Gwanak District Unveils 29 New Resident-Focused Policies for 2024

New Initiatives Introduced: Electronic Voting, Daily Care Service, and Youth Welcome Kit

This year, Gwanak District in Seoul (District Mayor Park Junhee) will introduce or significantly improve 29 policies directly related to residents’ daily lives. To mark the new year, the district has published an e-book titled “Gwanak Life Changes in 2026,” which details newly established or revised policies, and has announced major changes across five sectors: general administration, health and welfare, youth and culture, environmental safety, and facility openings.

Gwanak District Office building. Provided by Gwanak District Office.

The most notable change is the decision-making process for redevelopment and reconstruction associations. Starting this year, electronic voting and online general meetings will be implemented for maintenance projects, allowing association members to participate in resolutions electronically without having to visit in person. The district expects this will enable fairer and more transparent decision-making. New services will also be introduced, including a “Jeonse Price Information Service” to prevent rental fraud, and customized safe rental contract assistance for young people and office workers.

In the health and welfare sector, the “Integrated Care Support Act,” which will be fully implemented in March this year, will launch the “Daily Care Service” for the first time. This Gwanak-style integrated care policy will provide comprehensive support-including household chores, meals, hospital accompaniment, and psychological support-for young people, middle-aged adults, and youth caregivers facing difficulties due to illness or social isolation.

The “National Basic Livelihood Security System” will also be significantly improved. By raising the standard median income, increasing the eligibility threshold for livelihood benefits, expanding income deductions, and relaxing vehicle criteria, the district will further strengthen the guarantee of residents’ basic living standards. The government support target for the “Childcare Support Project” will be expanded from households earning up to 200% of the median income to those earning up to 250%, reducing the burden on families experiencing childcare gaps. A new “Gwanak-style Korean Medicine Infertility Treatment Support Project” will also be launched, providing up to 1.2 million won per person for couples struggling with infertility.

Youth policies will also be greatly expanded. The “Welcome Kit” for young single-person households moving into the district, which was piloted in some neighborhoods last year, will be expanded to all 21 neighborhoods. The new “Youth Housing Environment Improvement Support Project” will also be launched to help newcomers settle in. The “Gwanak Dream On Academy,” which opened in the second half of last year, will fully operate a one-stop system this year, providing integrated support from customized career planning to practical, job- and entrepreneurship-focused training.

Transportation convenience will also be improved. The “Gwanak Gang Gamchan Bus,” a shuttle bus for public cultural facilities, will officially begin operation, improving access to public facilities in transportation-vulnerable areas such as Nanhyang-dong and Namhyeon-dong. The “Moraenae Park Public Parking Lot,” which began operation on January 5, will help alleviate parking congestion on Sharosu-gil.

Meanwhile, the district also introduced the newly opened “Gwanak The Happy Maru,” a one-stop comprehensive welfare and cultural space that houses both the Gang Gamchan Gwanak Comprehensive Social Welfare Center and the Gang Gamchan Gwanak Sports Center.

The “Gwanak Life Changes in 2026” e-book can be found on the Gwanak District Office website (Administrative Information - District Administration - Administrative Publications).

Park Junhee, Mayor of Gwanak District, said, “I hope all residents will thoroughly check the new policies and systems introduced this year and fully enjoy the information and benefits that will be helpful in their daily lives.”