Opening of Geumho Kids Cafe in Seongdong-gu

Jung Won-oh, Mayor of Seongdong-gu, greeting children while touring Kumho Kids Cafe

Seoul City Secures 400 Million KRW in Municipal Funds through Selection for Public Indoor Playground Project... Opened on the 11th after Remodeling

Located on the 4th floor of Geumho 2 and 3-dong Community Centers, open Monday to Saturday from 10 AM to 5 PM

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Seongdong-gu (District Mayor Jung Won-oh) announced on the 11th that the public indoor playground 'Geumho Kids Cafe' has opened after remodeling.

Geumho Kids Cafe was established with approximately 400 million KRW in municipal funds secured after being selected in March last year for the Seoul City public indoor playground project. Construction began in July last year, followed by safety inspections, a pilot operation starting in December, and an official opening on the 11th of this month.

Geumho Kids Cafe is designed for preschool children under the age of five and is located on the 4th floor of the Geumho 2 and 3-dong Community Centers, covering a total area of 318.5㎡. Inside, there are play structures that aid children's physical development, a resting area for guardians, a nursing room, and a reading space. Notably, a smart experience zone was created, featuring VR experiences, wall-sensing play facilities, and smart touch tables to stimulate children's curiosity and imagination.

The play facilities comply with safety inspection standards and use eco-friendly certified finishing materials. All windows are equipped with fine dust-proof screens that allow natural ventilation while blocking fine dust from entering indoors.

Geumho Kids Cafe operates Monday through Saturday (10 AM to 5 PM, 90 minutes per session) and reservations can be made through the Seoul City Our Neighborhood Care Portal.

Seongdong-gu Mayor Jung Won-oh said, "We are pleased to provide a safe and enjoyable space for growing children with the opening of the public Geumho Kids Cafe," adding, "We will continue to implement various policies to make Seongdong-gu a great place for raising children where both parents and kids are happy."

Gangseo-gu Recruiting 240 Participants for Youth Volunteer Spring Break Program until the 27th

Seoul’s Gangseo-gu (District Mayor Kim Tae-woo) is recruiting participants for the ‘2023 Volunteer Spring Break Program’ prepared for the spring break.

The volunteer program is held every vacation to foster youth interest in community issues and provide necessary knowledge for volunteer activities, combining theoretical education and experiential programs.

The program will be held from April 6 to 17 on the 4th floor Cha-eum Space of the Gangseo-gu Volunteer Center. There will be four programs for elementary, middle, and high school students and six programs for middle and high school students.

The programs include ▲Basic Volunteer Education ▲Volunteer Quiz King! ▲Speech Training for Audiobook Recording ▲Read-a-lot Campaign through Youth Audiobook Recording (all for elementary, middle, and high school students) ▲Proper Resource Circulation Education for Carbon Neutrality ▲Eco-friendly Product Making (eco-bags and eco-friendly kitchen detergent) ▲Massage Stick Making with Sock Yarn and Writing Filial Piety Letters ▲Visit to Boramae Safety Experience Center ▲Visit to Environmental Love Promotion Education Center (all for middle and high school students).

The district will recruit 20 to 25 participants per program, totaling 240 people. Interested individuals can apply from the 11th to the 27th via the 1365 Volunteer Portal or the Gangseo-gu Volunteer Center website through the posted link (Naver Form).

Participants will receive 1 to 2 hours of volunteer credit per program.

More detailed information on schedules and recruitment numbers can be found on the ‘Gangseo-gu Volunteer Center Website - Information Center - Notices’.

A district official said, “We conduct the volunteer vacation program to help youth share the spirit of sharing and volunteering and practice environmental protection,” adding, “With smooth cooperation with volunteer organizations and enhanced program professionalism, we hope for active participation and interest.”

The summer vacation program held last August was delivered by specialized volunteer groups affiliated with the Volunteer Center, providing theory and skills, and especially one-on-one practical training tailored to students’ levels, which received high satisfaction.

Nowon-gu Partners with Dedicated Medical Institutions to Care for Abused Children

On the 5th, signed a business agreement with child abuse dedicated medical institutions to establish a cooperative system for protecting abused children

Nowon-gu (District Mayor Oh Seung-rok) announced that it is establishing a meticulous cooperative system to protect abused children.

This system allows priority medical treatment even if guardians do not accompany the child in emergency situations and aims to support the healthy recovery of abused children through cooperation between public and private sectors.

The support system consists of three parts. First, ‘Establishing a cooperative system with dedicated medical institutions.’ On the 5th, a business agreement was signed with the participation of the Nowon-gu mayor, Inje University Sanggye Paik Hospital (Director Ko Kyung-soo), Nowon Eulji University Hospital (Director Yoo Tak-geun), and Nowon Police Station Chief (Chief Lee Jin-soo), among others.

The agreement covers mutual cooperation in discovering abused children, reporting, emergency treatment and medical care, investigation cooperation, and medical consultation. The costs incurred for implementation are supported by Nowon-gu Office.

Next is the ‘Operation of a dedicated team for child abuse.’ The district has operated a dedicated team since 2018 because early detection and prompt response are essential for preventing child abuse.

The existing child abuse protection system was divided between public institutions and private sectors. When an incident occurs, public officials investigate the abuse facts, and private sectors manage casework for child recovery, but different dedicated institutions made efficient management difficult. To resolve this, the district became the first local government nationwide to directly operate a child protection specialized institution. Dedicated public officials and case managers from the Nowon Child Protection Specialized Institution communicate at least three times a week to enable faster response.

Lastly, the ‘Child Welfare Deliberation Committee (Case Decision Committee)’ composed of public and private experts operates. It holds face-to-face meetings once a month. The committee establishes policies for children needing protection, selects and supports target children. Through thorough discussions, it ensures the best services for children requiring protection.

Related ‘Child Abuse Judgment Meetings’ are also strengthened. These monthly face-to-face meetings secure objectivity and expertise in abuse judgments. The ‘Child Abuse Response Information Linkage Council,’ involving five institutions including the district office, Nowon Police Station, Northern Education Support Office, Youth Counseling Welfare Center, and Child Protection Specialized Institution, regularly shares information on abused and at-risk children.

Meanwhile, Nowon-gu was the only district in Seoul to be selected as an ‘Excellent District for Public Response System Operation for Child Abuse 2022’ by the Ministry of Health and Welfare last year. It also won the top prize in the ‘2022 Child Protection System Establishment Evaluation.’ The system was highly praised for its integrated and customized support process from abuse investigation, case management, protective measures to self-reliance support.

Nowon-gu Mayor Oh Seung-rok said, “As public responsibility for child protection strengthens, public-private cooperation systems have become important,” adding, “We will solidify mutual communication systems to detect at-risk children early and respond promptly.”