Hwaseong City's 'Geunyang Dream' Food Basic Guarantee Corner Becomes a 'Lifeline' for Citizens in Livelihood Crisis

Beyond Food Assistance: Linking Emergency Welfare Support and Financial Counseling
Jung Myunggeun: "We Will Not Overlook the Life of a Single Citizen in Crisis"

Mr. A, who had been struggling to make ends meet due to bad credit, recently visited the 'Geunyang Dream' food basic guarantee corner set up at the Southern Comprehensive Social Welfare Center in Hwaseong, Gyeonggi Province. There, he was able to resolve his urgent food needs and, through on-site counseling with a social worker, even found hope for restoring his daily life. The social worker identified Mr. A's issues during the consultation and helped him initiate emergency welfare support procedures by connecting him with the local administrative welfare center.

The 'Geunyang Dream' food basic guarantee corner, launched by Hwaseong City in December of last year, has established itself as a key hub for identifying and supporting households in crisis, with the number of users increasing more than fourfold within just one month of operation.

Number of users quadrupled in one month... From food support to emergency welfare and financial assistance, 'Rescuing Citizens in Crisis'

Jung Myunggeun, Mayor of Hwaseong City, is visiting the 'Geunyang Dream' project site, a food basic guarantee corner, and exchanging opinions with on-site staff about operational plans. Provided by Hwaseong City

The Geunyang Dream project is a community-based welfare program that provides citizens experiencing livelihood crises with three to five types of food items, such as instant rice, ramen, and seaweed, on the spot without any prior application process. Hwaseong City currently operates the program at two locations: Naraeul Food Market and Happy Sharing Food Market.

This initiative is based on the 'Gyeonggi Food Geunyang Dream Corner' promoted by President Lee Jaemyung during his tenure as Governor of Gyeonggi Province. The city has adapted the program to fit local conditions and strengthened its connection with the Hwaseong City Financial Welfare Counseling Center. Through this, a structure has been established that not only provides food assistance but also connects citizens in crisis to emergency welfare support and financial counseling, offering practical help.

By eliminating barriers such as prior application requirements, Geunyang Dream has demonstrated its real-world impact, with user numbers rising more than fourfold in just one month. In the first five days of operation, the average daily number of users was 16, but this steadily increased, reaching an average of 66 users per day from December 16 to 18, 2025. On December 17 alone, 76 people visited the site.

The city believes that the increase in visitors is due to the naturally shared sense of satisfaction among actual users. According to the operating organization, more and more visitors are saying, "I came after hearing about it from an acquaintance," or "I visited after seeing someone receive food support nearby." Notably, there have been increasing cases where people initially visited Geunyang Dream just to receive food but were then connected to welfare and financial support through counseling.

Expanding to five locations as regional hubs... "We will not overlook a single life"

Building on these results, the city is expanding the Geunyang Dream project sites. Starting with the Eunhye Food Bank in Dongtan on January 5, new Geunyang Dream corners will be established at Bongdam-eup Office and the Western Comprehensive Social Welfare Center by the end of this month, bringing the total to five locations. This will be the largest scale in Gyeonggi Province.

In particular, the city plans to use the expanded Geunyang Dream corners as regional hubs. In addition to the existing southern and eastern hubs, the program will be extended to the western, Dongtan, and northern regions, addressing regional imbalances and improving accessibility so that citizens in crisis can more easily receive food support within their communities.

The city intends to continuously expand these regional hubs by comprehensively reviewing usage patterns and local demand. In addition, the city will continue to improve operational methods and strengthen cooperation with various organizations to further enhance the substance of the Geunyang Dream project.

Jung Myunggeun, Mayor of Hwaseong City, stated, "Hwaseong's Geunyang Dream, which began as a small act of handing over food, now functions as a community-based welfare platform that detects crises early through counseling and referrals, leading to the necessary support. We will continue to develop Geunyang Dream even further, ensuring responsible administration that does not overlook a single life."