Gangnam-gu's 'Dolbom Bapsang Kiwoom Restaurant' Wins UNICEF Awards 'Grand Prize'

Dinner for Children in Dual-Income and Single-Parent Families

‘Kiwoom Sikdang’ in Gangnam-gu, Seoul (District Mayor Jo Seong-myeong) won the Grand Prize in the Administrative Services category at the ‘2024 UNICEF Awards: Better Changes for Children’ competition hosted by the UNICEF Korea Committee.

Presentation of the UNICEF Awards Grand Prize. Provided by Gangnam-gu.

This competition was divided into five categories?ordinances and policies, child participation, child rights education, administrative services, and child-friendly spaces?to discover excellent child-friendly cases from local governments and schools nationwide. Out of a total of 124 submissions, six local governments were selected through citizen voting and expert evaluation.

Kiwoom Sikdang is a restaurant operated at the Nuribom Dahamkke Kiwoom Center (22 Yeongdong-daero), an after-school care facility for elementary school students. It received great acclaim by providing nutritious warm meals at affordable prices to children from dual-income and single-parent families who have to eat dinner alone.

Although Kiwoom Sikdang initially provided meals only to children using the center, it gained attention as an inclusive care policy by expanding its target range to reflect the regional characteristics of Gangnam-gu, where many dual-income households reside.

Kiwoom Sikdang has established itself as a child-friendly policy that supports children’s healthy growth and alleviates the caregiving burden on families, going beyond simple meal provision. These efforts were recognized as a model case that improves children’s quality of life and reduces blind spots in care, resulting in the Grand Prize at this competition.

District Mayor Jo Seong-myeong stated, “It is an important responsibility of local governments to consider the necessary support for children in care blind spots and to implement meticulous policies. We will continue to do our best to create a care environment where children can grow up healthily and parents can feel at ease.”