean culture.

The photo contest, started in 2018 to contribute to the development and transmission of traditional culture, is held this year under the nostalgic subtitle, ‘When turning into the alley, my Hanbok stood out!’

The contest period is from July 27 to August 5, and anyone interested can participate with photos that include Hanbok and memories with a story.

To participate, follow the ‘JongnoHanbokAlimi’ account on Instagram, then upload a post with a photo, related story, shooting location, and hashtags ‘#2022JongnoHanbokPhotoContest #HanbokMetOnTheStreet.’ Extra points will be given to photos taken within the region, photos with three generations together, and photos with pets.

The district will comprehensively evaluate the submitted photos for completeness, artistry, creativity, and usability, and announce the results on August 30 on the district office website and Instagram.

One grand prize winner, two excellence award winners, four merit award winners, and ten encouragement award winners will receive prize money and the Jongno-gu Mayor’s Award, and be given the opportunity to participate in the Hanbok photo exhibition held in October. The highest prize money is 1.5 million KRW, and 20 honorable mentions will receive cultural gift certificates.

For more details about the Hanbok photo contest, contact the Jongno-gu Cultural Division.

Jongno-gu is preparing for the ‘2022 Jongno Hanbok Festival’ to be held on October 8 and 9. For the past two years, the festival was mainly online to prevent the spread of COVID-19, but this year, in line with the lifting of social distancing, various programs are being prepared to allow citizens to experience the beauty of Hanbok offline and to spread the culture of wearing Hanbok in daily life.

Mayor Jeong Moon-heon said, “We hold the contest to spread the culture of enjoying Hanbok not only on special days but also in everyday life,” and added, “Please show great interest in the Hanbok Festival to be held this October.”

Guro-gu (Mayor Moon Heon-il) is operating special lectures and counseling programs to prepare for the 2023 college admission early decision.

On the 1st, Guro-gu announced, “We have prepared essay special lectures and customized counseling for examinees residing in Guro-gu or attending high schools in the area, including repeat test takers.”

First, the college admission early decision essay special lectures (humanities and mathematics) will open. This special lecture, consisting of essay writing methods and correction guidance, will be held four times from July 25.

Each humanities and mathematics class will recruit 20 students on a first-come, first-served basis. Applications can be submitted on the Guro Learning Support Center website from 10 a.m. on July 4 to 6 p.m. on July 20.

Individual intensive counseling for college admission early decision will also be conducted.

On August 13, personalized admission information and university application strategy counseling will be provided.

Those who wish to apply can submit a counseling application form on the Guro Learning Support Center website from 10 a.m. on July 18 to 6 p.m. on August 5. Applications will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis.

On August 27, one-on-one counseling for self-introduction letters will be held. Using school records and self-introduction materials, personalized counseling will be provided. Applications can be submitted on the Guro Learning Support Center website from 10 a.m. on July 18 to 6 p.m. on August 5. Applications are on a first-come, first-served basis, and copies of school records and self-introduction letters (for the first-choice school) must be submitted by email.

For more details, contact the Guro Learning Support Center or check the website.

A Guro-gu official said, “In addition, we operate ongoing university admission counseling and plan to hold information sessions on early decision, admission, and interview programs,” adding, “We will continue to do our best to help examinees with their university admission through various programs.”

Gwanak-gu (Mayor Park Jun-hee) will fully resume the operation of 21 community centers from July following the lifting of mandatory social distancing measures.

Since February 2020, considering the COVID-19 situation, the district had suspended community center operations for about two years and had been conducting pilot operations focusing on non-active programs such as calligraphy, Japanese language classes, and yoga since December last year.

From July, the district plans to expand to active programs such as ▲sports dance ▲aerobics ▲singing classes, offering a total of about 200 courses across 21 community centers. Shower rooms and lounges will also be opened, and food consumption inside the facilities will be allowed. However, to ensure safety, users must strictly follow quarantine rules such as wearing indoor masks, regular ventilation, and disinfection.

Each community center has completed facility maintenance and course organization for program operation and plans to develop programs suited to local characteristics and operate them efficiently.

Mayor Park Jun-hee said, “I hope the full reopening of community centers will help restore the daily lives of residents,” adding, “We will continue various efforts to revitalize the local community.”

For more details about community center programs, contact each community center or the Gwanak-gu Autonomous Administration Division.

Seongdong-gu (Mayor Jeong Won-oh) is calling for video submissions to participate in the online community ‘Life Department Store’ sharing residents’ daily lives until July 20.

‘Life Department Store’ is an online communication space where residents share videos of their small daily lives with neighbors, exchange various information, and provide opportunities to get closer to neighbors they did not know before.

Participants can introduce their occupation and know-how in performing their job, special occupational worlds, clever and novel ideas for saving, and life tips, as well as introduce their own hidden restaurants in Seongdong-gu.

Videos can also include interesting daily episodes and life lessons learned, as well as personal hobbies and talents for leisure.

Anyone who is a resident of Seongdong-gu or operates or works at a business located in Seongdong-gu can participate by producing related content in a 5 to 10-minute video and sending it with an application form to the district official by email.

Works passing the first screening will be posted on the ‘Seongdong-gu Lifelong Learning Center YouTube’ channel, and winners will be selected based on expert judging and residents’ responses. One grand prize winner, two excellence award winners, and ten encouragement award winners will be selected, and 50 participants passing the first screening will receive effort awards.

Selected works will receive prize money: 1 million KRW for the grand prize, 500,000 KRW for excellence awards, and 300,000 KRW for encouragement awards. Detailed information can be found on the Seongdong-gu website (Open Seongdong - Seongdong News - News).

Mayor Jeong Won-oh said, “In this era where neighborly affection is fading as society develops, I hope ‘Life Department Store’ will provide an opportunity to get to know unknown neighbors and share warmth,” adding, “We will actively strive to make residents’ lives enjoyable and vibrant with various content.”