Seo Eun-hee, Seocho District Mayor, Transfers COVID-19 Administrative Experience to Turkey Following Paris

District Chief Jo to Have Approximately 1-Hour Video Call with Sisli District Mayor of Turkey from 4 PM on the 29th

Video call appearance

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] While the spread of COVID-19 in Europe has somewhat slowed recently, Turkey is experiencing the fastest spread in April, with daily increases of 4,000 to 5,000 cases. The number of confirmed cases has surpassed 110,000, and deaths are approaching 3,000, making it the seventh most severe situation worldwide.

Seocho-gu (Mayor Cho Eun-hee) held a video conference for about an hour starting at 4 p.m. on the 29th to share COVID-19 response strategies with its overseas sister city, Sisli District in Turkey (Mayor Muammer Keskin).

As the world focuses on Korea amid the COVID-19 crisis, this video call was the second such request from a major global city to learn about Seocho-gu’s COVID-19 response administration, following Paris, France.

On April 10, Seocho-gu Mayor Cho Eun-hee shared administrative know-how during a video call with the Mayor of Paris’s 15th arrondissement, including proactive measures that set national standards such as △testing all overseas arrivals for COVID-19 △transparent disclosure of confirmed patients’ movement paths △support funds for the closure of multi-use facilities.

This video call was also initiated by Sisli District in Turkey, with which Seocho-gu signed a friendship agreement in 2007, following a request on the 21st to share Seocho-gu’s proactive COVID-19 response administration.

During the video call on the 29th, Muammer Keskin, Mayor of Sisli District, said, “Korea’s COVID-19 response has become a global success case, and we especially hope to learn Seocho-gu’s COVID-19 response know-how,” adding, “We are curious about what preparations Seocho-gu has made for COVID-19 response.”

In response, Seocho-gu Mayor Cho Eun-hee said, “We judged that prevention and blocking the spread of COVID-19 infectious disease are most important, so we proactively introduced the disclosure of confirmed patient information and comprehensive COVID-19 testing for overseas arrivals,” and added, “To protect residents’ safety, when confirmed cases occur, we transparently and accurately disclose movement paths and conduct disinfection of infection routes to prevent additional confirmed cases.”

She continued, “We are conducting comprehensive COVID-19 testing for all residents (including foreigners) entering from overseas for the first time nationwide,” emphasizing, “We are mobilizing all administrative power to block community transmission through unannounced inspections to prevent unauthorized departure of self-quarantined individuals, installation of self-quarantine apps, conducting a second test before quarantine release, and allowing return home upon negative test results.”

She also stated, “Seocho-gu was the first in Seoul to introduce the ‘pooled testing method,’ which allows testing up to 10 people at once, reducing testing time and costs. Seocho-gu tested patients and staff at all four nursing hospitals in the district, where periodic testing is necessary for infection prevention despite no symptoms, and all were confirmed negative.”

Muammer Keskin, Mayor of Sisli District, asked, “Turkey is implementing a three-day curfew in 31 provinces from May 1st through the weekend. In the situation where COVID-19 is spreading, I am curious how Seocho-gu keeps people at home without measures like curfews.”

In response, Mayor Cho said, “With the spread of a non-face-to-face social culture, we developed online home-stay programs to support various cultural activities at home,” and introduced programs such as ▲‘One Person, One Instrument’ online 1:1 instrument lessons ‘Q’ ▲‘Seoripul Culture Class’ via YouTube ▲‘3-Minute Relay Classics with Stories’ ▲Seoripul Drive-in Cinema to relieve cultural thirst.

Additionally, Mayor Cho introduced Seocho’s COVID-19 administration that carefully cares for residents’ daily lives, including the Seocho Disinfection Team created through residents’ voluntary participation and the application of antibacterial films on all residential buildings.

When the Mayor of Sisli District showed particular interest in the ‘antibacterial film,’ Mayor Cho promised to send samples of the “antibacterial film” to Sisli District.

Mayor Muammer Keskin said, “Seocho-gu seems to be responding exemplary to the COVID-19 crisis,” and expressed gratitude, “Thank you for sharing Seocho-gu’s COVID-19 overcoming cases today. I look forward to meeting in Sisli District once COVID-19 ends.”

Mayor Cho Eun-hee replied, “We have not forgotten Turkey’s support as a friendly nation that participated in the Korean War. This time, our district will wholeheartedly and actively support areas where we can help Turkey overcome COVID-19,” and added, “I hope the brotherly friendship between our countries continues.”

◆ Exchange Status between Seocho-gu and Sisli District, Turkey

Since signing a letter of intent for a sister city agreement in 2007, Seocho-gu has continued exchanges in various fields with the Sisli District delegation, including participation of folk performance groups in the Seoripul Festival.

In 2015, the Seocho-gu delegation visited DOWN CAFE, a vocational training space for students with Down syndrome located in Sisli District, and developed it further by establishing Neulbom Cafe and Neulbom Store, independent workplaces for the disabled in Seocho-gu.

In September 2015, the first Seoripul Festival was enhanced by the participation of the Sisli District delegation and a folk dance troupe (20 members), adding fun and diversity to the festival.

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