Gwangjin-gu Provides Meal Allowance for Infants and Toddlers in Daycare Centers... 'Gwanakcheong'(聽) Resumes Operation

[Seoul District News] Gwangjin-gu Supports Breakfast and Dinner Meal Costs Excluded from Childcare Fees... Gwanak-gu Reopens Korea's First Cafe-Style Open District Office 'Gwanakcheong' for Meetings with the District Mayor... Gwanak-gu Provides 700,000 KRW Transportation Support for Pregnant Women

[Asia Economy Reporter Jong-il Park] Gwangjin-gu (District Mayor Kim Kyung-ho · photo) will provide necessary meal expenses support for daycare centers in the district starting in July.

Previously, daycare meal expenses were included in childcare fees due to the implementation of free childcare, supporting 1,900 KRW per infant and 2,500 KRW per toddler. However, this support covered only one lunch and two snacks, so parents of infants and toddlers who needed breakfast and dinner meals had to bear additional costs.

Accordingly, the district expanded support for necessary meal expenses to reduce the burden on parents of infants and toddlers attending daycare centers, allowing up to 2,200 KRW per meal for breakfast and dinner for about 100 children enrolled in daycare centers, fully funded by the district.

Payments are made monthly upon subsidy applications from daycare centers to the district office and reimbursed via bank transfer. By utilizing the integrated childcare system to receive applications from daycare centers, the district reduced the inconvenience of parents having to apply individually.

Kim Kyung-ho, Mayor of Gwangjin-gu, said, “We hope this support will ease the burden on parents using daycare centers even a little,” and added, “We will continue to strive to implement substantial projects to create a child-friendly environment.”

In addition, the district independently provides an additional 14,500 KRW per month for snacks to infants and toddlers enrolled in daycare centers, making efforts to create a high-quality childcare environment.

◆ Gwangjin-gu Personnel ▲Administrative Director Ji Young-soon ▲Welfare Director Shin Yong-ha ▲Public Relations Officer Lee Jae-eun ▲Culture and Sports Director Lee Ik-sung ▲Planning and Budget Director Jo Yang-ja ▲Tax Division 2 Director (Concurrent) Kim Deok-gi ▲Social Welfare and Disabled Director Lee Hye-ran ▲Child and Youth Director Kang Sun-kyung ▲Urban Safety Director Lee Jong-young ▲Street Landscape Director Park Jung-joo ▲Environment Director Kim Ki-young ▲Transportation Administration Director Ji Jun-ho ▲Traffic Guidance Director Lee Jong-min ▲Health Policy Director Lee Dal-won ▲Junggok 2-dong Director Kang Sung-eun ▲Guui 1-dong Director Kwon Young-woo ▲Guui 2-dong Director Lee Seok-gu ▲Jayang 2-dong Director Lee Yong-hwan ▲Autonomous Administration Director Lee Geun-mook ▲Education Support Director Kim Ae-duk ▲Regional Economy Director Lee Yeon-sik ▲Housing Director Jin Chang-geun ▲Junggok 3-dong Director Hwang Yong-dae ▲Junggok 4-dong Director Lee Joo-yeon ▲Gwangjang-dong Director Kwon Tae-yoon ▲Health and Hygiene Director Jang Young-chul

Gwanak-gu (District Mayor Park Jun-hee) has resumed operation of ‘Gwanakcheong (聽)’, the district’s representative communication brand and a space for meetings between the mayor and residents.

The district has been listening to residents’ voices through ‘Online Gwanakcheong’, which is open 365 days a year, ‘Mobile Gwanakcheong’ visiting various sites, and ‘School Gwanakcheong’ visiting schools, with resident communication and cooperation as core values of district administration.

‘Gwanakcheong (聽)’ is an open mayor’s office where any resident can comfortably meet the mayor and a community room where neighbors gather and chat.

Since the start of the 7th elected term, ‘Gwanakcheong (聽)’, the first pledge to be implemented, was operated with residents’ positive response but had been limited and partial due to the spread of COVID-19 and social distancing measures.

Mayor Park Jun-hee said, “Everyone should be able to easily meet the mayor they elected, but the prolonged COVID-19 situation regrettably caused neglect in meeting residents,” adding, “Although COVID-19 continues to spread, it is important to meet residents directly under strict quarantine rules to hear their concerns and needs,” emphasizing communication with residents at the start of the 8th elected term.

Despite limited operation so far, Mayor Park has held 108 meetings, received about 430 complaints, and met over 620 residents to resolve various difficulties and complaints directly.

The restarted ‘Communication Date with the Mayor’ at Gwanakcheong (聽) is open to all residents who can apply in advance, and the previous twice-weekly operation has been reduced to once a week every Thursday from 2 PM to 5 PM.

In particular, the district plans to expand year-round operation of ‘Mobile Gwanakcheong (聽)’ to actively meet residents on-site and listen to opinions from seniors, parents, women, and various social groups to resolve complaints.

Additionally, through ‘Online Gwanakcheong (聽)’, where all residents can participate in discussions, proposals, and resident voting without spatial or temporal constraints, the district is encouraging diverse forms of participation in district administration.

Reservations and inquiries for ‘Communication Date with the Mayor’ can be made via Online Gwanakcheong or the Open Civil Service Office (☎02-879-5142~4).

Mayor Park Jun-hee stated, “Since communication, inclusion, and cooperation are core values of district administration, we will listen carefully to even the smallest voices of residents through the open mayor’s office Gwanakcheong,” and expressed his ambition, “We will continue to do our best to create a better Gwanak-gu together by meeting more residents directly through various communication methods.”

Gwanak-gu (District Mayor Park Jun-hee) is supporting transportation expenses to improve mobility convenience for pregnant women, a transportation-vulnerable group, and to reduce the economic burden on pregnant households.

Since July 1, the district has been accepting applications for transportation expense support of 700,000 KRW per person for all pregnant women residing in the district.

Eligible applicants are pregnant women who have been registered residents in Seoul for at least six months as of the application date and are pregnant as of July 1 or thereafter. Applications can be made from three months after pregnancy until three months after childbirth.

The transportation expenses are provided not as cash but as a voucher of 700,000 KRW loaded onto a credit or debit card in the name of the pregnant woman. It can be used for public transportation such as buses, subways, taxis, and also for fuel payments including LPG and electric vehicles.

If applied during pregnancy, the voucher must be used within 12 months from the expected delivery date; if applied after childbirth, within 12 months from the child’s birth date (or child’s resident registration date).

Pregnant women wishing to apply can do so on the Seoul City Pregnant Women Transportation Expense website. However, pregnant residents must pre-apply for Seoul City Pregnant Women Transportation Expense support via the Government24 Mom Comfortable Pregnancy One-Stop Service.

If online application is not possible or proxy application is needed after childbirth, applicants can visit the resident center of their registered address for application. For more details, contact the Dasan Call Center or the relevant resident center.

When applying at the resident center of the registered jurisdiction, applicants must bring an ID, pregnancy confirmation document, and a mobile phone or credit/debit card in their name.

Mayor Park Jun-hee said, “We expect that Seoul City’s pregnant women transportation expense support will improve mobility convenience for pregnant women, a transportation-vulnerable group, and contribute to overcoming Seoul’s low birthrate problem,” adding, “We will continue to create a Gwanak-gu that is good for having and raising children through various childbirth policies to overcome low birthrate.”