Jungnang-gu Hosts Yongma Family Park Night Stroll Festival

[Seoul District News] Jungnang-gu Celebrates Success of ‘Safe and Bright Park Design’ Cooperative Project with Yongma Family Park Night Festival at Myeonmok 3·8-dong on the 6th Afternoon... Jongno-gu Implements ‘8th Mayoral Term Organizational Restructuring’ and Reorganizes Public Relations Department... Gangnam-gu Receives ‘Child-Friendly City Certification’ from UNICEF Korea Committee... Seongbuk-gu Begins Resident Jury Activities to Establish 2022 Pledge Implementation Plan... Yeongdeungpo-gu Holds 2022 Middle-Aged Employment Hope Job Fair at FKI Conference Center on the 12th... Seong

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Jungnang-gu (Mayor Ryu Kyung-gi) celebrated the success of the 'Designing Safe and Bright Parks' cooperative project by holding the Yongma Family Park Night Festival on the afternoon of the 6th at Yongma Family Park located in Myeonmok 3 and 8-dong.

This festival was held to promote the improved lighting landscape of Yongma Family Park, which was enhanced through a public-private cooperative project. The festival itself was initiated by local residents' proposals and operated with their participation.

At the festival, various experience booths were operated, including the 'Starlit Polaroid' booth that took instant photos with the park as the background, 'Tarot Mind Healing,' and 'Making Accessories Using Park Scenery,' along with eco-friendly experience booths, attracting many residents. Additionally, local cultural artists and invited singers performed music, adding excitement to the festival.

Ryu Kyung-gi, Mayor of Jungnang-gu, said, "It is meaningful to have successfully improved a space that had been inconvenient due to residents' passionate participation over a long time and to hold a festival." He added, "We will continue to listen to the voices of local residents through various channels and reflect them in district administration to advance as 'Cooperative Jungnang.'"

Jongno-gu (Mayor Jeong Moon-heon · photo) will implement the '8th Term Organizational Restructuring' on October 11 to enhance the driving force of key campaign projects and operate district administration efficiently.

This restructuring focuses on 'change and innovation based on consensus,' which Mayor Jeong Moon-heon emphasized in his inaugural speech.

Accordingly, the names of the Sustainable Development Bureau and Urban Management Bureau will be changed to 'Safety and Environment Bureau' and 'Future City Bureau,' respectively. To accelerate the implementation of key campaign projects across culture, education, and urban sectors, the 'Culture and Tourism Bureau' and 'Future City Bureau' will be positioned immediately after the Administrative Bureau.

The publicity sector will also be significantly strengthened. The Public Relations and IT Division will transfer IT tasks to reorganize into the 'Public Relations Division,' enhancing specialized district publicity capabilities, and a new 'Public Relations Content Team' will be established to handle media content production and development. To unify district publicity and citizen communication, the 'Citizen Communication Office' under the Audit Officer will be transferred to the Public Relations Division.

To develop a specialized health service model unique to Jongno-gu, the health center system will be reorganized. Moving away from providing individual health service projects, a 'Regional Health Division' will be formed to operate integrated services. Jongno-gu will be divided into five zones based on population characteristics and living areas, with dedicated primary care physicians assigned to each zone.

Moreover, health project personnel will be deployed based on zone-specific POST hubs, establishing an integrated service provision system covering exercise, nutrition, metabolism, dementia, home visits, and mental health. This aims to create a demand-centered customized health care system and contribute to reducing health disparities in the community.

New teams will also be established according to administrative demands. To alleviate anxiety factors for the continuously increasing single-person households and improve their quality of life, a 'Single-Person Household Support Team' will be created. Additionally, a newly formed 'Animal Protection Team' will focus on animal life protection, welfare promotion, and creating an environment where humans and animals coexist harmoniously.

Furthermore, to efficiently coordinate welfare tasks by function, the Welfare and Economy Bureau will adjust interdepartmental work, integrating information operation and statistics tasks into the Smart City Division, focusing on creating a 'Smart City Jongno where residents are happy.'

Mayor Jeong Moon-heon said, "With the 8th term, we plan to meticulously reorganize the district office and invigorate Jongno administration," emphasizing, "We will draw a blueprint for an innovative Jongno that changes positively and devote ourselves to improving residents' quality of life."

Gangnam-gu (Mayor Jo Sung-myeong) has been implementing high-quality child rights enhancement policies over the past three years and obtained the 'Child-Friendly City Certification' from the UNICEF Korea Committee at the end of August. The district plans to continuously promote child-friendly city projects and challenge for a higher-level certification by 2026.

A UNICEF Child-Friendly City refers to a city that faithfully implements child-friendly policies to fully realize the basic rights of children under 18, including the right to survival, protection, development, and participation, as stipulated in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Gangnam-gu has a population of 80,000 under 18 (15.2% of the total 530,000), and the district has excellent infrastructure, including 113 educational institutions, 306 child welfare facilities, and 860 play and leisure facilities. Utilizing these, it systematically promoted policy projects over the past three years aiming to obtain UNICEF Child-Friendly City certification.

In 2019, the district signed a business agreement with the UNICEF Korea Committee, formed a dedicated team to achieve the nine basic principles of a child-friendly city, and enacted related ordinances. Subsequently, a TF team consisting of 22 teams from 15 departments was formed, promoting 41 strategic projects.

Additionally, the district signed agreements with six related organizations, including the Education Support Office, Police Station, Green Umbrella Children's Foundation, and Save the Children. A promotion committee composed of 15 members, including child representatives, parents, and institution heads, was formed to gather opinions from various sectors for creating a child-friendly city. To ensure children's voices are reflected in policies, a child participation organization composed of elementary, middle, and high school students has been operating since 2019.

Furthermore, to advocate and represent children's rights, six ombudspersons consisting of experts in law, child welfare, counseling, and child rights were appointed. The district also operates a child rights violation reporting board on the Gangnam-gu website, continuously monitoring child rights infringement cases to establish a protection system.

Over the past three years, a total of 16,673 general children, 302 students from child institutions such as Gangnam Dreamville and local child centers, and 3,647 public officials and child facility workers received child rights education, striving to spread a culture of respecting children's rights.

As a result, the district passed UNICEF's written review in June this year and obtained the certification after the final face-to-face review in August, gaining external recognition for Gangnam-gu's excellent child-friendly policies. The certification period lasts until August 2026, and the district plans to continue promoting child-friendly city projects to obtain higher-level certification thereafter.

The district reflects the 41 strategic projects in the 8th term campaign promises, promoting ▲ installation of district study cafes ▲ creation of children's parks ▲ night operation of infant counseling centers ▲ development of academic improvement programs. Especially, the academic improvement program using Gangnam Online Lectures is a specialized project reflecting the region's high educational enthusiasm, unique among other districts, and plans to gradually expand to future industry technologies such as AI and robotics education.

Jo Sung-myeong, Mayor of Gangnam-gu, said, "I am pleased that Gangnam-gu's excellent child-friendly city policies have been externally recognized through this certification," adding, "We will continue to implement policies to create a safe and happy city for all children in Gangnam."

Seongbuk-gu (Mayor Lee Seung-ro) will operate a resident jury panel that directly participates in evaluating and proposing alternatives for the implementation plan of Mayor Lee Seung-ro's 8th term campaign promises.

The resident jury was introduced to reflect residents' opinions in the process of establishing the implementation plan for campaign promises, enhancing administrative transparency and execution power, and increasing residents' understanding of the region and interest in district administration.

Seongbuk-gu, together with the campaign evaluation expert organization Manifesto, selected 35 resident jurors considering gender, age, and region through a random survey via ARS targeting local residents aged 18 and over.

On the afternoon of September 30, they held a resident juror appointment ceremony at Seongbuk Art Hall, followed by Manifesto capacity-building education, training on resident juror activities and roles, and group discussions.

The resident juror meetings will hold a 2nd session on October 14 and a 3rd additional session on October 28 to prepare opinions and improvement plans on the implementation plan of campaign projects and deliver the final recommendations to Seongbuk-gu. The district will review the submitted recommendations through relevant departments, decide on their reflection, and disclose them to residents via the district website.

Cha Ji-min, a resident juror living in Dongseon-dong who attended the first meeting, said, "It was very interesting and rewarding to discuss and decide on the mayor's campaign promises directly as residents," adding, "As a representative of residents, I will carefully review to ensure residents' thoughts and intentions are reflected."

Lee Seung-ro, Mayor of Seongbuk-gu, stated, "During the past four years of the 7th term, we made various efforts to listen to residents' voices, including the on-site mayor's office," and added, "We will actively support listening to residents' vivid opinions and reflecting them in the implementation of the 8th term campaign projects."

Yeongdeungpo-gu (Mayor Choi Ho-kwon · photo) announced that it will hold the '2022 Middle-aged and Older Hope Employment Fair' on the 12th at the Federation of Korean Industries Conference Center to revitalize the stagnant employment market due to the prolonged economic downturn.

This employment fair is jointly hosted by Yeongdeungpo-gu and the Federation of Korean Industries Middle-aged and Older Job Hope Center to alleviate companies' recruitment difficulties and provide quality jobs to job seekers following the phased recovery of daily life.

A total of 25 companies, including Korea McDonald's, Hyundai Green Food, Coffee Bean Korea, Hyosung ITX, and E-Mart Everyday, will participate to provide diverse and promising job information. Approximately 500 jobs will be offered. Detailed recruitment information can be found on the Yeongdeungpo-gu website's news board.

The fair consists of the ▲Company Recruitment Hall ▲Hope Enhancement Hall ▲Side Event Hall, operating from 1 PM to 5 PM. Anyone, including middle-aged and older job seekers, can participate on-site on the day of the event.

At the Company Recruitment Hall, 25 recruiting companies will provide customized recruitment information and conduct one-on-one on-site interviews. The Hope Enhancement Hall offers construction employment programs specialized for middle-aged and older interests, life planning, and pension management support for the latter half of life. Additionally, the Side Event Hall operates various employment support programs such as total employment services, resume photo shoots, interview styling, and AI interview experiences.

For detailed information about the employment fair operation, inquiries can be made to the Yeongdeungpo-gu Job Plus Center or the Federation of Korean Industries Middle-aged and Older Job Hope Center.

The district plans to continue supporting employment connections for unemployed individuals and recruiting companies after the fair and strengthen the job network.

Choi Ho-kwon, Mayor of Yeongdeungpo-gu, said, "I hope this employment fair will revitalize the local employment market that has been frozen for a long time due to COVID-19," adding, "We will strive to prepare employment support measures so that middle-aged and older job seekers can fully demonstrate their capabilities in their desired fields amid rapidly changing employment environments."

Seongdong-gu Panorama

Seongdong-gu (Mayor Jung Won-oh) will jointly hold the 'Job Meeting Day' recruitment fair for successful employment with the Seoul Eastern Employment and Labor Office.

The fair will be held on the 17th from 2 PM to 5 PM at the Seongdong Gwangjin Employment Welfare Plus Center in Seongsu-dong.

Due to the cancellation of various offline fairs caused by COVID-19, job seekers have found it increasingly difficult to find jobs. Therefore, an offline recruitment fair will be held where company HR managers conduct on-site interviews, providing job seekers with immediate opportunities to find quality jobs and connecting talented individuals with recruiting companies.

About 35 companies, including those participating on-site and using recruitment linkage services, are expected to participate, and recruitment is currently ongoing. Participating companies will conduct in-depth interviews with HR managers on the day of the fair and proceed with hiring.

Additional events include resume and interview consulting, employment tarot cards, health and mental health counseling, visiting HR and management consulting, and National Employment Support System counseling.

Professional counselors will provide customized application document coaching and mock interview services for job seekers, as well as consultations on personal physical and mental health.

Recruiting companies and job seekers wishing to participate can apply by contacting the Seongdong-gu Hope Job Center or the Seongdong Gwangjin Employment Welfare Plus Center Employment Support General Team.

Jung Won-oh, Mayor of Seongdong-gu, said, "We aim to provide job opportunities by creating a place where job seekers can meet companies," adding, "We will continue to promote various job projects to overcome the COVID-19 employment crisis from youth to middle-aged and older."

Jungnang-gu (Mayor Ryu Kyung-gi) will screen movies at Jungnang Mangwoo Space throughout October to provide various entertainment options for visitors to Mangwoo History and Culture Park.

Additionally, music performances will be held starting from the 15th.

The district plans to screen diverse family movies every weekend at the Media Hall on the first floor of Jungnang Mangwoo Space, a key facility of Mangwoo History and Culture Park. Movies will be screened three times daily at 10 AM, 12 PM, and 5 PM. Morning screenings will feature animated films such as Big Hero, Inside Out, and How to Train Your Dragon, suitable for families with children. Afternoon screenings will include various domestic and international films such as Taegukgi, Masquerade, Midnight in Paris, and Capernaum.

Camping chairs and other seating will be arranged in front of the media hall for visitors' comfortable viewing.

From the 15th to the 30th, music performances will also be prepared. Starting at 2:30 PM on weekends, Jungnang artists will perform rich concerts featuring various genres from jazz to traditional Korean music, using diverse instruments such as guitar, accordion, and pipa, on the deck in front of the media hall and the character wall.

Movies and music performances are open to all visitors without prior application.

Additionally, experiential programs that bring joy to children are prepared. Visitors can feed 200 goldfish living in the outdoor water area within Jungnang Mangwoo Space. This experience is held twice daily at 10 AM and 3 PM on weekends, and visitors can participate by arriving at the scheduled times.

Ryu Kyung-gi, Mayor of Jungnang-gu, said, "I hope visitors to Mangwoo History and Culture Park enjoy the colorful Mangwoo Mountain, movies, and music performances and have a fulfilling autumn," adding, "We will continue to promote various cultural events to provide enjoyment to visitors to Mangwoo History and Culture Park."

Mangwoo History and Culture Park is a representative local attraction in Jungnang-gu where about 7,000 historical and cultural figures who led modern and contemporary Korean history, such as Yu Gwan-sun, Han Yong-un, and Bang Jeong-hwan, are laid to rest. Since opening Jungnang Mangwoo Space in April, the district has been operating various exhibitions, educational, and experiential programs to widely promote the history embedded in the park and inherit its cultural value.

Songpa-gu (Mayor Seo Gang-seok) announced that it has been holding a photo exhibition commemorating the completion of Ogeum Oreum Park from September 28 to November 11 at the upper reservoir of Ogeum Park.

The exhibition consists of photos capturing various landscapes of Ogeum Oreum Park and the small daily lives of residents, featuring a total of 49 photos taken by members of the 'Landscape and Portrait Photography' class, one of the Ogeum-dong Community Center programs.

On the 28th of last month, Mayor Seo Gang-seok of Songpa-gu, district council members, officials, and local residents attended the event, which included a project progress report, congratulatory speeches, and a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the successful completion of Ogeum Oreum Park.

Notably, the Ogeum Park reservoir, which had been restricted from access, was transformed into Ogeum Oreum Park after a year of construction and connected by a barrier-free deck path, creating a space where people of all ages can comfortably visit and rest. Visitors can enjoy not only the beautiful scenery of Songpa but also the landscaping and the residents' photo exhibition.

Seo Gang-seok, Mayor of Songpa-gu, said, "I felt the small happiness and warmth of our daily lives while appreciating this photo exhibition held with active participation from local residents," adding, "I hope Ogeum Oreum Park, reborn as a Songpa scenic spot, becomes a resting place that enhances residents' health and quality of life amid the potentially harsh urban life."

Geumcheon-gu (Mayor Yoo Sung-hoon) successfully concluded the 'G-Valley Offline Export Consultation Meeting' held on the 28th of last month at the Four Points by Sheraton Guro Hotel.

Forty-one local companies in IT, electrical, and electronic fields and 23 buyers from eight countries in Northeast and Southeast Asia participated, conducting 141 consultations. The total consultation amount reached approximately 13.84 million USD.

The export consultation meeting was held to support exports of G-Valley small and medium enterprises that have excellent products but face difficulties in overseas networking.

Geumcheon-gu plans to continue post-management for participating companies and buyers by supporting overseas sample shipments, follow-up meetings, and interpretation services after the consultation meeting.

Yoo Sung-hoon, Mayor of Geumcheon-gu, said, "I hope more trustworthy business will be conducted through face-to-face communication with buyers," adding, "We will continue to create a business-friendly Geumcheon-gu with various support measures that G-Valley companies can feel."

On the 6th, Gwangjin-gu (Mayor Kim Kyung-ho) held the 'Han River Underwater Cleanup and Boat Experience' event at Ttukseom Resort.

The event, hosted by the Special Mission Veterans Association Gwangjin Branch (Chairman Kim Young-il), was attended by about 150 people, including Mayor Kim Kyung-ho, members of the Special Mission Veterans Association, national veterans and veterans organization members of Gwangjin-gu, and members of disability organizations.

Mayor Kim Kyung-ho of Gwangjin-gu expressed, "At a time when concerns about environmental pollution are pouring out, I deeply thank the Special Mission Veterans Association for stepping forward for the environment," adding, "Safety is always the top priority in all activities, so I hope you complete the volunteer work without injury."

Ten divers wearing diving equipment collected various trash and pollutants accumulated underwater in the Han River around Ttukseom Resort.

Other participants engaged in environmental cleanup activities by picking up trash around the Han River and took a boat tour on a 10-person boat with members of disability organizations who usually have few opportunities to experience boating, enjoying the Han River.

A member of the veterans organization said, "It was my first time riding a boat, and I enjoyed seeing the beauty of the Han River at a glance," adding, "I want to continue supporting cleanup activities to protect the beautiful Han River."

The Special Mission Veterans Association Gwangjin Branch has been conducting monthly Han River waterfront cleanup activities since July.

Various organizations in the district are leading efforts to clean up trash in the Han River accumulated due to the heavy concentrated rain in Seoul last month. The district pledged to continue efforts to preserve the water quality and aquatic ecosystem of the Han River.

Mayor Kim Kyung-ho of Gwangjin-gu said, "The Han River is a symbol of our country and Seoul," adding, "I feel the significance of keeping the Han River clean and will ensure that there are no difficulties in various activities to make Gwangjin-gu clean and livable."