Seocho-gu Operates 'Pet Dog Care Shelter' During Summer Vacation Season

[Seoul District News] Seocho-gu, Pet Sitter On-site Care Including Feeding and Waste Management for Small to Medium Dogs from 25th This Month to 15th Next Month, Minimum Cost 5,000 Won... Seongdong-gu Summer Vacation One-Stop Solution for Learning, Playing, and Enjoying... ‘Jongno Byeolbyeol Village School’ Abundant Play and Learning Opportunities... Gangdong-gu Emergency Support of Fans and Refrigerators for Vulnerable Households Amid Heatwave

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Seocho-gu (District Mayor Jeon Seong-su) operates various dog care services to ease the burden of caring for dogs of pet owners who leave their homes for summer vacations.

First, from July 25 to August 15, the ‘Dog Care Shelter’ will be operated within the Seocho Animal Love Center. Experienced professional caregivers (pet sitters) will be stationed here, allowing residents to entrust their dogs with peace of mind. They monitor the dogs’ condition through patrols and CCTV, and provide overall care including feeding, toileting, and play.

Applicants can visit the Seocho Animal Love Center to register on a first-come, first-served basis until full. Eligible dogs are registered small to medium-sized dogs over 5 months old in the district, who have completed rabies and comprehensive vaccinations within the past year, and are free from infectious diseases, illnesses, pregnancy, or heat cycles. The boarding fee is a minimum cost of 5,000 KRW to cover cleaning and disinfection.

Additionally, the district is piloting the ‘Seoripul Ilgagyeon (1-person household raising a dog)’ service from this month, which allows single-person households to entrust their dogs left alone at home during summer vacations to professional care companies. Single-person households can receive various free services at two local dog care specialist companies staffed by certified experts.

Under expert care, dogs receive feeding, toileting, and play activities. In the evening, they rest comfortably in individual hotel rooms. On-duty staff monitor the dogs’ safety 24/7 via CCTV. This service can be used up to six times, one day at a time.

The district promotes various pet projects for ‘a happy Seocho where people and animals coexist.’ Starting next month, diverse programs will be offered including ▲‘Problem Behavior and Walking Training’ taught by professional dog trainers ▲‘Seoripul Online Dangdang School’ via Zoom platform ▲‘Dog Culture Class’ making dog bowls, bath additives, and knitted items ▲‘Shyness Overcoming Dog Academy’ to enhance dogs’ social skills.

District Mayor Jeon Seong-su said, “We hope these various summer dog care services help residents enjoy their vacations with peace of mind. We will continue to foster a mature pet culture and strive to make Seocho a place where people and animals coexist harmoniously.”

Salgoti Water Playground

Seongdong-gu (District Mayor Jung Won-oh) elementary, middle, and high schools enter summer vacation simultaneously this week. During the month-long break, Seongdong-gu plans to offer a variety of learning, play, and entertainment opportunities so children can spend their vacation meaningfully.

◇Learning... Various programs for elementary and middle school students at community centers and 4th Industrial Revolution Center

Community centers in Seongdong-gu have recently resumed operations and will offer diverse programs for elementary students during summer vacation, including science experiments, historical trips, and musical jump rope.

Wangsimni 2-dong offers cooking art and napkin art; Majang-dong and Haengdang 1-dong provide Chinese character classes; Haengdang 2-dong runs reading, NIE (Newspaper in Education) classes, and musical jump rope; Seongsu 1-ga 2-dong hosts science labs and historical trips; and Oksu-dong offers children’s Chinese character and reading guidance. Inquiries and applications can be made by visiting or calling each community center.

The 4th Industrial Revolution Center in Haengdang-dong offers special lectures rarely encountered in daily life. Programs such as drone school, augmented reality, and introductory robotics provide experiential education on future technologies in an easy and fun way. Registration is available on the center’s website.

Seongdong Global Experience Centers (3 locations) resume face-to-face classes with native speakers after three years and prepare a native English summer camp running from July 25 to August 19. Activities include science experiments, camping survival, and virtual underwater experiences with native instructors.

◇Play... Extended night hours at Salgoti and Children’s Dream Park water play areas

Salgoti Water Play Area and Children’s Dream Park Water Play Area in Seongdong-gu are currently open. Salgoti Water Play Area, located at 107 Sageun-dong, is a large urban water playground operating until August 21 (10 AM to 5 PM). Night operation (5:30 PM to 8:30 PM) started on July 9, allowing cool water play even during upcoming tropical nights.

The Children’s Dream Park Water Play Area in Haengdang-dong, featuring water play facilities like water drops, water tunnels, and floor fountains, operates until the end of September. Until September 5, weekend and holiday night hours (7 PM to 8 PM) are extended for water play.

Operating hours are 10 AM to 11 AM and 4 PM to 5 PM on weekdays, and 12 PM to 8 PM on weekends and holidays, divided into four sessions (12?1 PM, 2?3 PM, 4?5 PM, 7?8 PM).

Children’s Dream Park is not only a water play area but also a playground equipped with futsal fields, zip lines, trampolines, customized combination play structures, rock climbing facilities, and sand play spaces, providing children with joyful ‘right to play’ opportunities.

‘Seongdong Healing Center Hyu(休)’ Yeongwol Camp

◇Enjoyment... Experiences at Ai Sarang Cultural Complex Center, environmental family programs, Seoul Forest camping, etc.

Ai Sarang Cultural Complex Center in Geumho-dong offers various facilities including a Music Kids Studio to experience musical instruments and accompaniment devices, a Smart Playground program that modernizes traditional alley games, and a Media Art Zone equipped with YouTube broadcasting equipment.

Seongdong Family Center runs a program where families learn about upcycling and create recycled products to address environmental issues. Applications are accepted on the center’s website until July 28.

Also, welcoming the summer season, Seoul Forest Summer Camping Site (21 sites total) operates until August 28, with reservations for August available from July 22 on the ‘Seoul Public Service Reservation’ website. In addition to existing Seoul Forest park programs, various ecological experience programs are offered.

If city life feels monotonous, there are ‘Seongdong Healing Center Hyu (休)’ camps in Yeongwol and Yeosu. These resident recreational facilities are near tourist attractions and offer affordable rates below 50% of private facilities, with high user satisfaction. Reservations can be made on the district website for up to 2 nights and 3 days during peak season. Visitors can fully enjoy nature and relaxation away from daily life.

Due to the recent increase in COVID-19 cases, the district actively guides compliance with prevention rules to ensure children can safely enjoy facilities and programs. District Mayor Jung Won-oh said, “Though these are difficult times due to COVID-19, vacations are joyful for children. We hope children spend a safe and enjoyable summer vacation in Seongdong-gu, and we will continue to actively prepare diverse programs.”

Jongno-gu (District Mayor Jeong Moon-heon) operates the ‘Jongno Byeolbyeol Village School’ program to provide special learning opportunities for children and youth during summer vacation.

Under the theme ‘Exciting Summer Vacation, Various Joys,’ 24 diverse programs are planned, categorized into ▲Joy of Making ▲Joy of Singing ▲Joy of Learning ▲Joy of Walking ▲Joy of Reading.

Village teachers who have completed a set curriculum will become adult friends in the neighborhood, leading classes while exploring various parts of the district together. Most classes start in the morning, which is expected to reduce childcare burdens for parents during vacation.

The program runs from August 8 to 22 and includes reading discussions (Dreaming Pyeongchang-dong Small Library), dyeing and reforming (Mugaewon), children’s economic English (Hong Geon-ik House), challenge YouTuber creating personal videos (Jongno Career Experience Center), leather crafts (Toshiko Leather Workshop), comic drawing and animation viewing (Bukchon Village Library Resident Love Room), among others.

Participants also engage in ‘exploration programs’ visiting local museums and Jongno’s hidden spots to learn and experience village history, and ‘visiting Byeolbyeol Village School’ where village teachers visit local childcare centers and after-school centers.

Eligible participants are children and youth residing in Jongno-gu or attending schools within the district. The program is entirely free (material costs borne by learners), and applications open at 10 AM on the 27th via the Jongno Education Portal site.

Program schedules and content can be checked on the Jongno Education Portal or district website, and inquiries are handled by the Jongno Innovation Education Support Center.

The name ‘Jongno Byeolbyeol Village School’ means operating various ‘byeolbyeol (various/distinctive)’ programs to nurture children’s dreams shining like stars. Professional village teachers lead classes, aiming for a ‘roofless village school’ where children and youth learn together throughout Jongno. Since its launch last year, it has received positive responses from many parents and children.

Previously, considering the prolonged COVID-19 situation, the program was mainly non-face-to-face, but from this spring semester, small face-to-face programs allowing interaction with peers have been introduced following the full lifting of distancing measures.

District Mayor Jeong Moon-heon said, “We will continue to support children and youth to have enjoyable and meaningful times learning with village teachers and peers near their homes during vacation.”

Gangdong-gu (District Mayor Lee Soo-hee) delivered essential summer home appliances, fans and refrigerators, to residents in vulnerable housing conditions on the 20th.

Due to the earlier-than-usual heatwave, it is expected that low-income residents with poor housing environments or inadequate cooling equipment will suffer from heat-related illnesses. The district decided to urgently support by purchasing 165 fans.

Additionally, welfare planners who regularly monitor poverty-stricken households discovered multiple cases where residents lacked refrigerators or had broken appliances, exposing them to food poisoning risks. In response, the district assessed the overall situation and provided 10 small refrigerators to middle-aged single-person households and elderly living alone.

Welfare planners from community centers visited each household to deliver and assist with installation, accompanied by visiting nurses who provided heatwave safety guidelines and health consultations.

This support is part of the ‘Gangdong-type 10% Happiness Sharing’ project, utilizing leftover funds from the 2021 ‘Warm Winter Hope Ondol’ donations for tailored summer support. Although cooling and heating equipment support projects have been ongoing annually, the district plans to continue offering more detailed, demand-oriented customized support.

District Mayor Lee Soo-hee said, “We will sincerely care for vulnerable residents to ensure they stay healthy and safe during the heatwave. We will continue welfare projects that provide strength and hope to low-income residents most affected by the early heatwave, soaring prices, and COVID-19 resurgence.”