Gangnam-gu 'Daechi-dong Stress Free Zone' Greatly Improved, Usage Rate Increased

Reflecting User Feedback, Changing the Most Inconvenient Entry Method to Mobile QR Pass for Immediate Use... Extending Operating Hours and Opening on Weekends... Applying Graphic Sheets on Transparent Glass to Indirectly Block Outside View

Gangnam-gu (District Mayor Jo Seong-myeong) has changed the entry method of the ‘Stress Free Zone’ in the Daechi-dong academy district to a mobile QR entry pass, resulting in a 1.5-fold increase in usage.

The Daechi-dong Stress Free Zone is a student rest area created through last year’s public design public-private governance workshop. Reflecting survey feedback that students needed a space to briefly rest before and after attending academies, five facilities of about 1.5 pyeong each were installed on the sidewalks around Dogok-ro and have been operating since April. The zone consists of three themed areas: three ‘Refresh Therapy Zones’ (Dogok-ro 510) where students can sit and eat snacks at tables, one ‘Sound Therapy Zone’ (Dogok-ro 505) where students can listen to music and shout out loud, and one ‘Fitness Therapy Zone’ (Dogok-ro 435) where students can build stamina by riding stationary bikes.

In the early stages of operation, considering that the facilities were unmanned and exclusively for students, safety management was prioritized, but there were criticisms that students found it inconvenient to actually use the facilities.

The district collected all such feedback and significantly improved the usage method. In particular, the entry method, which was cited as the biggest inconvenience, was changed to a mobile authentication system from August, allowing immediate use of the facilities.

Previously, students who wished to use the facilities were issued entry stickers. While convenient once issued, the issuance process took time, making it difficult for new users to access the facilities immediately.

The simplified new method allows children and adolescents to obtain an entry QR code by completing a one-time identity verification process through the Naver app on their own smartphones. Guardians accompanying children can enter the child’s information and authenticate through Gangnam-gu’s comprehensive civil service app, ‘Byeolbyeol Gangnam,’ to use the facilities. For students without smartphones, the existing entry sticker method is still maintained. With the simplified entry procedure, the total daily number of users across all five locations increased from 90 to 135, about 1.5 times, and the upward trend continued in September.

Additionally, since July, operating hours have been extended from 14:00?21:00 to 12:00?22:30, and the facilities have been opened on weekends. Responding to concerns that the transparent glass structures felt burdensome, graphic sheets that indirectly block outside views have been attached since August. Furthermore, public work personnel are employed daily for cleaning, continuous inspections, and immediate on-site response to complaints, enhancing student safety and convenience.

Students actively use the Stress Free Zone as a space for rest and communication, posting facility reviews inside such as “So cool, stress completely relieved,” and “Thank you for making a place like this,” as well as short notes expressing anxiety about exams and mutual encouragement like “Will I be able to get into college?” and “It’s tough, right? Let’s hang in there a little more together.”

Jo Seong-myeong, Mayor of Gangnam-gu, stated, “We will continue to listen to users’ opinions to ensure that the facilities created as rest spaces for students are well utilized,” and added, “We will make sure that the public design projects applying design solutions to local issues are tangibly felt by residents.”