[Photo] Choi Ho-gwon, Yeongdeungpo District Mayor, Making Sandwiches to Deliver to Single-Person Households of Youth and Middle-Aged Adults

[Seoul District News] Choi Ho-gwon, Yeongdeungpo-gu Mayor, Marks 100 Days of 8th Term with On-site Visit; Participates in Sandwich Volunteer Service for 20 Single 청·Jangnyeon Residents at Yeongdeungpo-dong’s ‘Keuneonni-ne Bukeok’ ... Park Hee-young, Yongsan-gu Mayor, Receives Appointment Certificate at District Office Conference Room on 18th & Calls for Evaluation and Advisory Roles for Substantive Policy Pledges ... Oh Seung-rok, Nowon-gu Mayor, Attends ‘2022 Disabled Job Fair’ on 18th ... Lee Ki-jae, Yangcheon-gu Mayor, Attends Yangcheon Shinhan Bank’s ‘Yangcheon Community Social Contribution Fund Ceremony’

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] On the morning of the 19th, Choi Ho-kwon, Mayor of Yeongdeungpo District, marked 100 days of the 8th local government term by visiting the field and making sandwiches for 20 young and middle-aged single-person households at ‘Keununnine Bukeok’ in Yeongdeungpo-dong.

On this day, Mayor Choi began his field visits starting from Yeongdeungpo-dong and engaged in discussions on continuously fostering interest in low-income young and middle-aged single-person households in the area and building a care network.

Mayor Choi Ho-kwon said, “To realize true local autonomy, I will directly listen to the vivid voices from the field and continuously communicate with residents,” adding, “I will carefully examine the major issues of each neighborhood from the residents’ perspective and reflect them in district projects to create a better future for Yeongdeungpo.”

Yongsan District (Mayor Park Hee-young) held a commissioning and briefing session for the ‘Yongsan District 8th Local Government Pledge Implementation Evaluation Group’ on the 18th at the district office’s main conference room.

The commissioning ceremony lasted two hours and included the awarding of appointment letters, greetings, a report on the pledge project establishment process, and a discussion by the evaluation group, attended by Mayor Park, 34 members of the evaluation group, and staff in charge of pledge projects.

The district recruited 42 members (14 experts and 28 resident evaluators) for the pledge implementation evaluation group through recommendations and open recruitment last September. The commissioned group will objectively evaluate the implementation of pledge projects based on the reported establishment process and provide suggestions and advice for policy improvements.

Mayor Park Hee-young of Yongsan said, “We will carefully review the pledge projects from the residents’ perspective and seek advice to ensure sincere and efficient implementation,” adding, “We will thoroughly review and execute the pledges by collecting diverse opinions from the evaluation group members who serve alongside the 8th local government term.”

On the morning of the 19th at 10 a.m., Oh Seung-rok, Mayor of Nowon District, attended the ‘2022 Job Fair for Persons with Disabilities’ held at Junggye Neighborhood Park.

This event was planned to provide customized employment opportunities for persons with disabilities, a vulnerable employment group, and to expand social participation opportunities through economic independence. About 50 companies participated, offering tailored job opportunities according to disability types and job categories.

At the recruitment booths, employment counseling and placement services, one-on-one on-site interviews between employers and job seekers were conducted. A total of 13 related organizations, including the Disability Family Support Center, participated to promote companies and provide job information.

The opening ceremony included an opening address, introduction of guests, award presentations, greetings, congratulatory speeches, commemorative photos, and a tour of the event venue.

Mayor Oh Seung-rok said, “I will actively support disabled job seekers to secure employment at quality companies through this fair, achieve economic independence, and ensure thorough post-employment management to improve the quality of life for persons with disabilities.”

On the afternoon of the 19th, Lee Ki-jae, Mayor of Yangcheon District, attended the ‘Yangcheon Close-Knit Social Contribution Fund Delivery Ceremony’ held in the Open Participation Room at Yangcheon District Office, encouraging Lee Junho, Chairman of Yangcheon Credit Union, and related officials who donated.

The 20 million KRW donation from Yangcheon Credit Union will be used to support the ‘Digital Devices and North Korean Defectors Support Project’ at Hanbit Comprehensive Social Welfare Center.

Mayor Lee Ki-jae said, “I sincerely thank Yangcheon Credit Union for promoting the ‘Yangcheon Close-Knit’ project that supports welfare services for marginalized groups, and at the district level, we will actively develop and implement related policies to meet the diversifying welfare needs.”

Gwangjin District (Mayor Kim Kyung-ho) held the ‘8th Local Government New Project Policy Proposal Special Contest Award Ceremony’ at the Gwangjin District Office on the 19th.

To mark 100 days of communication in the 8th local government term, the district held a special policy proposal contest until September 16 to listen to residents’ desired policies and reflect them in district administration. After two rounds of judging, a total of 10 excellent ideas were selected: 3 silver prizes, 3 bronze prizes, and 4 encouragement prizes, all contributing to the development of Gwangjin District.

The award ceremony included certificate presentations and policy proposal presentations by resident proposers, providing a time to share creative ideas suggested by residents.

The silver prize-winning proposal, ‘The Rebirth of Gwangjin District’s Used Clothes Collection Boxes: Eco-friendly like Gwang-i and Clean like Jin-i!’ was highly rated by judges for being practical and feasible in daily life.

Other silver prize proposals, ‘How about collecting garbage daily except weekends?’ and ‘Specialized Street Programs for the MZ Generation,’ received good scores for being practical and inclusive policies for residents.

Additionally, bronze prizes were awarded for proposals on ▲Activation plans for Neungdong-ro ▲Dream Tree Book Delivery Support Project ▲The Need for Climate Crisis Ordinance, and encouragement prizes for ▲Kiosk Usage Classes with Sejong University ▲Warm Holiday Project for Shared Hardships ▲Gwangjin Life Education for Single-Person Households ▲Applications for Working Moms & Working Dads, all recognized as excellent policies closely related to residents’ lives and improving quality of life.

Mayor Kim Kyung-ho of Gwangjin District said, “I sincerely thank all residents who showed interest in district administration, actively communicated, and proposed policies,” adding, “We will continue to listen to residents’ voices and actively reflect them in district administration to create a happy future for Gwangjin together with residents.”

“What term does North Korea use to refer to the MZ generation?”

Kim Tae-woo, Mayor of Gangseo District, Seoul, appeared as a special guest at the ‘Real Talk Concert with North Korean Defectors’ held at Gangseo Community Center on the 18th, emphasizing ‘harmony between local residents and North Korean defectors.’

Hosted by Channel A’s ‘Now, I’m Coming to Meet You’ MC Nam Hee-seok, the event was held with about 600 local residents attending under the theme ‘Understanding North Korea and the Necessity of Peaceful Unification.’

The talk concert was conducted in a free Q&A format between Mayor Kim Tae-woo and five North Korean defectors, covering light topics such as memories embedded in South Korean popular songs and North Korea’s MZ generation called the ‘Jangmadang Generation,’ as well as the harsh realities of North Korea, all without a script.

Mayor Kim Tae-woo said, “We created a communication space to narrow the gap between North and South through honest stories about North Korea and to promote harmony between North Korean defectors and residents,” adding, “Hearing directly from defectors about North Korea’s realities makes me appreciate the value of liberal democracy.”

He continued, “We will continue to listen closely to the stories of North Korean defectors who start new lives in unfamiliar environments and build a warm Gangseo District where socially vulnerable groups live together.”

Meanwhile, about 900 North Korean defectors reside in Gangseo District. Among them, 36% are under their 30s, indicating a relatively high proportion of young people. Accordingly, the district organized this unification education to broaden understanding of North Korea and build consensus on peaceful unification.

Executive Director Won-taek Lee (left) of Lotte GRS Marketing Division and Lee Seung-ro, Mayor of Seongbuk-gu (right)

Seongbuk District (Mayor Lee Seung-ro) and Lotte GRS (CEO Cha Woo-chul) lit the third flame of hope for the social contribution campaign ‘Hope ON’ for children suffering from food insecurity.

The ‘Hope ON’ campaign operated by Lotte GRS raises donations matched to the number of orders placed through Lotte GRS’s integrated dining order app ‘Lotte Eats’ (It’s Order, delivery service). The donations are given through local governments to be used for children suffering from food insecurity. This is a social contribution activity led jointly by Lotte GRS, customers, and local governments.

On the 17th, Lotte GRS Marketing Executive Director Lee Won-taek and Seongbuk Mayor Lee Seung-ro attended a ceremony to express gratitude for the ‘Hope ON’ fund and donations. Mayor Lee Seung-ro designated Jungnang District Office as the next donation recipient.

The donations delivered through the ‘Hope ON’ campaign are used in various areas supporting children’s lives, such as repairing convenience facilities at local children’s centers in Seongbuk District and providing supplies and food.

A Lotte GRS official said, “Since donations are raised matched to the number of orders on the Lotte Eats app, we ask for many customers’ interest,” adding, “Next year, we plan to carry out more active social contribution activities to help more people beyond the Hope ON campaign.”

Mayor Lee Seung-ro of Seongbuk District said, “I am grateful as a mayor that a large corporation is working hard for the district’s vulnerable residents,” adding, “Through the Hope ON fund, we will strive to ensure that marginalized children can receive education in better environments and nurture their dreams and hopes.”