Foreign Volunteer Group Including Foreigners Formed in Yeongdeungpo-gu Singil 4-dong Takes Action on COVID-19 Prevention

Formation of 'Sin4 Jigu Village' Volunteer Group in Singil 4-dong, Comprising Over 20 Multicultural and Foreign Residents... Creating Clean Streets through Unauthorized Dumping Patrols, Cleaning, and Street Adoption Programs... Directly Supporting Disinfection and Promotion Activities to Combat COVID-19

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Yeongdeungpo-gu (District Mayor Chae Hyun-il) has formed ‘Sin4jiguchon,’ a group of about 20 multicultural and foreign residents in Singil 4-dong, who practice the traditional cooperative labor system called Pumsasi by cleaning the neighborhood, patrolling, and disinfecting together.

Among the 8,977 residents registered in Singil 4-dong, 1,847 (20%) are registered foreigners, of whom 98.8% are composed of Joseonjok and Chinese.

The ‘Sin4jiguchon’ organization is a resident group voluntarily formed by Singil 4-dong residents of different origins and cultures to foster a sense of belonging and serve the local community.

They first focus on 20 habitual illegal dumping sites once a week in the afternoon and at night, guiding residents on proper waste disposal methods while walking around the neighborhood.

They also participate in the ‘Street Adoption Program’ to maintain the neighborhood. This program involves residents adopting alleys, taking responsibility for their assigned areas, and cleaning them. This helps manage alleys that sanitation workers cannot reach, eliminating blind spots in cleaning.

Moreover, the Sin4jiguchon group carries out disinfection activities by personally moving around the neighborhood with disinfectant sprayers to protect neighbors from the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

Their main targets are stores and households requesting disinfection, and in early February, they also supported disinfection efforts in Daerim-dong, where the largest Chinese population in the area resides.

They also distribute COVID-19 prevention guidelines written in both Korean and Chinese to ensure residents’ safety.

Sin4jiguchon President Shim Yeon-ok (57, female) said, “It has already been 19 years since I came to Korea and lived in Singil 4-dong, and I have received a lot of help during that time. I wanted to contribute to Singil-dong, so I created Sin4jiguchon, and I hope we can harmonize and beautify the alleys together in the future.”

Chae Hyun-il, Mayor of Yeongdeungpo-gu, said, “Yeongdeungpo-gu has the largest foreign population in Seoul, making it rich in cultural diversity. Since multicultural residents have formed a community, I hope they will create a warm Yeongdeungpo where everyone lives together.”

Singil 4-dong Resident Center (☎2670-1286)

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.