Over 3,000 Residents Participate at Gwanak District Sports Ground on the 29th at 9 AM
Organizing Committee Composed of Residents to Prepare Enjoyable Games and Various Experiences
Gwanak-gu (Mayor Park Junhee) will hold the ‘Gang Gamchan City 2023 Gwanak District Residents Sports Festival’ at the Gwanak District Sports Ground starting at 9 AM on the 29th.
This event is the first to be held in four years since the COVID-19 pandemic, with over 3,000 athletes and residents from 21 neighborhoods in Gwanak-gu expected to participate.
Notably, the Gwanak District Sports Association (a nonprofit organization) is hosting and organizing the event, and a committee composed of residents has been formed to make it a platform for communication and harmony where residents directly plan and participate.
The event will open with pre-ceremony performances including a Taekwondo demonstration team, the entrance ceremony of the teams from the 21 neighborhoods, and the lighting of the torch. Additionally, the ‘Gwanak Resident Award’ will be presented to residents who have made significant contributions to the development of Gwanak-gu.
The competition events are thoughtfully organized to include various age groups, featuring OX quizzes, balloon rolling in Bongcheon and Sillim zones, neighborhood tug-of-war, group jump rope, six-person seven-legged races, relay races, and more.
Furthermore, there will be lively celebratory performances by invited singers, an air bounce zone, and a raffle event, providing a variety of attractions and entertainment.
Awards will be given in five categories: overall champion, overall runner-up, overall third place, participation awards, and an ‘Entrance Award’ for the neighborhood that shows the most impressive entrance ceremony, based on the total scores of each event.
Since communication and cooperative governance are core principles of the district administration, the festival is expected to be a harmonious event where all residents collaborate to achieve results rather than a competition showcasing individual abilities.
Park Junhee, Mayor of Gwanak-gu, said, “I hope this residents sports festival, held for the first time in four years, will promote residents’ health as well as communication and harmony, becoming a festival where all residents can enjoy together.”
Seocho-gu Holds Classical Music Festival Riding the Spring Breeze Throughout the Neighborhood
‘Spring Night Classical Festival’ Held on the 22nd and 23rd at a Park Near Bangbae Cafe Alley to Promote Resident Cultural Enjoyment and Revitalize Commercial Districts
Under the Theme ‘Party Park,’ Offering Concerts, Busking, B-boying, Events, Food Zones, and More
Festival Promotion Performances and Information Booth Operate at Seocho Tourism Information Center Near Gangnam Station Until the 21st
Seocho-gu, a city where “everyday life becomes art and art becomes everyday life,” brings unique cultural and artistic festivals to neighborhoods throughout the year. The first of these is the ‘Spring Night Classical Festival.’
Seocho-gu (Mayor Jeon Seongsu) will hold the ‘Spring Night Classical Festival’ from the 22nd to the 23rd at Dwitbeol Park near Bangbae Cafe Alley.
This festival aims to expand the base of classical culture and revitalize the commercial district of Bangbae Cafe Alley, a popular spot for young people in the 1980s and 1990s.
The festival’s theme is ‘Party Park,’ meaning ‘a park where a party is held.’ It will create a space where people of all ages can enjoy together and evoke a K-classical party atmosphere centered on family-friendly, comfortable memories.
The event is divided into three main concepts: ▲Listening (concerts) ▲Playing (event zone) ▲Eating (food zone). From classical music enthusiasts to the general public, residents can enjoy live classical music in their neighborhood, along with b-boy dance, rides, food trucks, and other attractions for families to see, hear, and enjoy.
On the opening day, the 22nd, a high-quality classical concert will begin at 7 PM featuring top artists who will offer a beautiful spring night. The male quartet ‘La Poem,’ winners of JTBC’s ‘Phantom Singer 3,’ will perform, followed by musical actors Park Hyena, Lee Geonmyeong, and Lee Sangeun, who will present a musical gala including ‘The Four Seasons (Spring)’ and ‘Falling Slowly’ in collaboration with the Liberte Chamber Orchestra.
Notably, a large LED screen will be installed opposite the main stage to allow many attendees to enjoy the performance. Safety personnel will also be stationed throughout the venue to prevent accidents due to crowding.
On the final day, the 23rd, starting at 11 AM, themed performances by young artists will energize the park. Four groups?‘Seoripul Brass Band,’ ‘H Ensemble,’ ‘Korea Junior Big Band,’ and ‘Lalala Family’?will perform diverse genres including classical, Korean traditional music, and jazz. Additionally, the b-boy group CPI Crew will reinterpret Korean traditional music and dance pieces with their own versions of hip-hop, popping, and b-boying to captivate the audience.
There will also be a ‘Theme Park Zone’ featuring bubble shows, photo zones, SNS certification events, Viking rides, and carousels for children, along with food trucks to delight visitors’ eyes and taste buds.
Moreover, to support the revitalization of Bangbae Cafe Alley, selected in this year’s Seoul City Alley Commercial District Revitalization Project, the district will produce and distribute promotional leaflets for restaurants and cafes to visitors enjoying the festival.
Related promotional performances and an information booth are also operating. Until the 21st, at the Seocho Tourism Information Center near Exit 9 of Gangnam Station, tailored promotional events such as ‘Healing Music Therapy’ with music therapists, diva and divo performances, and ‘Serenade for You’ where requested music is played are attracting public attention.
Going forward, starting with this ‘Spring Night Classical Festival,’ the district plans to hold the ‘Seoripul Youth Festival’ in summer at the Express Bus Terminal Plaza, an upgraded high-quality cultural festival ‘Seoripul Festival’ in autumn along Banpodaero, and special New Year and Year-end concerts at Seocho Cultural and Arts Center in winter.
Jeon Seongsu, Mayor of Seocho-gu, said, “I hope this first-ever Spring Night Classical Festival will gift residents with beautiful melodies and happy spring days. We will continue to hold large and small music festivals throughout daily life to create a ‘Seocho Cultural Renaissance’ where residents can enjoy culture and arts anywhere.”
Dobong-gu Allocates Supplementary Budget to Support 100,000 KRW for Seniors Voluntarily Surrendering Driver’s Licenses
Proactive Supplementary Budget to Provide 100,000 KRW Transportation Cards to All Seniors Who Voluntarily Surrender Driver’s Licenses
Contributing to a Safer Traffic Environment by Preventing Traffic Accidents Involving Elderly Drivers
Dobong-gu (Mayor Oh Eunseok) has rolled up its sleeves to encourage elderly drivers to voluntarily surrender their driver’s licenses, aiming to prevent traffic accidents involving elderly drivers that have recently occurred repeatedly.
The ‘Transportation Card Support Project for Seniors Voluntarily Surrendering Driver’s Licenses’ has been jointly promoted with Seoul City since 2019. This project provides a transportation card preloaded with 100,000 KRW to seniors aged 70 and older who surrender their driver’s licenses. The transportation cards, produced and supported by Seoul City, are distributed on a first-come, first-served basis at community centers.
However, due to budget limitations, some community centers ran out of cards early, forcing seniors to wait until the second half of the year for transportation card support.
In response, Dobong-gu plans to independently allocate a supplementary budget to cover the production of transportation cards (for about 350 people) to support all seniors who voluntarily surrender their licenses.
In fact, Seoul City’s total transportation card distribution budget for this year covers 21,700 people, divided into first support for 15,700 people (April) and second support for 6,000 people (scheduled for June to July). Dobong-gu received 671 cards out of 15,700 for the first support starting April 3 and distributed cards to 650 seniors (as of April).
Currently, 206 seniors at community centers where cards have run out are waiting for the second round of transportation card support.
Oh Eunseok, Mayor of Dobong-gu, said, “Although the quantity for Dobong-gu’s second support has not yet been finalized, considering that the total second support quantity is expected to be about 38% of the first (approximately 250 cards), it was anticipated that supporting all applicants this year would be difficult. To promptly support seniors who voluntarily surrender their licenses and fully realize the purpose and intent of preventing traffic accidents, we will carry out an active and swift supplementary budget.”
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