Yangcheon-gu Provides Consolation Money to Over 12,000 Households for Lunar New Year

Warm Sharing Focused on Providing Consolation Money to 11,593 Low-Income Residents, Disabled Persons, and Single-Parent Families, and Supporting Patriotic Families and Welfare Facilities

Operation of Six Task Forces in Transportation, Cleaning, Snow Removal, Park Management, Medical Care, and COVID-19, Maintaining a Total of 232 Staff on Emergency Duty

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Yangcheon-gu (Mayor Lee Gi-jae) is implementing the '2023 Lunar New Year Comprehensive Measures' to ensure residents have a warm and safe Lunar New Year holiday.

During the Lunar New Year holiday, six task forces in the fields of ▲transportation ▲cleaning ▲snow removal ▲park management ▲medical care ▲COVID-19 will be established, and a comprehensive situation room will be operated to oversee them. From January 20 to 25, a 24-hour situation room will be operated for six days to prepare for emergencies that may occur during the holiday period. To this end, the district plans to deploy a total of 232 staff members across various fields, including 111 personnel dedicated to COVID-19 response, maintaining an emergency duty system.

A Lunar New Year Sharing Warmth and Affection with Neighbors

The district promotes warm and abundant sharing activities especially for vulnerable groups and neighbors in need who tend to feel lonelier during the holidays. First, consolation money (or goods) will be provided to about 11,000 low-income residents, including basic livelihood security recipients and disabled persons. The support targets include ▲1,958 low-income residents (1,827 near-poverty level / 131 Seoul-type basic livelihood recipients) ▲200 low-income disabled households ▲8,704 basic livelihood and medical benefit recipients ▲731 single-parent families (598 mother-headed, 132 father-headed, 1 grandparent-headed), totaling 11,593 households.

Additionally, 155 senior welfare facilities and 33 facilities for the disabled will receive daily necessities such as rice and fruit. To honor patriotic families who have devoted themselves to the country, gift certificates for Onnuri (local gift certificates) will be provided to nine veterans organizations to help revitalize the local economy. Also, to make the holiday memorable for children, 3 million KRW will be provided for 128 children in child welfare facilities and foster care, and 3-day 'Together We Lunchbox' kit boxes will be delivered to 70 children at risk of food insecurity.

Furthermore, a donation-sharing campaign for Lunar New Year will be promoted until February 6, encouraging donations of food and daily necessities in sharing boxes distributed to community service centers and local hubs. Last Chuseok, the district collected 21,165 items (worth about 47 million KRW) through a donation-sharing campaign.

Maintaining a Flawless COVID-19 Response System During the Holiday

The district maintains a flawless COVID-19 response system to protect residents' health during the holiday. Call centers, screening clinics (public health centers), and temporary screening clinics (Yangcheon-gu Mokdong Public Parking Lot) will operate, and emergency duty will be carried out by home treatment teams and epidemiological investigation teams to minimize gaps in COVID-19 management.

During the Lunar New Year holiday (January 21 to 24), the screening clinic will operate from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., and the temporary screening clinic (Yangcheon-gu Mokdong Public Parking Lot) from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Also, an emergency medical response team will be activated to prepare for emergencies during the holiday, and designated hospitals, clinics, and pharmacies will operate. Cooperation with Ewha Mokdong Hospital (regional emergency medical center), Hongik Hospital, and Seonam Hospital (regional emergency medical institutions) will maintain the emergency medical response system. Detailed medical information can be found on the district office website, emergency medical portal, and smartphone applications providing emergency medical information.

Safe and Comfortable Lunar New Year Holiday

A Disaster Safety Countermeasures Headquarters composed of 13 practical teams will be operated to enable immediate response in case of disaster. Weather conditions will be monitored 24 hours a day to prepare for heavy snow and cold waves, and safety management of construction sites, multi-use facilities, fire prevention, park and green space safety, and food safety will be thoroughly inspected and prepared.

For traditional markets expected to see increased visitors during the holiday, the district will conduct joint inspections of fire, electrical, and gas facilities in cooperation with Yangcheon Fire Station and Korea Gas Safety Corporation to prevent safety accidents such as fires. Additionally, temporary parking will be allowed on surrounding roads until January 24 to promote traditional market use. The permitted sections are Sinjeong Jeil Market (Sinwol-ro 294 to Sinwol-ro 298, approx. 60m) and Singok Market (Sinwol-ro 156 to Sinwol-ro 180, approx. 260m), where customers can park for up to 2 hours between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m.

Special transportation measures have also been prepared, and a transportation situation room maintaining communication with the Seoul City Transportation Situation Room will operate to provide traffic information during the holiday. Pre-inspections of 33 village buses will be conducted for COVID-19 special quarantine and safety accident prevention. Special guidance and enforcement against illegal parking and stopping will focus on traffic-vulnerable areas such as department stores, subway stations, and village bus routes. Information on extended last train times on January 22 and 23 will be announced via LED electronic boards (public health center) and the district office website.

Cleaning measures for a pleasant holiday have been carefully prepared. During the holiday, a cleaning situation team (4 groups, 16 people) and a mobile team (3 groups, 6 people) will be organized to collect illegal dumping and accumulated garbage, minimizing inconvenience to residents. The district’s directly managed environmental officers will deploy 50% of their personnel on special duty on January 21 and 23-24 to maintain clean street environments. All accumulated household waste before the holiday will be collected by January 20 and taken to resource recovery facilities. From January 22 to 24, when intake is suspended, residents will be encouraged to refrain from waste disposal, and waste disposal days by neighborhood will be announced.

Yangcheon-gu Mayor Lee Gi-jae said, “We will activate comprehensive Lunar New Year measures so that residents can spend a comfortable and safe holiday,” adding, “We will thoroughly implement pre-safety and quarantine inspections and operate sector-specific task forces to ensure a reliable and reassuring holiday.”

If assistance is needed or there are questions during the Lunar New Year holiday, residents can refer to the district office website or contact the comprehensive situation room or the mayor’s direct text number.

Dongjak-gu Implements Comprehensive Lunar New Year Measures... 'Resident Safety First'

Focus on COVID-19 Prevention, Emergency Medical System Maintenance, Disaster Response, and Livelihood Stability

Dongjak-gu (Mayor Park Il-ha) announced that it will implement comprehensive Lunar New Year measures from the 18th to ensure all residents have a safe and abundant holiday.

Based on five major areas including safety, daily life, and price measures, the district will operate a comprehensive situation room from the 18th to 25th to thoroughly prepare for various disasters, incidents, and accidents, minimizing inconvenience to residents.

Even during the holiday, an emergency response system is established to prevent COVID-19 spread and handle emergency medical complaints. The public health center screening clinic and Sadang Cultural Center temporary screening clinic will operate during the holiday, and a public health center medical guidance team will provide information on emergency medical institutions, holiday pharmacies, and respond to urgent complaints to minimize inconvenience.

In addition, disaster-vulnerable facilities such as construction sites, multi-use facilities, and traditional markets will be intensively inspected for facility conditions and fire hazards to prevent safety accidents.

Also, a task force will be formed to prepare for cold waves and heavy snow during the holiday, maintaining a stepwise management system. An emergency contact network with vulnerable seniors and their families will be established to prevent cold wave damage in advance. Heated seats at 33 bus stops, 15 cold wave shelters, and 3 temporary shelters will be operated, expanded from last year.

To support neighbors struggling with high prices and interest rates, various support and sharing activities will be promoted. Vulnerable households will be visited to check on their well-being and provide meals and side dishes, strengthening care for isolated neighbors. Additional consolation money will be provided to women and child welfare facility beneficiaries.

Furthermore, the district will make every effort to implement various measures including household waste collection and cleaning, expanded free opening of public and resident-priority parking lots, management of major seasonal goods, and price stabilization measures.

If assistance is needed or there are inquiries during the Lunar New Year holiday, residents can check the Dongjak-gu website or contact the district office comprehensive situation room.

Dongjak-gu Mayor Park Il-ha said, “We will focus administrative power on implementing flawless comprehensive measures throughout daily life so that all residents can have a safe and comfortable Lunar New Year holiday.”

Gangnam-gu Promotes a Warm Lunar New Year with Neighbors in Need

Consolation Money and Goods Worth Over 1.3 Billion KRW Provided to 34,846 Elderly Living Alone and Low-Income Households

77 Members of Our Neighborhood Care Team Conduct Focused Visits to 716 At-Risk Households; Emergency Response Team Operated for At-Risk Household Reports

Gangnam-gu (Mayor Jo Seong-myeong) is implementing a comprehensive welfare plan for the Lunar New Year, delivering consolation money and goods worth over 1.3 billion KRW to 34,846 elderly living alone and low-income households, sharing the holiday warmth with neighbors in need.

Over 1.3 Billion KRW Delivered to 34,846 Vulnerable People

By January 20, the district will provide consolation money and goods worth 1,327.94 million KRW to 34,846 individuals (households). First, 17,304 recipients will receive 988.18 million KRW in consolation money. The recipients include national veterans and veterans organizations, low-income households below 120% of median income, low-income single-parent families, foster children, residents of facilities for the disabled, child care facilities, and women's welfare facilities.

Additionally, 11,833 people at comprehensive social welfare centers, disability welfare centers, senior centers, and home care facilities will receive holiday gift sets, rice cakes, fruits, and other consolation goods worth 156.2 million KRW. Ten centers, including Suseo Myeonghwa Comprehensive Social Welfare Center, will provide special meals to 1,641 seniors using free senior cafeterias and 635 seniors receiving meal and side dish delivery services.

Moreover, 22 neighborhood community centers will hold 43 sharing events during the Lunar New Year, delivering 163.67 million KRW to 4,909 low-income households. Items such as blankets, electric mats, rice, fruit, rice cake soup rice cakes, and food packages will be distributed to ensure no vulnerable neighbor is left out during the holiday.

77 Our Neighborhood Care Team Members Conduct Focused Visits to 716 At-Risk Households

From January 16 to 20, 77 members of the 22 neighborhood Our Neighborhood Care Teams will conduct focused visits to 716 households at high risk of solitary death, such as single-person households. The care teams will visit each home to check on residents and deliver consolation goods. Each neighborhood will manage priority care recipients and continuously check on them during the holiday.

From January 21 to 24, the district will operate an emergency standby team at the district office to receive reports of at-risk households. Reports made through KakaoTalk 'Gangnam Good Neighbor' will be handled promptly by the emergency standby team.

Also, from January 20 to 24, the district will conduct special patrols for homeless people. Thirty-three key homeless areas, including Gangnam Station, will be patrolled, and cooperation with related agencies such as the police will support homeless relocation and shelter admission.

Three-Week ‘Food Sharing Campaign’ from January 16

In addition, a food sharing campaign involving all residents will be promoted for the Lunar New Year. From January 16 to February 3, food donations will be collected and delivered to at-risk households through the Gangnam-gu Food Support Center. Acceptable donations include long-lasting items such as rice, ramen, canned goods, and daily necessities, which can be voluntarily donated at nearby neighborhood community centers. Residents wishing to donate fresh food can contact the Food Support Center directly. Currently, about 3,800 low-income people are registered with the Food Support Center.

Warmer Holidays with Welfare Center Lunar New Year Events

Various Lunar New Year events will be held from January 16 to 20. Six comprehensive welfare centers, including Gangnam Comprehensive Social Welfare Center, will host traditional Korean confectionery making and traditional game experiences. Six disability welfare centers, including Gangnam Saeum Welfare Center, will hold events where welfare center users and residents can participate together, such as making rice cake soup, sharing holiday recipes, and playing traditional games like Yutnori and Jachigi. Six senior welfare centers, including Nonhyeon Senior Comprehensive Welfare Center, will offer holiday parties, celebratory performances, and Lunar New Year bazaars for seniors.

Gangnam-gu Mayor Jo Seong-myeong said, “Although many are struggling due to recent price increases and economic downturn, we will actively support vulnerable groups to have a warm Lunar New Year,” adding, “We will also implement comprehensive measures to prepare for traffic, snow, and cold waves during the holiday to ensure all residents can have a safe Lunar New Year.”