[Seoul District News] Dobong-gu Takes the Lead Nationwide in Actively Implementing the '2023 Dobong-type Comprehensive Plan for Accompanying the Vulnerable' & Sets Four Major Policy Goals in November under the Vision of 'Dobong with No One Left Behind' & Builds a Welfare Network Covering All Departments with Tasks of 'Reliable Dobong,' 'Safe Dobong,' 'Fair Dobong,' and 'Strong Dobong'
On September 1, 2022, Oh Eun-seok, the mayor of Dobong District, met with local social welfare beneficiaries through the 'Walking Together with the Vulnerable' initiative, listened to their stories, and examined welfare support sites and support systems.
[Asia Economy Reporter Jong-il Park] Dobong-gu (Mayor Oh Eon-seok) is concentrating its administrative capabilities to protect socially vulnerable groups during the 8th term of the elected government by establishing the nation’s first-ever '2023 Dobong-type Comprehensive Plan for Accompanying the Vulnerable.'
In November this year, Dobong-gu formulated the '2023 Dobong-type Comprehensive Plan for Accompanying the Vulnerable,' aligning with Seoul City's 'Accompanying the Vulnerable' initiative (with a 2023 budget of 12 trillion KRW). The plan aims to prevent tragedies like the Suwon Three-Generation Family Incident (August 2022), which occurred due to prolonged COVID-19 and economic stagnation.
Under this plan, Dobong-gu’s 8th term vision is 'A seamless Dobong where no one is left behind,' setting four major policy goals: ▲Reliable Dobong always by your side ▲Safe Dobong to enjoy daily life ▲Fair Dobong with future and growth ▲Strong Dobong in body and mind.
First, the policy goal 'Reliable Dobong always by your side' focuses on ‘care for the vulnerable.’ The district operates ‘Children’s Cafeterias’ where children can share a warm meal after school, supported alongside food banks. It also plans to expand developmental and psychological screenings from infancy to ensure the right to grow up healthy in body and mind.
For single-person households prone to skipping meals, the ‘Together Yet Separate Foodie’ program teaches age-specific healthy cooking methods. Sensors are installed in five public restrooms to detect the presence of homeless individuals, monitoring their stay and safety.
To effectively identify blind spots in care, a ‘Crisis Household Reporting Reward System’ is implemented, and households struggling to pay various utility bills receive support through ‘Small Loans for Monthly Rent and Utility Arrears.’
Additionally, new projects such as ▲Visiting Warm Neighborhood Dementia Partners ▲Youth Theater of the Past ▲Establishment of Disability-Friendly Beauty Salons will be pursued to dedicate Dobong to accompany the vulnerable.
The policy goal ‘Safe Dobong to enjoy daily life’ focuses on ‘safety for the vulnerable.’ To prevent the rising gender-based violence, safety mirrors are installed to block illegal filming at subway stations like Chang-dong and Ssangmun. The ‘One-Stop Medical Expense Support for Stalking Victims’ simplifies medical expense claims for victims of domestic, sexual, and stalking violence to protect them.
Vulnerable groups are also susceptible to climate conditions such as heatwaves and floods. Through the ‘National Greenhouse Gas Reduction Cool Roof Project,’ heat is blocked at multi-use vulnerable facilities. Support is provided to install ‘Disaster Prevention Security Windows,’ which are openable security windows facilitating emergency escape, preventing tragedies like the recent family death caused by semi-basement flooding in another region last August.
The ‘Smart Care (AI Care) System’ provides AI care robots to homes of elderly living alone. These AI robots, given to households at risk of solitary death among elderly care service recipients, offer safety checks, medication reminders, and companionship support.
The policy goal ‘Fair Dobong with future and growth’ cares for ‘jobs and futures of socially vulnerable groups.’
Support is especially focused on youth who are economically and socially unable to become independent. The ‘Dobong-gu Youth Startup Space’ operates for prospective or early-stage entrepreneurs aged 19 to 39, and the ‘Public Institution Youth Internship’ helps youth gain administrative work experience and build careers.
Programs that nurture youth talents and interests are also supported. The youth ‘Ttan-jit Playground’ offers a safe and healthy environment to expand peer relationships, and Dream Start children interested in robotics science are given opportunities to experience IT such as the metaverse.
Moreover, the district will newly operate ▲Family Care Youth Support ▲Women’s Job Network Operation ▲Dobong Welfare Resource Integrated Platform ▲Community-based IT Learning Centers (including kiosk training), supporting growth and futures for children, youth, women, and the elderly.
Finally, the policy goal ‘Strong Dobong in body and mind’ takes responsibility for ‘physical and mental health of the vulnerable.’
For single-person households, a ‘Hospital Customized Care Service’ is provided where welfare staff accompany them to hospitals. For pet-owning households, ‘Visiting Pet Medical Services’ offer quarterly health checkups four times a year.
To address the social issue of suicide, ‘One-Stop Support for Suicide Bereaved Families’ is implemented, assisting recovery and social reintegration through self-help groups and counseling among bereaved families.
For the elderly and dementia patients, support includes ▲Long-term Care Home Medical Centers ▲Mental Health Treatment Support. For infants aged 3 to 5, specialized counselors from the Childcare Comprehensive Support Center are matched one-on-one to provide ‘Infant Developmental Screening and Psychological Counseling.’
Accordingly, Dobong-gu established the ‘Task Force Team for Accompanying the Vulnerable’ as of January 1, 2023, to implement projects effectively and promptly.
The dedicated TF team operates the ‘Dobong Welfare Network Collaboration Group’ to build a public-private-academic cooperation system, forming a ‘ONE STOP Collaboration Group’ with cooperating departments and community centers to respond to current issues. An evaluation advisory group is also formed to manage continuous performance through performance evaluation and feedback.
Mayor Oh Eon-seok of Dobong-gu explained, “The definition of the vulnerable is fluid, determined by the social context of the time, and its scope broadens as society develops. The purpose of this ‘Accompanying the Vulnerable’ initiative is to care for various categories of socially vulnerable groups such as single-person households, youth, pet-owning households, and suicide bereaved families, and to create a Dobong-gu where they can live together without discrimination.”
He added, “Now that the plan is set, it is time to share it with residents and actively promote it. Dobong-gu will supplement the plan long-term through expert meetings and resident voting for the best accompanying projects, realizing ‘tangible’ welfare policies perfectly suited to our local characteristics.”
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