Gwangju Seo-gu Continues Its "1,000-Day Promise" with Young Family Caregivers

6th "Together Seo-gu O~itgil Walking Event"...Solidarity and Sharing

Seo-gu, Gwangju will hold the 6th "Hamkke Seo-gu O~itgil Walking Event" at 1:30 p.m. on the 28th in the area beneath Geuknakgyo. Provided by Seo-gu Office.

Seo-gu in Gwangju Metropolitan City will work to spread the values of solidarity and sharing by looking back together with residents on 1,000 days of policy achievements since it enacted, for the first time in the nation, an ordinance to support young family caregivers.

Seo-gu will hold the 6th "Together Seo-gu O~itgil Walking Event" on the 28th at 1:30 p.m. in the area under Geukrak Bridge (377 Seochang-deukgil), continuing to encourage and engage the local community in support of young family caregivers. "O~itgil" means "a 5.2 km path that connects neighbors' hopes through a 5,000-won act of sharing," and is Seo-gu's representative resident-participation sharing event to support young family caregivers.

About 1,000 people, including local residents and officials from social welfare facilities and organizations, will participate in this event and walk the 5.2 km section together, delivering messages of support to young family caregivers. The participation fee is 5,000 won, and the full amount will be used to support young family caregivers. People can join by registering in advance via Naver Form or by signing up on-site on the day of the event.

This event is particularly meaningful as it is being held at around the 1,000-day mark since Seo-gu enacted, in July 2023, the "Ordinance on Support for Adolescent and Young Family Caregivers," the first of its kind in the country. Starting with the enactment of the ordinance, Seo-gu has, from 2024, introduced the nation’s first Young Family Caregiver Allowance, providing 3 million won per year to each eligible person, and more than 860 people have benefited so far. This policy has been benchmarked by the central government and has served as a stepping stone for expansion nationwide.

In addition, the resident-participation "O~itgil Walking Event" has been held a total of five times so far, attracting more than 8,000 participants, raising about 87 million won in donations, and supporting 97 young family caregivers. Furthermore, through a public-private partnership grant project worth a total of 300 million won, Seo-gu has strengthened care, psychological support, and independence support for young family caregivers, drawing attention as a leading example nationwide.

To share these achievements and the path taken with residents, Seo-gu will create an "O~itgil History Wall" at the 800-meter point along the walking course. The wall will showcase Seo-gu’s pioneering efforts, including the process of enacting and institutionalizing the ordinance, public-private cooperation, resident participation, and the subsequent enactment of national legislation.

At the event site, various participatory programs will also be offered, including street cheering by community social security council cheering squads from each neighborhood, writing support messages for young caregivers, and free coffee provided by the RISE Project Group of Gwangju Health University. Cultural and experiential programs such as traditional performance arts, youth dance club stages, and face painting will also take place.

Seo-gu Mayor Kim Ikang said, "These 1,000 days represent the time it took for a promise that began with an ordinance to become a policy that gives young people dreams and hope and truly changes their lives," adding, "I hope the O~itgil Walking Event will become a stepping stone of hope for young family caregivers and an opportunity for the local community to reaffirm the power of a warm, caring community."

Meanwhile, in line with the "Act on Support for Children and Young People in Crisis, Including Family Caregivers," which is scheduled to be implemented this year, Seo-gu plans to establish an integrated support system that connects the health, education, and employment sectors, and to continue developing a leading policy model for young family caregivers nationwide.