Why Do Donations in Nowon Come with Thank-You Gifts Like Miniature Trains?

Nowon District Mayor Oh Seung-rok to Donate to 9 Sister Cities, Join the Hometown Love Donation Campaign

Final Selection of 59 Items from 15 Companies Developed as Return Gifts Linked to Local Unique Resources and Experiences

Oh Seung-rok, Mayor of Nowon District, introducing return gifts

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Nowon District (Mayor Oh Seung-rok) announced that it has completed the selection of return gifts containing local stories to promote the Hometown Love Donation System.

The Hometown Love Donation System is a program where individuals who donate to local governments receive tax benefits along with local specialty products as return gifts. It was implemented from January 1 this year to foster a voluntary donation culture for hometowns, enhance local finances, and revitalize the regional economy. Donors can contribute up to 5 million KRW annually to local governments other than their registered resident address, and local governments provide return gifts within 30% of the donation amount.

With the full-scale implementation of the Hometown Love Donation System, the district selected 59 items from 15 companies as return gifts based on criteria including ▲contribution to local economic revitalization such as social enterprises and small business owners within the region ▲local representativeness ▲reflection of the donation's purpose ▲consideration of residents' preferences.

The selected items are broadly divided into experience vouchers and general return gifts. Experience vouchers are products offering experiences at unique local facilities, including ▲Seoul’s first urban-type ‘Nowon Forest Healing Center’ one-day experience voucher, ▲‘Choansan Ceramic Experience Center’ pottery-making experience voucher, ▲‘Nowon Garden Support Center’ companion plant school program ticket at Bulamsan Healing Town, a representative healing spot in Nowon, caf? Forest beverage vouchers, ▲‘Cafe Train Scenery’ beverage vouchers at Hwarangdae Railroad Park, and ▲tickets for planned performances at Nowon Culture and Arts Center.

General return gifts include ▲ultra-precise model trains from the miniature exhibition hall ‘Nowon Train Village,’ which opened last November and has welcomed over 30,000 visitors, ▲handmade mugs from ‘Choansan Ceramic Experience Center,’ Nowon Story Set (warmer, 2 mugs, coaster, candle), Nowon Healing Set (warmer, pot, coaster, candle), ▲wooden cutting boards, tea tables, and book stands made at the woodworking experience center ‘Mokyewon,’ all popular products made at local resident-favored facilities.

Additionally, social enterprises, companies for the disabled, and small business owners located in the region also participated as return gift providers. Various products such as towel sets, napa cabbage kimchi, wooden fountain pens, necklaces, and earrings were selected, expected to contribute to local economic revitalization.

Going forward, the district plans to develop return gifts by maximizing the use of local resources such as Nowon Healing Camping Site tickets.

Mayor Oh Seung-rok of Nowon District also decided to donate hometown love funds to nine sister cities including Goheung, Jeongseon, Pocheon, and Pohang to support their development and actively participate in promoting the Hometown Love Donation System.

Mayor Oh Seung-rok said, “I hope many people participate in the Hometown Love Donation System, which offers return gifts and tax deductions. We will continue to develop unique return gifts linked to our district’s resources and experiences to reward those who love Nowon and work hard to revitalize the local economy.”

Dongdaemun District Mayor Lee Pil-hyung Donates Hometown Love Funds to Sister (Friendly) Cities

On the 21st, 100,000 KRW Donated to Each of 13 Sister (Friendly) Cities Including Yeoju, Gyeonggi Province

On the morning of the 21st, Dongdaemun District Mayor Lee Pil-hyung donated 100,000 KRW each to 13 sister (friendly) cities to pray for the early settlement of the Hometown Love Donation System and strengthen exchanges and cooperation between local governments.

This donation was made in response to hometown love funds donated to Dongdaemun District earlier this January by the mayor of Jecheon City, the county head of Eumseong County in Chungbuk, and the county head of Cheongyang County in Chungnam, all sister cities.

The Hometown Love Donation System allows donors to receive a full tax deduction up to 100,000 KRW when donating to local governments other than their current address, and a 16.5% tax deduction on amounts exceeding 100,000 KRW, along with return gifts worth up to 30% of the donation. The donated funds are used for resident welfare projects such as revitalizing local communities.

Since signing sister city agreements with Namhae County in Gyeongnam and Naju City in Jeonnam in 1999, Dongdaemun District has established sister city relationships with 11 local governments and friendly exchanges with Boseong County in Jeonnam and Buan County in Jeonbuk, currently maintaining a total of 13 sister (friendly) cities.

Mayor Lee Pil-hyung of Dongdaemun District said, “I expect this donation to play a positive role in activating exchanges and mutual development between local governments,” and emphasized, “I ask for active interest and participation in the Hometown Love Donation System to spread a healthy donation culture.”

Dongdaemun District Sister (Friendly) Cities: Namhae County, Gyeongnam; Naju City, Jeonnam; Jecheon City, Chungbuk; Chuncheon City, Gangwon; Eumseong County, Chungbuk; Yeoju City, Gyeonggi; Sunchang County, Jeonbuk; Cheongsong County, Gyeongbuk; Cheongyang County, Chungnam; Sangju City, Gyeongbuk; Yeoncheon County, Gyeonggi; Boseong County, Jeonnam (Friendly City); Buan County, Jeonbuk (Friendly City)

Open Recruitment for the 3rd Gwanak District Cooperation Council Members

Recruiting Members for the 3rd Gwanak District Cooperation Council Until March 3

Deliberation and Resolution of Public-Private Cooperation Agenda Including Discovery of Cooperation Issues, Execution Plans, and Monitoring

Gwanak District (Mayor Park Jun-hee) is openly recruiting members for the ‘3rd Gwanak District Cooperation Council’ until March 3 to realize participatory democracy through public-private cooperation.

The ‘Gwanak District Cooperation Council’ is a cooperation promotion system where residents participate to solve various local community problems, jointly discover policies, execute, and evaluate them with public and private sectors.

Selected members will serve for two years, engaging in activities such as discovering local cooperation issues and deliberating and coordinating various agendas to establish and activate the public-private cooperation system.

Applicants must be Gwanak residents or those living in the Gwanak living area and either recommended by civic groups or professional organizations, or be experts with abundant knowledge and experience in public-private cooperation.

Residents wishing to apply can check the recruitment announcement on the Gwanak District website, complete the application and related documents, and submit them by visiting or emailing the Regional Cooperation Team in the Planning and Budget Division at Gwanak District Office (Annex). Applications are accepted until 6 PM on the last day. For details, contact the Regional Cooperation Team.

The district will conduct document screening (and interviews if necessary) based on activeness, expertise, and representativeness, and make final selections in March.

Meanwhile, the district has secured a budget of 394.45 million KRW this year to intensively promote six cooperation projects: ▲One More Step Toward 2050 Gwanak Carbon Neutrality, ▲Support for Youth Leisure and Cultural Activity Spaces, ▲Operation of the Financial Welfare Counseling Gwanak Center Task Force, ▲Operation of the Starlit Naerincheon Resident Communication Cultural Program, ▲Establishment of a Cultural Network to Revitalize Local Arts and Street Performances, ▲Community Operation to Activate Youth & Village Exchange Spaces.

A district official said, “We hope many residents interested in policy discovery and cooperation for the local community apply,” and added, “We will continue to actively operate district administration with residents based on the principles of ‘innovation,’ ‘inclusion,’ and ‘cooperation.’”