Seocho-gu Wins Most Awards at the 2020 Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards

Recognized as the Best Among Over 1,000 Entries from 29 Asia-Pacific Countries, Awarded for Four Consecutive Years by National Local Governments and Public Institutions, Receiving the Most Awards Again This Year Following Last Year

[Asia Economy Reporter Jong-il Park] Seocho-gu (Mayor Eunhee Jo) won a total of 7 awards, including 2 Golds and 5 Silvers, at the '2020 Asia-Pacific Stevie Awards,' achieving the highest number of awards among local governments and public institutions nationwide for two consecutive years.

The international evaluation hosted by The Stevie Awards selected over 1,000 innovative achievements by organizations and individuals from 29 countries in the Asia-Pacific region. More than 100 executives worldwide conducted a rigorous review to select the winners.

First, in the Customer Service category under 'Customer Service Management, Planning, and Execution Innovation,' the 'Seocho Single Single Project,' a support program for single-person households, won a prestigious Gold Award. In the App category under 'Entertainment App Innovation,' the new concept experiential tourism content 'SeoriPulay: Time of Independence' also received a Gold Award.

The 'Single Single Project,' which carries the hope that Seocho’s singles will smile brightly, is a 'lifestyle-tailored support service' for single-person households, providing various services such as caregiving, women's safety, counseling, and cultural classes.

The district conducted a full survey of single-person households and, for the first time nationwide, opened a 'Single-Person Household Support Center,' implementing warm and inclusive living administration without neglect.

Additionally, the new concept experiential tourism content 'SeoriPulay: Time of Independence' is the first mobile app by a basic local government that allows users to enjoy tourism like a game. It is an outdoor escape-room mystery game content where players search for secret clues for independence hidden in the pocket watches exchanged between patriot Yun Bong-gil and Kim Gu. It provided an opportunity to explore Seocho’s tourist attractions, including the Maehun Yun Bong-gil Memorial Hall, the Seoul Arts Center, and Gangnam Station (Seocho Tourism Information Center), in an engaging way.

Furthermore, five projects including the Smart Senior Project, Runway-Style Crosswalk, Yangjaecheon Cheoncheon (River, Slowly) Tour, Seoripul Saem Mentoring Project, and Seocho-Style Cooperative Childcare System each won Silver Awards.

So far, the district has led the 'Smart Senior Project,' which includes creating a 'Smart Senior IT Experience Zone' where seniors can experience AI robots and virtual reality (VR), and developing the nation’s first 'Smart Kiosk Education Program' to bridge the digital divide among the elderly in a changing future.

Also, Seocho became the first in the nation to install a 'Runway-Style Crosswalk' at a non-signal nighttime crosswalk, which was designated as a national leading project by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety in March last year and led to revisions in the Police Agency’s guidelines, establishing Seocho as the standard for such projects in Korea.

Moreover, the Yangjaecheon 'Cheoncheon (River, Slowly) Tour,' which was the first of its kind in Seoul and included raft experiences, carp feeding, and making and throwing EM mud balls, received high praise overseas for its diverse and beneficial programs.

Projects for the future generation also attracted attention. The district selected 136 outstanding local talents, including career-interrupted women and former teachers, as 'Seoripul Saem' mentors to provide learning and career counseling for about 420 vulnerable children and youth through the 'Seoripul Saem Mentoring Project,' ensuring equal starting opportunities.

Additionally, Seocho established a cooperative childcare system by integrating 3 to 4 childcare institutions, including national/public, private, and home daycare centers, into a single community unit. This system improves the efficiency of waiting lists and enrollment rates for daycare centers and enhances the stability of daycare operations.

Seocho Mayor Eunhee Jo said, “This award is the result of Seocho’s efforts to pursue living administration that solves residents’ daily inconveniences,” adding, “We will continue to carry out meticulous administration like the last 1℃ that makes water boiling vigorously after reaching 99℃.”

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