Park Gang-su, Mayor of Mapo District, Officially Launches 2023 Resident Dialogue Communication Train

Park Gang-su, Mayor of Mapo District, is sharing the 2023 district development direction and major projects with the residents of Gongdeok-dong through a community meeting.

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Park Gang-su, Mayor of Mapo-gu, attended the first resident meeting of 2023 titled ‘Open and Honest Communication with the Mayor’ at the Gongdeok-dong Community Center on the morning of the 26th, marking the start of active communication administration.

This resident meeting, held at the beginning of the year, was organized for Mayor Park Gang-su to meet directly with residents to share the development direction and major projects of the district in 2023 and to listen to residents’ opinions on local issues.

Fifty people attended the Gongdeok-dong resident meeting, including Mayor Park Gang-su, city and district council members, heads of functional organizations in Gongdeok-dong, community leaders, and residents, sharing various opinions on local issues and district administration projects.

In particular, Mayor Park Gang-su made efforts to create an informal and sincere meeting atmosphere. In addition to pre-submitted suggestions, he actively accepted additional suggestions on-site, provided detailed explanations on the spot, and worked to find more reasonable alternatives for requests that were not feasible, striving to build consensus with residents.

Mayor Park Gang-su of Mapo-gu said, “2023 is the year when key policies that will lead to regional development and residents’ happiness will be fully implemented. Through continuous communication with residents, we will do our best to address their needs and ensure that the full-scale transformation of Mapo can be personally experienced.”

Jo Seong-myeong, Mayor of Gangnam-gu, Launches Listening Administration... Vision Reporting Sessions Held

From January 30 to February 13, 9 sessions visiting 22 neighborhoods... Explaining major projects of Gangnam-gu this year and addressing residents’ questions

Gangnam-gu (Mayor Jo Seong-myeong) will hold the ‘2023 Gangnam-gu Vision (VISION) Reporting Sessions’ a total of 9 times from January 30 to February 13, directly explaining major district projects to residents and listening to their suggestions.

This reporting session was organized for the mayor to meet residents directly and explain in detail how this year’s budget will be used for the district’s key priority projects. In particular, it explains concrete implementation plans for the five major district administration goals of the 8th elected term: ▲Innovative Growth City ▲Cultural Ecological City ▲Safe and Happy City ▲Empathetic Companion City ▲Ultra-Close City.

Residents can ask questions about major projects and receive direct answers from the mayor, as well as present suggestions. Opinions raised during the sessions will be reviewed by the relevant departments later for detailed responses.

Additionally, residents can hear detailed explanations about projects to be promoted this year in their neighborhoods through their neighborhood heads.

The sessions will be held in 9 rounds, grouping 2 to 3 neighborhoods each time, covering all 22 neighborhoods in the district. The detailed schedule is as follows: ▲1st session for Sinsa and Nonhyeon 1-dong on January 30 at the 5th-floor auditorium of Nonhyeon 1 Cultural Center ▲2nd session for Apgujeong and Cheongdam-dong on January 31 at the 4th-floor auditorium of Cheongdam Lifelong Learning Center ▲3rd session for Nonhyeon 2, Yeoksam 1, and Yeoksam 2-dong on February 2 at the 3rd-floor theater of Yeoksam 1 Cultural Center ▲4th session for Gaepo 3, Irwonbon, and Irwon 1-dong on February 3 at the main auditorium of Jungdong High School ▲5th session for Gaepo 1, Gaepo 2, and Gaepo 4-dong on February 6 at the multimedia room of Poi Elementary School ▲6th session for Suseo and Segok-dong on February 7 at the 3rd-floor auditorium of Segok Cultural Center ▲7th session for Daechi 1 and Daechi 4-dong on February 9 at the 5th-floor auditorium of Daechi 4 Cultural Center ▲8th session for Dogok 1 and Dogok 2-dong on February 10 at the 4th-floor Oyu Art Hall of Dogok 2 Cultural Center ▲9th session for Samsung 1, Samsung 2, and Daechi 2-dong on February 13 at the 3rd-floor auditorium of Daechi 2 Cultural Center. All sessions start at 3 p.m., and any local resident interested in district administration can attend.

Mayor Jo Seong-myeong of Gangnam-gu said, “Due to COVID-19, face-to-face events were difficult, but I am glad that from this year, there is an opportunity to meet residents directly and explain district projects. Since active participation by residents is the driving force for district development, I hope you will present valuable opinions.”

Kim Tae-woo, Mayor of Gangseo-gu, Expands Eligibility for Veterans’ Honor Allowance

Removed restriction on duplicate payments, benefiting 2,760 additional people

2023 Veterans’ Honor Allowance budget increased by 1.26 billion KRW

Seoul Gangseo-gu (Mayor Kim Tae-woo) announced that it will expand the eligibility for the veterans’ honor allowance to strengthen respect and support for national veterans.

The veterans’ honor allowance refers to the allowance paid by local governments according to individual ordinances to national veterans, not by the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs.

In October last year, the district revised the ‘Gangseo-gu Ordinance on Respect and Support for National Veterans’ to allow national veterans receiving Seoul city veterans-related allowances such as the combat honor allowance to also receive the district’s veterans’ honor allowance.

The ordinance took effect in January this year, and 2,760 national veterans who had been excluded from receiving the allowance due to duplicate payment restrictions now receive an additional 50,000 KRW monthly veterans’ honor allowance from the district. The total number of veterans eligible for the district’s veterans’ honor allowance in the area is about 5,300.

To support this, the district allocated a veterans’ allowance budget of 3.36 billion KRW, an increase of 1.26 billion KRW compared to last year.

The veterans’ honor allowance can be received from the month of application, and national veterans already receiving the combat honor allowance will receive it starting January this year. The allowance is scheduled to be paid on the 25th of each month, and if it coincides with a holiday, it will be paid the previous day.

National veterans who are not eligible for Seoul city veterans’ allowances and have not yet applied for the district’s veterans’ honor allowance can apply at their local community center with their veteran ID (or family ID) and a copy of their bankbook to receive the allowance.

For more details on application methods, contact the local community center or the district’s Welfare Policy Division.

Mayor Kim Tae-woo said, “Thanks to the sacrifices of veterans who devoted themselves solely to the nation, today’s great Republic of Korea exists. We will continue to strive to improve the welfare and respect for those who have lived honorable lives for the country.”

Gwanak-gu (Mayor Park Jun-hee) will provide ultra-low interest ‘2023 Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) Development Fund Loan Support’ starting from the 25th to support SMEs and small business owners facing financial difficulties due to high inflation, high interest rates, and high exchange rates.

Last year, the district provided loan support of 3.752 billion KRW to 89 SMEs and small business owners in the area through the SME Development Fund, receiving great response.

This year, the loan interest rate will be temporarily reduced from 1.5% to 0.8% until the end of the year. Unlike before when applications were accepted twice a year, applications will be accepted on an ongoing basis until funds are exhausted to accelerate the prompt stabilization of management for SMEs and small business owners.

Eligible applicants are SMEs and small business owners who have registered their business in Gwanak-gu for more than 6 months as of the application date and have sales performance and collateral capability.

Each company can receive up to 100 million KRW (up to 50 million KRW for small business owners) in loans, which must be used for facility funds, operating funds, or technology development funds, with a repayment plan of 2 years grace period and 3 years equal installment repayment.

Interested companies and small business owners can receive collateral evaluation at Woori Bank Gwanak-gu Office Branch or Seoul Credit Guarantee Foundation Gwanak Branch and submit the application form, business plan, and a copy of the business registration certificate.

For more details about the ‘2023 Gwanak-gu SME Development Fund Loan Support,’ check the district office website (News & Notices → Announcements) or contact the Local Commercial District Revitalization Division.

An official from the district said, “We hope this loan support project will alleviate the financial difficulties of SMEs and small business owners struggling due to the impact of COVID-19. We will continue to actively support SMEs and small business owners to help stabilize their management.”