Yeongdeungpo-gu Budget Waste Reporting Center Expanded to 18 Dong Community Centers

Yeongdeungpo-gu Expands Budget Waste Reporting Center for Sound Local Fiscal Management

Budget waste reports accepted at 18 community centers ... Available both online and offline

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Yeongdeungpo-gu (Mayor Choi Ho-kwon) announced that it will expand the Budget Waste Reporting Center to 18 community centers to promote sound local fiscal management and enhance financial transparency.

The Budget Waste Reporting Center is a system that allows citizens to directly oversee local finances to prevent tax waste, report unnecessary construction or wasteful expenditures, and propose ideas to save budgets.

Until now, residents could report budget waste through the Yeongdeungpo-gu homepage. However, in addition to online reporting, the district has established budget waste report reception desks at 18 community centers within the area to allow in-person reporting.

The district plans to disclose cases reported online and at community centers on the district website to lead transparent and efficient local fiscal management.

Seok Seung-min, Director of the Planning and Budget Division, said, "We ask residents to act as watchdogs to ensure precious taxes are used properly," adding, "We will strive to secure transparency and accountability in financial management through citizen participation."

Yangcheon-gu Supports Medical Expenses for High-Risk Pregnant Women and Infertile Couples

Medical expenses support for pregnant women diagnosed and treated for 19 high-risk pregnancy diseases with household income below 180% of median income

Herbal medicine infertility treatment support for infertile couples up to about 1 million KRW per person for 3 months

Yangcheon-gu (Mayor Lee Gi-jae) announced that it will provide up to 3 million KRW per person in medical expense support focusing on 19 high-priority high-risk pregnancy diseases to encourage healthy childbirth and maternal and child health and alleviate economic burdens such as treatment costs.

The target group is pregnant women from households with income below 180% of the median income who have been diagnosed with and hospitalized for one of the 19 high-risk pregnancy diseases. These diseases include ▲preterm labor ▲delivery-related hemorrhage ▲severe preeclampsia ▲premature rupture of membranes ▲placental abruption, among others.

Selected recipients will receive support covering all out-of-pocket expenses for hospitalization treatment of high-risk pregnant women and 90% of non-reimbursable medical expenses up to a maximum of 3 million KRW. However, costs unrelated to high-risk pregnancy treatment such as premium room charges, meal fees, and assistive devices are excluded.

The application period is within six months from the delivery date, and applicants must submit the application form and required documents to the health center with jurisdiction over their residence.

The district started the high-risk pregnant women medical expense support program in 2015 and has supported treatment costs totaling over 200 million KRW for 442 people to date.

Additionally, the district operates a herbal medicine infertility treatment support program for infertile couples. It supports 90% of out-of-pocket expenses incurred during herbal medicine infertility treatment such as decoctions for up to three months, with a maximum limit of 1,192,320 KRW per person. Recipients of basic livelihood security and near-poverty groups receive full coverage of out-of-pocket expenses.

The target group includes couples diagnosed with unexplained infertility who have lived in Seoul for more than six months and desire natural pregnancy (women aged 44 or younger). Applications can be made online or by visiting the local health center.

Lee Gi-jae, Mayor of Yangcheon-gu, said, "We will continue to discover and operate various policies to overcome low birth rates across fields to make Yangcheon-gu a happy city where people want to have and raise children."

Gwanak-gu Recruiting Talent Donors to Share Various Knowledge and Skills at ‘Talent Sharing School’

Gwanak-gu (Mayor Park Jun-hee) is recruiting talent donors who will share various knowledge and skills at the ‘Talent Sharing School,’ where any resident can teach and learn.

The ‘Talent Sharing School’ is a lifelong learning program that connects residents with various talents and those who want to learn. Utilizing idle spaces in the community, it allows residents to teach and learn without restrictions on topics, teaching methods, or age, receiving positive responses from residents. It also builds a knowledge network to activate resident-led voluntary education.

Last year, popular talent-sharing courses included ‘Preserved Flower Design’ by a current flower shop owner, ‘Everyday Economic Knowledge and Current Economic Affairs’ by a retired economics professor, and ‘English Class with K-trot,’ developed by a resident who worked as a high school English teacher and translator, combining trot music and English (photo).

Residents wishing to donate talents to the Talent Sharing School can refer to the participation section on the Gwanak-gu website (Education → Participation → Talent Sharing School) and submit a lecture plan including course title, schedule, and materials. Course openings are decided after review by the responsible department. For detailed inquiries, contact the Education Support Division of Gwanak-gu Office. Courses with special purposes such as commercial, religious, political, or those involving specific individuals are excluded.

An official from the district said, “Anyone can participate in talent donation even without teaching experience or knowledge of teaching methods,” adding, “We hope many will join the Talent Sharing School to share and grow together with their experiences, knowledge, and skills.”

Songpa-gu Expands Solbaram Youth Reading Room in Pungnap-dong, Opens Study Cafe from the 3rd

19 individual seats in an open study space... Study room available for up to 10 people

Open Tuesday to Sunday from 9 AM to 11 PM, closed every Monday

Songpa-gu (Mayor Seo Gang-seok) has expanded the Solbaram Youth Reading Room located in Pungnap-dong and newly created the ‘Solbaram Youth Study Cafe,’ which began operation on the 3rd.

Last November, the district closed the underutilized Solbaram Women’s Classroom and transformed the space into a study cafe after about a month of construction to provide a better learning environment for students using the youth reading room.

Accordingly, students who find it difficult to study for long hours at partitioned desks or need to use laptops can utilize the open space to improve study efficiency, and a place suitable for discussions or sharing study information can also be rented.

The existing Solbaram Youth Reading Room has a total of 77 seats, with the 3rd floor designated for female students and the 4th floor for male students. The newly created Solbaram Youth Study Cafe features 19 individual seats in a comfortable and open study space and includes one study room that can accommodate up to 10 people.

The study cafe operates from Tuesday to Sunday, 9 AM to 11 PM, and is closed every Monday. Youth can use the facility for a day by paying 1,500 KRW. This is expected to reduce students’ financial burdens compared to commercial study cafe fees.

The district is working to create a good study environment by providing bright and open learning spaces for students exhausted by the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic.

Seo Gang-seok, Mayor of Songpa-gu, said, “We hope the newly created study cafe will help foster a studious atmosphere for students using the reading room,” adding, “We will continue to develop and promote various support measures so that children and youth in our district can freely pursue their dreams and grow into healthy members of society.”

Mapo-gu Raises Veterans’ Allowance from 40,000 KRW to 50,000 KRW, Introduces Holiday Consolation Money

Strengthening living support for national veterans and their families who devoted themselves to the country

Mapo-gu (Mayor Park Kang-soo) announced that it will increase the Honorary Veterans Allowance and Veterans’ Courtesy Allowance by 10,000 KRW starting this year and introduce holiday consolation money for national veterans who have devoted themselves to the country.

Mapo-gu’s national veterans include registered residents who are national merit recipients, veterans, special mission veterans, May 18 Democratic Movement merit recipients, and victims of Agent Orange-related diseases. Approximately 3,200 veterans receive the Veterans’ Courtesy Allowance and Honorary Veterans Allowance.

Starting this year, the district raised the Veterans’ Courtesy Allowance and Honorary Veterans Allowance paid to veterans residing in Mapo-gu for more than three months from 40,000 KRW to 50,000 KRW.

Additionally, to support veterans during holidays, the district introduced holiday consolation money of 30,000 KRW twice a year during Lunar New Year and Chuseok, which will be paid to existing allowance accounts without separate applications.

Meanwhile, the district is also committed to veterans’ welfare beyond the allowance. In June, the month of veterans, consolation money is provided to nine veterans’ organizations in Mapo-gu. The district also conducts events such as Independence Day consolation money for independence merit recipients, transportation support for bereaved families attending Memorial Day ceremonies, Korean War veterans’ consolation events, and consolation events for independence merit recipients and their families.

Efforts are also made to improve treatment for veterans’ families. The Veterans’ Courtesy Allowance is paid not only to the veteran but also to one prior-ranked bereaved family member holding a bereaved family certificate. If a registered veteran residing in Mapo-gu passes away, a death condolence payment of 200,000 KRW is given to the prior-ranked bereaved family member.

The Honorary Veterans Allowance and Veterans’ Courtesy Allowance cannot be paid simultaneously. Veterans or prior-ranked bereaved family members who have moved to Mapo-gu or registered as such can apply by visiting their local community center with ID, national veteran certificate (or bereaved family certificate), and a copy of their bankbook.

Park Kang-soo, Mayor of Mapo-gu, said, “We will gradually strengthen veterans’ welfare, including the increase in veterans’ allowance and the introduction of holiday consolation money, to support a dignified life for national veterans and their families who devoted themselves to the country.”

Gwangjin-gu Expands Honors for National Veterans Starting New Year

Ordinance revision expands recipients of Veterans’ Courtesy Allowance without restrictions on overlapping payments of Seoul city veterans’ allowances

77% increase in subsidies including operating expenses for nine veterans’ organizations compared to last year... Continued promotion of various veterans’ policies such as holiday consolation money, funeral support services, and battlefield pilgrimage support

Gwangjin-gu (Mayor Kim Kyung-ho) is significantly expanding support for national veterans and veterans’ organizations.

The district expanded the recipients of the Veterans’ Courtesy Allowance to honor national veterans who sacrificed or contributed to the country and significantly increased operating expenses for nine veterans’ organizations.

This year, Gwangjin-gu’s veterans’ budget increased by 545 million KRW from the previous year to 2.748 billion KRW, which will be used to honor national veterans and smoothly implement veterans’ policies.

In October 2022, the district revised the ‘Gwangjin-gu Ordinance on the Honor and Support of National Veterans’ to allow recipients of Seoul city veterans’ allowances, such as the Honorary Veterans Allowance, to also receive Gwangjin-gu’s Veterans’ Courtesy Allowance.

Previously, some national veterans could not receive the allowance due to restrictions on overlapping veterans’ allowances, but from 2023, they can receive the Veterans’ Courtesy Allowance paid by the district.

As a result, about 1,300 national veterans residing in the area will receive an additional 50,000 KRW monthly Veterans’ Courtesy Allowance, expanding the total number of recipients to about 2,850 this year, including existing recipients.

Furthermore, to revitalize veterans’ organizations, the district increased operating expenses for nine organizations by 77% compared to the previous year.

Gwangjin-gu also promotes various veterans’ policies such as holiday consolation money, funeral support services, death condolence payments, support for veterans’ organization battlefield pilgrimage expenses, and operates physical therapy rooms and bathhouses for veterans’ families.

Kim Kyung-ho, Mayor of Gwangjin-gu, said, “Proper honor is necessary for veterans who devoted themselves to the country,” adding, “We will not forget their noble spirit and will continue to support national veterans without hesitation.”