Gangnam-gu Hosts International Conference on Robot Ethics... Dongjak-gu Establishes Free Wi-Fi in All Senior Centers

[Seoul District News] Gangnam-gu to Host the 7th International Conference on Robot Ethics and Standards on July 18-19 with 8 Domestic and International Robot Ethics Experts Delivering Keynote Speeches... Dongjak-gu to Install Internet and Wi-Fi in All Senior Centers by the End of the Month Starting with Chungshin Senior Center on the 15th... Jungnang-gu Recruiting Social Economy Enterprises for Eco-Friendly Shopping Mall... Gangbuk-gu Operating Smoking Cessation Clinic Year-Round

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Gangnam-gu (District Mayor Jo Seong-myeong) and the Korean Society for Artificial Intelligence Ethics (President Byun Soon-yong) are co-hosting the "7th 2022 International Conference on Robot Ethics and Standards (ICRES 2022)" from the 18th to the 19th at COEX.

ICRES is a globally prestigious conference held since 2015 to discuss safety, ethics, legal, and social issues related to artificial intelligence and robotics. Last year, it was held online under the auspices of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in the U.S., and this year it is held in Gangnam, South Korea.

About 100 scholars in robotics and artificial intelligence will participate in this conference to discuss the theme of "Value Sharing between Humans and Robots." Eight distinguished robot ethics experts from around the world, including the U.S., the U.K., France, and Japan, will deliver keynote speeches.

Additionally, an "English Robot Ethics Debate Competition" will be held for 110 elementary and middle school students in the region, providing youth?who are both users of robot services and future robot developers?with an opportunity to consider ethical issues on topics such as the "Introduction of AI Judges."

Gangnam-gu is accelerating the creation of the "Suseo Robot Cluster" centered around SRT Suseo Station, promoting the establishment of robot research institutes, startup support facilities, robot companies, a robot-themed park, and a robot library.

Since this year, in collaboration with the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, Seoul City, the Korea International Trade Association, and private companies, Gangnam-gu has been conducting the "Teheran-ro Robot Street Project," demonstrating large-scale service robots at COEX and Teheran-ro.

Jo Seong-myeong, Mayor of Gangnam-gu, said, "Gangnam-gu has led South Korea's robot industry through various projects such as establishing the Suseo Robot Cluster, supporting talent development related to robots and AI, and lectures on the 4th industrial revolution. We will continue to spare no effort to support Gangnam-gu’s leap as the 'No.1 Robot-Friendly City' in name and reality."

On the morning of the 15th, Park Il-ha, Mayor of Dongjak District, demonstrated Wi-Fi connection with the elderly at the Chungshin Senior Center.

Dongjak-gu (District Mayor Park Il-ha) announced on the 19th that it will install internet and free Wi-Fi in all senior centers within the district by the end of this month to enable elderly residents to enjoy various benefits in the digital world.

Currently, out of 141 senior centers in the district, only 84 have internet installed, and even then, many elderly people struggle to use digital devices due to lack of knowledge on how to operate them.

Accordingly, the district has pledged "Senior Center Modernization Support" as a campaign promise for the 8th local government term and installed Wi-Fi at the public Chungshin Senior Center (31 Noryangjin-ro 28-gil) on the 15th.

Starting from this, based on demand surveys and on-site inspections for each facility, 1 to 2 Wi-Fi units will be installed per location.

In addition, information education on Wi-Fi and smartphone usage will be provided concurrently to guarantee the right to know for the elderly and strengthen their digital capabilities in an era dominated by non-face-to-face digital culture.

Park Il-ha, Mayor of Dongjak-gu, said, "Providing free Wi-Fi at senior centers is expected to help bridge the digital divide among the elderly and reduce communication costs. We will continue to do our best to support the modernization of senior centers."

Jungnang-gu (District Mayor Ryu Gyeong-gi) is recruiting eco-friendly social economy enterprises (social ventures) to join the "Green Jungnang Shopping Mall" until August 12.

The Green Jungnang Shopping Mall is a region-specific project supported by Seoul City. Its goal is to discover excellent products from social economy enterprises in the environmental sector and support their market access through mall operations, thereby contributing to eco-friendly production and the spread of value-based consumption.

Jungnang-gu collaborates with local social enterprise Greenjuui Co., Ltd., and the recruitment of tenant companies is conducted by the Exciting Cooperative Association. About 40 products will be selected based on eco-friendly production, resource circulation, and product competitiveness.

Selected companies for the eco-friendly Green Jungnang Shopping Mall will receive benefits such as exemption from entry and sales commissions, online detailed page production, and support for green product certification.

They can also participate in operational programs run by the Jungnang-gu Social Economy Support Center and receive management consulting in areas such as taxation, accounting, labor, and finance.

The target companies are social economy enterprises aiming to address environmental issues such as climate crisis and resource depletion through recycling, resource circulation, and green products. Applicants can download the application form from the Jungnang-gu Social Economy Support Center website, fill it out, and submit it via email.

Ryu Gyeong-gi, Mayor of Jungnang-gu, said, "Operating the shopping mall will be a great opportunity to discover excellent products from social economy enterprises and encourage eco-friendly consumption among residents. We will continue to foster the social economy ecosystem to create jobs and revitalize the local economy."

Gangbuk-gu (District Mayor Lee Soon-hee) announced that it will operate a "Smoking Cessation Clinic" on an ongoing basis, providing smoking cessation counseling and cessation aids to residents who have decided to quit smoking.

The district operates the Smoking Cessation Clinic on the 3rd floor of Gangbuk-gu Public Health Center (897 Hancheon-ro, Gangbuk-gu) from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays. Any resident wishing to quit smoking can participate in the clinic.

Upon registration, participants receive personalized one-on-one counseling from smoking cessation counselors for six months, nicotine dependence assessments, and cessation aids such as nicotine patches, gum, and lozenges. The provision of cessation aids varies depending on the smoker’s health condition.

The district also provides small commemorative gifts to encourage smoking cessation success. Those who succeed in quitting for six months receive a 50,000 KRW Onnuri gift certificate, and those who succeed for 12 weeks receive vitamins or first aid kits.

For residents who find it difficult to visit the health center, the clinic operates at Gangbuk-gu Office every Wednesday from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., and a mobile smoking cessation clinic visits workplaces such as transportation companies, government offices, and large department stores in the area.

For more details on how to use the Smoking Cessation Clinic, residents can contact the Gangbuk-gu Public Health Center.

Additionally, the district enforces a system that reduces fines for smokers who violate laws by smoking in designated non-smoking areas if they participate in the clinic, promoting the establishment of a smoking cessation culture.

Lee Soon-hee, Mayor of Gangbuk-gu, said, "I hope residents who have decided to quit smoking will succeed through the clinic. We will establish various health management systems to take responsibility for the health of our residents."