Seongbuk-gu, Abundant Donations and Sharing Across the Area for Lunar New Year Holiday

Seokgwan-dong Donation Event

Continuous Donations and Contributions Flowing to the Community Service Centers

Warm Lunar New Year Anticipated with Delivery of Gift Packages Including Rice Cake Soup Ingredients to Neighbors in Need

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Seongbuk-gu (Mayor Lee Seung-ro) shared heartwarming news that donation and sharing activities to support neighbors in need during the Lunar New Year holiday are ongoing throughout the community.

On the 16th, in Seokgwan-dong, the Village Safety Council (Chairman Won Bok-hee) and Jeong Ji-chun Seolleongtang donated 1,600kg of rice cake soup rice cakes and 100 pairs of winter socks to help neighbors have a warm Lunar New Year. Following this, shop owners from Seokgye Station Food Culture Street joined the donation, with 10 stores including Suyang Charcoal Grilled Ribs contributing a total of 1.07 million KRW in cash and goods, including 200,000 KRW from Suyang Charcoal Grilled Ribs. Additionally, Top Mart donated 100 bags of 10kg white rice, and Vision Goshiwon donated 200,000 KRW.

On the 16th, the ‘Lunar New Year Red Cross Love Rice Cake Soup Sharing Event’ was held at the 3rd-floor auditorium of Hanyang Saemaeul Geumgo in Jeongneung 2-dong. This event was enriched by sponsorship from Hanyang Saemaeul Geumgo and the Daejin Passenger Labor Union Committee. Members of the Red Cross Volunteer Society (Chairman Moon Young-eok) personally packaged 2.5kg rice cake soup rice cakes and broth, delivering them to 144 vulnerable residents in welfare blind spots, including Hope Wheelchair recipients, low-income elderly living alone at risk of solitary death, disabled households, homeless shelters, and senior centers within the community.

The Seongbuk-dong Community Security Council (Chairman Monk Hyegang) held a ‘Lunar New Year Love Food Sharing’ event to convey neighbors’ warm hearts to households under the lower-income bracket and welfare blind spots during the Lunar New Year. Council members planned the event and directly participated in all processes including purchasing ingredients and packaging to share representative Lunar New Year foods such as rice cake soup rice cakes, nabak kimchi, and dumplings.

In Anam-dong, on the 17th, the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism’s Propagation Team ‘Corporation Good Connection’ delivered 80 boxes of rice cake soup rice cakes. Since its establishment in Anam-dong in 2006, Good Connection has continuously engaged in community donations and sharing activities, playing a key role in local welfare. Kim Young-seok, director of Corporation Good Connection, expressed, “Despite the economic downturn, I worry about the well-being of elderly living alone in the community during the holidays that come without fail,” and wished, “I hope they enjoy a happy holiday by making rice cake soup with these well-milled high-quality rice cakes.”

In Bomun-dong, the Bomun-dong Community Security Council (Chairman Lee Seong-dal) hosted a Lunar New Year gift package delivery event on the 18th, attended by the district mayor and about 10 community security council members. The gift packages, consisting of royal galbitang (beef rib soup), rice cake soup rice cakes, herbal patches, and more, were prepared with funding support from the Nanum Network Dong Community Security Council and delivered to 100 low-income single-person households and vulnerable groups.

Jeongneung 2-dong Rice Cake Soup Rice Cake Sharing

On the 18th, Jangwi 3-dong held a ‘Lunar New Year Multi-Value Gift Package Sharing Event’ for neighbors in need. This event was organized by the Jangwi 3-dong Community Security Council (Chairman Song Chang-soon) in cooperation with the Jangwi 3-dong Our Neighborhood Care Group and Seongbuk Senior Comprehensive Social Welfare Center. Council members, Our Neighborhood Care Group, and senior living support workers from Seongbuk Senior Comprehensive Social Welfare Center personally participated, packaging gift packages consisting of rice cake soup rice cakes and groceries, visiting each household to check on their well-being and exchange New Year greetings.

On the 19th, Jeongneung 4-dong delivered ‘Love Packages’ containing 3kg of rice cake soup rice cakes, one pound of beef for soup, seaweed boxes, tangerines, and more to low-income vulnerable households in the community through the ‘Lunar New Year Love Sharing Event’ held in the resident center parking lot. The ‘Love Packages’ were composed of items donated by local shops and businesses. The Jeongneung 4-dong Community Security Council holds ‘Love Sharing Events’ every Lunar New Year and Chuseok to support neighbors spending lonely holidays.

Amid ongoing donations and sharing throughout the community, Seongbuk-gu Mayor Lee Seung-ro said, “I thank everyone practicing donation and sharing in the community,” and added, “I hope the beautiful image of residents sharing together continues, and the district office will spare no support to create a better and more livable Seongbuk-gu.”