Two projects, the Sajik-dong Time Post Office and the Unification Filial Train, currently underway in Nam-gu, Gwangju Metropolitan City, have simultaneously been selected as the Ministry of the Interior and Safety's 'Hometown Love Designated Donation Leading Projects.'
On the 17th, Nam-gu announced, "The Ministry of the Interior and Safety selected 11 projects from 8 local governments nationwide as Hometown Love Designated Donation Leading Projects, allowing Korean citizens to directly donate to projects promoted by local governments," adding, "This will give momentum to the promotion of the Time Post Office and Unification Filial Train projects."
The Hometown Love Designated Donation is a type of donation where donors specify the projects they wish their contributions to be used for, among those prepared by local governments to promote key projects, solve community issues, and support vulnerable groups.
The biggest difference from general donations is that donors can choose to donate directly to projects led by local governments.
Until now, in the case of general Hometown Love donations, donors contributed to the local government they wished to support, and the local government later decided which projects to use the donations for.
With two key projects selected as designated donation projects, Nam-gu is very encouraged and expects enthusiastic support from all Korean citizens for the promotion of the Hometown Love donation projects.
This is because conditions have been established to separate the vulnerable group support projects and the Time Post Office and Unification Filial Train projects, which were previously promoted with general donations, into general donation projects and designated donation projects respectively.
Nam-gu has been supporting vulnerable groups with general donations by providing settlement funds for facility children’s independence, installing Bandabi Cafes to support the independence of people with developmental disabilities, and purchasing items for a senior citizens’ toy-sharing center.
Additionally, the Unification Filial Train project, which has consistently reached full participation, has been providing 30,000 KRW per participant since this year. With its selection as a designated donation leading project, the project’s promotion is expected to accelerate.
In particular, since the Time Post Office and Unification Filial Train are the first projects of their kind nationwide, they can attract national interest. The Time Post Office, which will open next year, is also expected to greatly benefit from designated donation support.
Nam-gu plans to fill the Time Post Office’s internal letter exhibition hall with various contents such as original letters from great figures or celebrities and letters that triggered historical events, providing citizens with a unique experience using analog sensibilities, and attract tourists to the old downtown area to revitalize the local tourism industry.
Kim Byeong-nae, the mayor of Nam-gu, stated, "We will use the precious donations gathered in Nam-gu through general and designated donations to invigorate the local community so that donors can feel a sense of fulfillment."
Meanwhile, Hometown Love Designated Donations can be made through the Hometown Love e-um website and nationwide NongHyup Bank branches, and donors can receive tax deductions and benefits such as gifts worth about 30% of the donation amount, just like with general donations.
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