Jeonnam Province Selected as Outstanding for Wintertime Vulnerable Household Identification and Support

Ministry of Health and Welfare's Basic Local Government Evaluation
Mokpo City and Haenam County Recognized for Excellence

A vulnerable household discovered in Haenam County, with volunteers providing laundry services. Courtesy of Jeonnam Province

Jeonnam Province announced on the 23rd that, for the fourth consecutive year, two cities and counties from the province have been selected as outstanding local governments in the Ministry of Health and Welfare's evaluation of wintertime vulnerable household identification and support.

The selection of outstanding local governments for wintertime vulnerable household support is based on a comprehensive evaluation by the Ministry of Health and Welfare. Each year, the ministry assesses all 229 cities, counties, and districts nationwide, considering their performance and efforts in identifying and supporting vulnerable households, the level of public-private cooperation, and their contributions to addressing welfare blind spots. This year, among the 23 cities, counties, and districts selected nationwide, Mokpo City and Haenam County were included.

Mokpo City managed vulnerable households during the winter through initiatives such as operating a mobile welfare counseling office. The city also provided thorough welfare support by partnering with private organizations to offer cleaning services for hoarding disorder (a condition where individuals feel anxiety about discarding items), thereby extending a warm helping hand to the local community.

Haenam County implemented specialized local projects, such as installing "Happiness-Filled Refrigerators" in towns and villages, allowing residents to voluntarily stock food ingredients for use by households in need. The county also consistently supported marginalized groups by offering laundry services with a mobile laundry vehicle.

Kim Seunghee, Director of Social Welfare at Jeonnam Province, stated, "Thanks to the dedicated efforts of public officials in the cities and counties, we were able to extend warmth to neighbors in desperate need." Kim added, "We will continue to do our utmost to identify vulnerable households early through initiatives such as the Welfare Task Force and the 120 Crisis Household Support Call Center, ensuring that not a single resident is left in a welfare blind spot."

Since last year, Jeonnam Province has identified a total of 60,337 vulnerable households and has supported and connected 60,318 of them, achieving a support rate of 99.9%.