Songpa-gu, Passport Office Newly Established... Why?

[Seoul District News] Songpa-gu, Major Administrative Service Improvements with Separate New Departments ▲Civil Affairs ▲Passport Division
Faster and More Accurate Service Increases Resident Satisfaction, Differentiated District Administration... Dongjak-gu Appoints Broadcaster Kang Seok as Public Relations Ambassador... Seocho-gu Hosts '2022 Seocho Pet Family Festival' on 29th at Yangjae-dong Culture and Arts Park

[Asia Economy Reporter Jong-il Park] Songpa-gu (District Mayor Seo Gang-seok) announced that it has reorganized its organization and established a new Passport Division to build a customized civil service support system for residents.

With the lifting of social distancing measures due to COVID-19, demand for overseas travel has shown a full recovery trend, leading to an increase in passport issuance civil complaints.

Accordingly, the organization was restructured, splitting and newly establishing the Civil Complaints and Passport Division into ▲Civil Administration Division and ▲Passport Division, undertaking a large-scale administrative service improvement.

With the establishment of the Passport Division, the existing civil service office was divided to alleviate congestion and simplify the flow of residents visiting the district office for civil affairs. Additionally, by allocating appropriate personnel, efforts are being made to enhance resident satisfaction by providing prompt and accurate civil services.

The Civil Administration Division operates a dedicated one-stop window for licensing civil complaints through the Civil Complaints Processing Team. Individuals, corporations, and organizations visiting the district office for various licensing tasks can receive all services from consultation to document issuance in a one-stop manner.

Seo Gang-seok, Mayor of Songpa-gu, stated, “We are making our best efforts to achieve administrative innovation and implement differentiated district administration through the largest organizational restructuring since the district’s establishment,” adding, “We will provide high-quality administrative services comparable to private companies and realize courteous administration to enhance the convenience and satisfaction of residents.”

Dongjak-gu (District Mayor Park Il-ha) held a Dongjak-gu Ambassador appointment ceremony in the district mayor’s office on the 14th and appointed broadcaster Kang Seok as the promotional ambassador.

Broadcaster and comedian Kang Seok currently resides in Heukseok-dong, Dongjak-gu, and has lived in Dongjak-gu for over 30 years. For 36 years, he has been the host of MBC Standard FM’s Single Bungle Show, comforting and encouraging listeners through radio, earning much love from the public with his friendly and warm image.

The district appointed Kang Seok, who is familiar to middle-aged and older generations, as a promotional ambassador following YouTube creator Tzuyang, popular among the MZ generation, expecting to effectively promote district administration to various demographics in an easy-to-understand manner.

Kang Seok will participate in major district festivals and events for the next two years, guide local tourist attractions, culture, and history, and play a role in promoting Dongjak-gu’s image.

Promotional Ambassador Kang Seok expressed, “I am honored and grateful to be appointed as the promotional ambassador of Dongjak-gu, where I live,” adding, “I hope all Dongjak residents have cheerful days, and I will actively work to promote Dongjak-gu.”

District Mayor Park Il-ha said, “I feel reassured to be able to promote Dongjak-gu with Ambassador Kang Seok,” and requested, “I hope you take the lead in promoting ‘Working Dongjak, New Change’ with your friendly image,” while presenting the appointment certificate.

“Who is the longest-living dog in Seocho-gu?”, “My dog is 7 years old; what supplements should I give now?”

Residents of Seocho-gu who love pets will gather to create special memories and interact at a large-scale pet festival.

Seocho-gu (District Mayor Jeon Seong-su) will hold the ‘2022 Seocho Pet Family Festival’ on the 29th at Yangjae-dong Culture and Arts Park. The event is designed to share mature awareness of pets and support the happy daily recovery of pet families.

This festival features more than 20 diverse events where pet owners and pets directly participate and enjoy, including ▲selection of a pair of long-living male and female dogs ▲pet video awards ceremony ▲issuance of personalized pet NFT cards, along with education, training, and cultural information exchanges.

The most anticipated event is the ‘Selection of a Healthy Long-Living Male and Female Dog Pair in Seocho.’ Applications for the pair are accepted until the 24th, and after expert evaluation, the ‘Seocho No. 1 Long-Living Dog’ will be selected. Certificates and free health check-up vouchers will be awarded, and commemorative photos will be displayed at the Seocho Animal Love Center.

This selection ceremony aims to instill pride in guardians who devote care to their pets and to spread an advanced pet culture of happy coexistence between humans and animals. Along with the long-living dogs, eight ‘Healthy Seocho Young Dogs’ will also be selected and awarded certificates and pet food as special prizes.

The second highlight is the ‘Seocho Pet Video Awards Ceremony.’ Seocho-gu selected a total of 11 videos (1 grand prize, 1 excellence prize, 3 merit prizes, 6 encouragement prizes) through internal screening of videos submitted by pet families by the 11th. The winning works will be revealed and awarded at the event. Pet families who did not win will also receive pet supplies as ‘Pet Family Awards.’

The free issuance of pet NFT cards is also attracting attention. Pre-registrants and participants at the event will receive a ‘personalized pet NFT (Non-Fungible Token) card’ to be used on smartphones like a mobile driver’s license. The card can include a photo of the pet to be cherished as a memory and is assigned a unique number, making forgery impossible.

Additionally, the ‘Pet Behavior Correction Lecture’ by Lee Seung-hyun, Chairman of the Korean Kennel Federation’s Dog Fitness Committee, is highly anticipated by pet owners.

Furthermore, various entertaining and sharing events will be held, including ▲‘Wait, Wait’ contest to select the dog that waits the longest while sitting in a designated space ▲‘Limbo with Pets’ where guardians hold their dogs and play limbo ▲‘Free Grooming for Pets’ ▲‘Discount Sale Booth for Pet Probiotics’ to help residents affected by last summer’s floods with proceeds from sales.

Meanwhile, Seocho-gu leads animal welfare and pet administration by providing delicate and diverse support policies for pets. Since 2018, the ‘Seocho Animal Love Center’ has been operating and supporting ▲finding owners of roadkill animals and funeral expenses ▲‘Seoripul Rainbow Gathering’ comforting pet owners who have lost pets ▲‘Our Neighborhood Animal Hospital Project’ for vulnerable groups ▲‘Pet Culture Class’ making pet bowls and bath products ▲‘Pet Academy’ enhancing sociality of dogs.

Jeon Seong-su, Mayor of Seocho-gu, said, “I hope pets and pet families create good memories and enjoy a happy daily recovery,” adding, “Seocho-gu will continue to promote diverse and delicate pet policies to create a mature and happy pet culture for all.”