Yongsan-gu Opens Mobile Psychological Counseling Center in Itaewon
Located on the 3rd Floor of Itaewon Tourism Special Zone Promotion Center in the Global Food Street
February 1?28, Weekdays 2 PM to 5 PM... Professional Mental and Psychological Assessments and Counseling... Psychiatrist Consultations Available Every Wednesday
[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Yongsan-gu (Acting Mayor Kim Seon-su) will operate a mobile psychological counseling center throughout February to help merchants and residents near Itaewon overcome trauma.
The operating hours are weekdays from 2 PM to 5 PM. The location is on the 3rd floor of the Itaewon Tourism Special Zone Promotion Center (42, Itaewon-ro 27ga-gil). It is available to all merchants and residents near Itaewon.
Professional staff will conduct mental and psychological assessments and counseling. If necessary, group education and programs for psychological stabilization will be additionally provided. Every Wednesday, consultations with a psychiatrist from Soonchunhyang University Seoul Hospital are also available.
A district official stated, "Psychological pain is not always visible," and urged, "Even if you do not have noticeable symptoms, please visit to check your mental state."
On January 31 at 2 PM, the district will also hold a psychological support promotion campaign near Exit 1 of Itaewon Station, targeting nearby shops and streets. This is to inform about possible reactions and coping methods after an incident, disaster psychological support projects, and to encourage participation in counseling.
Additionally, a promotional banner for the project will be installed on the outer wall of the Itaewon Tourism Special Zone Promotion Center, and 3,000 psychological support guide postcards and 300 posters will be produced and distributed to shops.
Acting Mayor Kim Seon-su said, "Merchants and residents near Itaewon are suffering greatly due to depression caused by the tragedy, the downturn in commercial activity, and the cold wave," adding, "We will collaborate with the Ministry of SMEs and Startups and Seoul City to prepare multifaceted measures so that Itaewon can rise again."
Last month on the 10th, the district issued 10 billion KRW worth of Itaewon Commercial Recovery Gift Certificates to revitalize the depressed surrounding commercial area after the Itaewon tragedy. These mobile gift certificates are issued at a 10% discount from face value.
Also, since the 18th, a Mind Comfort Bus operated by the Seoul Metropolitan Mental Health Welfare Center has been stationed near Exit 1 of Itaewon to help stabilize the minds of nearby residents. In February, counseling on the Mind Comfort Bus is available on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2 PM to 5 PM.
Gangnam-gu Installs 510 Smart Security Lights Connected to Smartphones in Nonhyeon 1-dong Area
In Emergencies, Shaking the Smartphone Makes the Security Light Blink and Automatically Reports to the Police Station
Gangnam-gu (Mayor Cho Seong-myeong) completed the installation of 510 smart security lights in the Nonhyeon 1-dong area (from Bongeunsa-ro 1-gil to Hakdong-ro 18-gil, covering 0.71 km²) at the end of December last year to create safer routes home, and will fully operate them starting this year.
Nonhyeon 1-dong is a densely populated area with multi-family and multi-unit houses, featuring narrow and dark alleys. Additionally, 22% of the residents are single women households, many of whom expressed concerns about safety on nighttime routes home. Considering these regional characteristics and complaints, the district consulted with Seoul City and received 400 million KRW in city funds to install the smart security lights. Construction began in October last year and was completed by the end of December.
The smart security lights equipped with IoT signal devices based on near-field communication are linked with approximately 40,000 CCTV cameras across Seoul and integrated with Seoul City's 'Ansim-i App,' which connects to police stations 24/7. When exposed to danger in an alley, shaking the smartphone with the Ansim-i App activated immediately sends an alert with the danger and location information to the Gangnam-gu Integrated Control Center and the local police precinct. Simultaneously, the smart security light blinks to quickly notify nearby pedestrians and responding police officers of the danger location. Additionally, if a security light malfunctions, the fault details are automatically sent via text message, enabling proactive maintenance.
Mayor Cho Seong-myeong of Gangnam-gu said, "With smart security lights that effectively alert danger, residents can feel less anxious on their way home," adding, "We plan to carry out smart security light construction in Daechi 4-dong, which has similar alley environments, this year." He also stated, "We will continue to actively introduce smart technologies such as expanding CCTV and integrating AI technology to protect residents' safety."
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