'100 Days in Office' Jeon Seong-su, Seocho District Mayor: '100 Days of Change, Returning to Everyday Life'

[Seoul District News] Seocho-gu Completes '100-Day Daily Recovery Project' to Quickly Restore Residents' Daily Lives & Implements 'Daily Recovery' and 'Safe Quarantine' Two-Track Strategy for Comprehensive 'COVID-19 Overcoming Plan' Investing 18.3 Billion KRW in 69 Projects Across Four Areas: Resident Life, Welfare Support, Economy, and Healthcare

Inaugural Address of Jeon Seong-su, Mayor of Seocho District

[Asia Economy Reporter Jongil Park] # “It’s really great that the Seoripul Water Playground has reopened, allowing children to enjoy water play close to home and cool off from the heat.” (Seocho-gu resident)

# “Having endured the long COVID-19 period feeling mentally withdrawn and worried about the future, I am happy to have the opportunity to exhibit through participating in the special exhibition for young artists.” (Kim Hyun-jung, 26)

The neighborhood water playground reopened, and children enjoyed summer with excitement. Jazz and classical music were performed at various venues, and exhibitions of young artists’ paintings were held regularly at galleries and cafes. The streets bustled with residents eager to buy quality goods cheaply at direct transaction markets. Community centers and welfare centers were packed with students learning yoga, cooking, and more. The ‘COVID-19 Aftereffects Counseling Center’ operated by the health center continued consultations and examinations for residents suffering from health and emotional aftereffects of COVID-19. On a fall night in September, thousands of residents gathered in one place to enjoy an autumn night concert together.

These scenes across Seocho-gu show a gradual return to normal life about three years after the outbreak of COVID-19 and roughly 100 days since the launch of the 8th local government administration.

Seocho-gu (Mayor Jeon Seong-su) announced on the 6th that it is successfully concluding the ‘100-Day Daily Life Recovery Project,’ which helps residents physically and mentally exhausted by COVID-19 safely return to daily life.

The ‘100-Day Daily Life Recovery Project’ was the first official approval by Mayor Jeon Seong-su immediately after taking office in the 8th local government term, mobilizing all administrative capabilities over 100 days. It was promoted as a comprehensive COVID-19 overcoming plan encompassing residents’ lives with a two-track strategy of ‘daily life recovery’ and ‘safe quarantine.’

The district’s ‘100-Day Daily Life Recovery Project’ was introduced as a model case for local governments at the Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters meeting chaired by the Prime Minister in August and was shared as an excellent case at the Seoul Metropolitan Council of District Mayors meeting.

It was praised as a comprehensive plan that supports overcoming the physical and mental fatigue accumulated by residents due to COVID-19 while not compromising safety. It also holds great significance as the successful fulfillment of the first promise of the 8th local government.

So far, the district has injected KRW 18.3 billion into 69 projects across all fields to revitalize the lives of residents, which had been contracted for three years due to COVID-19, and to systematically restore daily life in areas including ▲resident life ▲welfare support ▲livelihood economy ▲healthcare.

To this end, a dedicated TF team was formed to establish a control tower, and an external advisory group was organized to add professionalism and meticulousness to the projects.

First, in the ‘resident life’ sector, cultural and artistic projects closely related to residents’ daily lives were promoted. On August 23-24, the district held the ‘Seoripul Music Concert and Bazaar of Hope and Sharing,’ delivering messages of consolation and hope to residents who had experienced COVID-19 and flood damage. About 10,000 residents enjoyed the event, and approximately KRW 50 million was raised at the bazaar to support residents affected by the flood.

Additionally, various cultural and artistic performances such as youth street concerts, classic cafes, and flower seat concerts were reopened to offer residents healing moments in their daily lives. During the hot summer, three ‘Seoripul Water Playgrounds,’ playground facilities where children can run freely in the city, were also opened.

Second, in the ‘welfare support’ sector, social minorities such as the disabled, elderly, and children who need help were carefully cared for. Elderly residents were supported with AI care robots and companion plants to aid emotional stability, and the ‘Seoripul Mischievous Children Cultural Performance,’ a cultural program for infants and their guardians, was operated.

Also, the ‘Good Evening Program,’ which provides balanced dinners and leisure and learning activities for the elderly, was run. On Senior Citizens’ Day, an exhibition of elderly residents’ works and a Rock Festival were held to support healthy living for seniors.

Furthermore, professional psychological counseling was provided to promote psychological stability and vitality for families of disabled persons, and a special daily life recovery trip called ‘Happy Trip for the Disabled’ was supported to offer the autumn atmosphere to disabled residents who found it even harder to go out due to social distancing.

Third is the ‘livelihood economy’ sector. Policies were implemented to support small business owners facing economic difficulties to revitalize the local economy. Last month, Seocho Love Gift Certificates worth KRW 24.2 billion were issued. Also, ultra-fast loans worth KRW 60 billion were provided with significantly expanded eligibility for small business owners lacking collateral, and low-interest loan support for small and medium-sized merchants was expanded. The ‘Chuseok Direct Transaction Grand Market,’ returning more abundantly after three years, received great responses from merchants and residents.

Lastly, in the ‘healthcare’ sector, the health center, which protected residents’ safety with systematic responses on the COVID-19 frontlines, regained its original functions. The health center resumed its core duties such as metabolic syndrome testing and visiting dementia screening projects. It also operated ‘Customized Support for Seniors Overcoming COVID-19’ and the ‘COVID-19 Aftereffects Counseling Center’ to restore residents’ health diminished by COVID-19.

The district plans to continue the momentum of this project going forward, carefully managing residents’ lives. At the same time, it will cooperate with the government and Seoul City to resolve major pending projects. The plan is to accelerate long-standing resident wishes in Seocho, such as the undergrounding of the Gyeongbu Expressway and the Yangjae AI Special Zone, which are pledges of the 8th local government.

Seocho-gu Mayor Jeon Seong-su said, “I hope residents regain healthy and happy daily lives, and I have carried out this project for 100 days since taking office. Although there were many difficulties, I am grateful and relieved to have achieved meaningful results. Going forward, I will strive to safely protect the hard-won lives of residents and create a ‘Seocho where tomorrow is more anticipated.’”