[Seoul District News] Seongdong-gu Operates July 15?August 28; Reservations via Seoul Public Service Website... Yeongdeungpo-gu Hosts Nighttime Global Seoul Mate Tour with Foreign Influencers... Jongno 4-ga Woori Bank Frontside Cleans Up 12 Street Vendors... Seodaemun-gu Runs Walking Programs at Ansan, Bukhansan, Baekryeonsan, Gungdongsan... Seongbuk-gu Samseon-dong Volunteer Camp Shares Samgyetang with Multicultural Families; Jeongneung 1-dong Saemaul Leaders and Women’s Association Share Samgyetang with Seniors
[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Seongdong-gu (Mayor Jung Won-oh) will operate the Seoul Forest Summer Camping Site for 7 weeks from July 15 to August 28 to welcome the summer vacation season.
The Seoul Forest Summer Camping Site has a total of 21 sites and first started operation in 2015. It was suspended from 2020 due to the spread of COVID-19 but is preparing to reopen this year.
Applications for the camping site are accepted on a first-come, first-served basis through the ‘Seoul Public Service Reservation’ website, and the reservation is completed upon payment of a 10,000 KRW usage fee.
Reservations for July are being accepted from the 12th, and reservations for August will be accepted starting July 22.
The camping site can be used for one night and two days from 2 PM on Fridays and Saturdays until 11 AM the next day. It is conveniently accessible by public transportation, located about a 5-minute walk from Exit 3 of Seoul Forest Station on the Bundang Line subway.
To establish a safe and healthy camping culture, cooking and drinking alcohol are prohibited within the camping site. To create a clean camping environment without trash, designated garbage bags are distributed to minimize waste output, encouraging users to participate actively.
Also, to prevent the spread of COVID-19 this year, the free tent rental system will be changed to individual tent use. Users must bring their own tents that fit the 3m×3m site size when using the camping site.
In addition, during the operation period, various ecological experience programs will be organized beyond the existing Seoul Forest Park programs to make the camping experience more fulfilling.
Mayor Jung Won-oh said, “The reopening of the Seongdong Seoul Forest Summer Camping Site after two years is expected to become a space where residents exhausted by COVID-19 can momentarily forget the heat and heal in nature.”
Yeongdeungpo-gu (Mayor Choi Ho-kwon) started a night tourism fam tour with the foreigner Seoul tourism promotion group ‘Global Seoul Mate’ from the Seoul Tourism Foundation on the 1st.
According to tourism statistics from the Korea Tourism Organization, the number of foreign tourists visiting Korea in May this year was 175,922, a 136% increase compared to 74,463 in May last year.
In response, the district decided to promote Yeongdeungpo’s excellent tourism resources and experiences domestically and internationally and to revitalize tourism through promotional marketing using fam tours.
This fam tour involves 130 Global Seoul Mates from 15 Asian countries, 15 European countries, and 11 North and South American countries.
They are influencers with a combined follower count of 2.38 million and will visit and experience various tourist attractions in Yeongdeungpo during the fam tour, producing and spreading unique promotional content.
Participants will carry out the fam tour and essential missions under the concept of ‘Summer Vacation Enjoyed with Yeongdeungpo-gu’ until the 20th. They will visit one of Seoul Yacht Marina, E-Land Cruise, or 63 Square at night to enjoy the romantic summer night atmosphere of the Han River and post photos, activities, and reviews on their SNS.
In November, they will perform optional missions such as walking tours of Mullae Creative Village and Seonyudo Park and medical tourism-linked experience events, creating and uploading SNS content to promote Yeongdeungpo’s rich tourism resources worldwide.
Yoon Jae-yong, Director of Culture and Sports, said, “We hope the activities of Global Seoul Mate, with their global influence and digital marketing capabilities, will attract domestic and foreign tourists. We will work harder on developing tourism content and promotion so that more people can experience the diverse charms of Yeongdeungpo.”
Meanwhile, content experienced and produced by Global Seoul Mates can be found by searching #2022GSM, #GlobalSeoulMate, #YeongdeungpoGu, #MarinaYacht, #ELandCruise, #63Building on SNS platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
◆Yeongdeungpo-gu Personnel
Jongno-gu (Mayor Jung Moon-heon) completed the ‘Special Street Vendor Maintenance’ project around Woori Bank in Jongno 4-ga, which has been underway since March this year, last month, improving pedestrian environment and urban aesthetics, drawing attention.
The target was 12 street vendors (hereafter street stalls) installed indiscriminately on both sidewalks in front of Woori Bank (Jongno 186) in Jongno 4-ga, selling food and miscellaneous goods, causing inconvenience to passing citizens.
Jongno-gu conducted this maintenance to create a comfortable and safe sidewalk environment and to coexist with small-scale street stall operators.
First, all existing sales stands were removed, and new sales stands with a neat and standardized design harmonizing with the surrounding scenery were produced. The installation location was set near the safety fence, revealing the 1970s mural artwork on the outer wall of Woori Bank, which had been hidden behind the street stalls.
Additionally, the district introduced a ‘Street Vendor Real-Name System’ where road occupancy permits and sales stand lease contracts are renewed annually for each sales space. This is expected to prevent issues such as resale and subleasing, secure tax revenue, and naturally reduce the number of street stalls in the future.
Since 2020, Jongno-gu has been continuously implementing the street vendor real-name system project annually, focusing on maintaining spaces that have not been operated for a long time due to death or business abandonment.
In 2020, the Dongdaemun Changsin-dong street vendor improvement project reduced the number of stalls from 133 to 107. In 2021, street vendors that were scattered around Cheonggyecheon in Jongno 5-ga were also neatly maintained, creating a pedestrian-centered environment.
Mayor Jung Moon-heon emphasized, “We will strive to provide a pleasant walking environment and improve urban aesthetics by implementing maintenance projects based on communication and coexistence rather than crackdowns.”
Seodaemun-gu (Mayor Lee Seong-heon) is recruiting members for the ‘Mountain Walking Club’ to promote residents’ physical activity and fitness, conducting walking programs at four locations: Ansan, Bukhansan, Baekryeonsan, and Gungdongsan.
The program will be held once a week for one hour at each location from August to October this year, with 12 sessions per site. Any resident, local worker, or university student can apply.
Meeting times and places differ by mountain: ▲Ansan Fridays at 8 AM at Ansan Cherry Blossom Square ▲Bukhansan Saturdays at 8 AM at the entrance of Sillak Children’s Park ▲Baekryeonsan Thursdays at 8 AM at Seodaemun Culture and Sports Center ▲Gungdongsan Tuesdays at 9 AM in front of Sareo Mart in Yeonhui-dong.
Those wishing to join the walking club can apply via the link announced on the Seodaemun-gu Public Health Center notice board or through the KakaoTalk channel ‘Seodaemun-gu Public Health Center Health Exercise Room.’
Applications are being accepted on a first-come, first-served basis until the 24th of this month, with 30 people per site, totaling 120. Participants can choose only one of the four mountains.
The district will measure participants’ physical condition twice at the Seodaemun Fitness Certification Center on the 4th floor of the Seodaemun Culture and Sports Center before and after the program. Souvenirs will also be given to all participants.
Furthermore, the district plans to train eight ‘Resident Walking Leaders,’ two per mountain, through separate education to ensure the walking clubs continue to operate resident-led after the three-month program.
Mayor Lee Seong-heon said, “I hope many residents regain vitality in their daily lives through this nature-friendly and enjoyable walking program.”
For more information about the ‘Mountain Walking Club,’ contact the Fitness Measurement Room on the 6th floor of Seodaemun-gu Public Health Center.
Seongbuk-gu (Mayor Lee Seung-ro) is actively sharing Samgyetang (ginseng chicken soup) ahead of the first heat of summer (Chobok).
On the 9th, the Samseon-dong Volunteer Camp held a Samgyetang making experience with multicultural families.
Volunteers, including multicultural families, parents of Yongmun High School students, and volunteer members, made Korea’s summer health food together and delivered meals to about 80 vulnerable households including youth and elderly in the district.
Camp leader Jang Gong-im explained the preparation of ingredients and cooking methods, saying, “We will continue to expand opportunities to make and experience our traditional food with multicultural families and strive to create a warm village with sharing and care.”
Samseon-dong Mayor Kang Yang-soon expressed gratitude to the volunteers who prepared with sincerity despite the hot weather and said, “We will work hard to help residents’ lives through continuous volunteer work for neighbors in need.”
On the 11th, the Jeongneung 1-dong Saemaul Leaders Association and Saemaul Women’s Association held a ‘Love Samgyetang Sharing’ event. After a long pause in local events due to COVID-19, they served Samgyetang to the elderly, rekindling welfare events.
This event showed the unity of Jeongneung 1-dong with warm support from various organizations. ‘Hamjibak Restaurant’ sponsored the Samgyetang, and Jeongneung 1-dong Shinhan Credit Union provided watermelons, enriching the meal.
Saemaul Leaders Association Chairman Kang Shin-woo said, “I feel the power of many people coming together once again. If we unite, we can overcome COVID-19 someday.”
Women’s Association Chairwoman Yang Soon-ae said, “I’m glad we could hold the Samgyetang sharing event that was stopped due to COVID-19. Serving a bowl to the elderly feels so rewarding.”
Seongbuk-gu Mayor Lee Seung-ro said, “We will support vulnerable residents in our area to relieve feelings of isolation through such welfare events and strive to form a community that practices sharing and volunteering.”
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