93% Repair Success Rate
Reducing Childcare Costs and Protecting the Environment
On October 29, the Gangdong District Office in Seoul (headed by Mayor Lee Soohee) announced that the "Gangdong-gu Toy Repair Center" (930 Dongnam-ro), which aims to ease the financial burden of childcare amid rising prices and bring smiles to children, is enjoying growing popularity.
Specialized personnel from the "Toy Repair Project Team" are repairing toys. Provided by Gangdong-gu.
The "Toy Repair Center" is a program that repairs broken toys free of charge and is now in its second year of operation. To date, the cumulative number of repairs has reached approximately 1,700, with a repair success rate of 93.1 percent. User satisfaction among local residents is also reported to be very high.
One resident who used the center said, "My child was upset when a toy with special sentimental value stopped working, but after it was repaired and started making sounds and moving again, my child was overjoyed. I am truly grateful for this service."
The center opened in January last year inside the "I-Mom Gangdong Godeok Branch" toy library, with the public welfare self-support work team, the "Toy Repair Project Team," providing specialized personnel. On average, about 100 toys are received and repaired per month, and by recycling parts from discarded toys, the center also contributes to resource circulation.
Toys eligible for repair include battery-operated toys and those with partial malfunctions such as sound or light issues. However, toys with damaged electronic circuit boards, discontinued parts, ultra-precision features, or imported items with internal adhesive structures are difficult to repair.
The main types of repair requests are for battery-operated toys, with issues such as "no sound," "no lights," or "no response." In many cases, the power is on but some functions have stopped working; most toys are restored to working condition and returned to the children.
Toy repairs are available exclusively through an online reservation system. Gangdong residents can apply for up to three toys per person via the "I-Mom Gangdong" website. After registration, the toys undergo a diagnosis and selection process, and repairs are typically completed within one to two weeks.
Lee Soohee, Mayor of Gangdong District, stated, "Toys are not just objects, but precious friends filled with children's emotions and memories. Repairing them brings smiles to children and allows families to participate in environmental protection, making this initiative especially meaningful. We will continue to provide various forms of support to foster a sustainable childcare environment."
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