Kim Tae-woo, Mayor of Gangseo-gu, Seoul, Holds Daily Conversations with 20 Residents

Gangseo-gu Promotes 'Daily Resident Communication Train'

District Mayor Kim Tae-woo Holds Informal Conversations with 20 Residents Every Morning at 10 AM in the District Office Book Cafe

Mayor Kim Emphasizes Direct Communication with Residents, Proposes Idea to Hear Real Voices from the Field and Actively Reflect Them in Administration

Kim Tae-woo, Mayor of Gangseo-gu, Seoul, will launch the 'Daily Resident Communication Train' starting from the 13th, directly meeting and communicating with residents.

The 'Daily Resident Communication Train' is a session held on weekdays at 10 AM where Mayor Kim meets with about 20 residents at the district office book cafe for informal communication.

Mayor Kim proposed this project himself, emphasizing that residents should always be the top priority in all administrative affairs and that their voices must be listened to more attentively.

The conversations are held in a relaxed atmosphere without any special format, allowing participants to directly ask Mayor Kim about their concerns or questions regarding the district and receive answers.

If immediate answers are difficult, the relevant department will review and provide separate responses later.

Mayor Kim plans to start meetings with 3,523 tongbanjang (community leaders) this year, and next year, meet a total of about 29,900 residents including 19,749 members of organizations such as traditional market merchants and 655 users and workers of facilities like childcare centers.

The district aims to listen to vivid voices from the field through the 'Resident Communication Train,' reflect diverse opinions in district administration, and increase residents' participation in governance.

Additionally, the sessions will share progress on major issues and long-standing projects such as redevelopment and reconstruction of the old downtown area and relocation of the Banghwa-dong waste disposal site, encouraging active cooperation from residents.

Mayor Kim Tae-woo said, “The ability to resolve long-standing resident issues in Gangseo-gu within a short period, such as redevelopment and reconstruction of the old downtown and relocation of the Banghwa waste disposal site, was possible because we always communicated with residents on site. Going forward, I will continue to listen carefully to residents' voices and carry out administration solely for the residents.”

Seocho-gu Signs Business Agreement with KCC for ‘Firefly House’ to Improve Housing Conditions for Vulnerable Groups

On the 9th, the District Signed a Business Agreement with KCC and Four Partner Organizations for the Housing Improvement Project ‘Firefly House’

Entering Its 6th Year, the Project Advances Customized Home Repairs and Community Sharing through Closer Public-Private Cooperation

Seocho-gu (Mayor Jeon Seong-su) signed a business agreement with KCC on the 9th to improve housing conditions and quality of life for vulnerable households through the ‘Firefly House’ housing environment improvement project.

The agreement ceremony held in the district office’s main conference room was attended by Seocho-gu Mayor Jeon Seong-su, KCC Executive Director Kim Sang-jun, heads of four partner organizations (Hanwoori Information and Culture Center, Banpo Comprehensive Social Welfare Center, Bangbae Youth Center, Yangjae Comprehensive Social Welfare Center), and other officials. The event included exchanging the agreement documents, commemorative photos, sharing best practices by each organization, and presenting plans for this year’s project.

Started in 2018 and now in its 6th year, the ‘Firefly House’ project is one of the district’s representative public-private cooperation initiatives. KCC sponsors 100 million KRW for the project, while the district and four partner organizations share responsibilities for identifying beneficiaries and implementing the project to support repairs and renovations of housing for vulnerable households. In 2021, the project was recognized for its achievements by winning the ‘2021 Seoul Social Contribution Excellent Program Contest’ hosted by Seoul City and the Seoul Welfare Foundation.

Until last year, the project supported space improvements for a total of 176 vulnerable households including basic livelihood security recipients, low-income families, persons with disabilities, and vulnerable youth households. The housing characteristics of beneficiaries needing repair or improvement are carefully assessed from perspectives such as safety, convenience, hygiene, and energy efficiency, providing one-on-one customized housing environment improvements.

Alongside this, the district has contributed to spreading a culture of community sharing by conducting volunteer activities with KCC employees and partner organizations, such as producing food kits and delivering them to participant households while checking satisfaction with home repairs through the ‘Delicious Firefly House’ program, and delivering year-end gifts to participant households through the ‘Firefly Santa Claus’ initiative.

The 2023 Firefly House beneficiary households will be recruited in April and applications can be submitted through the local community service centers or partner organizations. Beneficiary selection will be made through document screening and on-site visits, comprehensively considering application reasons, urgency, and overlap with other support.

Additionally, to build a more robust welfare safety net, the district has been strengthening public-private cooperation networks by signing agreements such as the ‘Visiting Home Medical Care Project’ with Korea University Medical Center and Bayada Home Healthcare to provide integrated medical services to residents in blind spots, and the ‘Kia Mentoring’ agreement with Kia to conduct mentoring for children and youth from educationally vulnerable groups.

Seocho-gu Mayor Jeon Seong-su said at the ceremony, “I deeply thank KCC and partner organizations for their active support of the Firefly House project. Like the light emitted by fireflies, we will do our best to brighten the living spaces of residents in need and warm their hearts through this project.”