Mokpo City Opens 'Smile Center,' a Crime Victim Protection Agency under the Ministry of Justice

Providing Psychological Therapy and Temporary Housing Services for Crime Victims

Honam Unification+ Center and Jeonnam Youth Support Center Opening Expected to Revitalize Yonghaedong Commercial Area

On the 5th, the Smile Center held its opening ceremony on the site of the former Mokpo Police Station and began full-scale operations. (Photo by Mokpo City)

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Jeong Seunghyun] On the 5th, Mokpo City in Jeonnam announced on the 6th that it held the opening ceremony of the Smile Center, attended by Park Beom-gye, Minister of Justice, Kim Won-i, Member of the National Assembly, Kim Jongsik, Mayor of Mokpo, and Park Chang-su, Chairman of the Mokpo City Council, and has begun full-scale operations.

The Smile Center is a victim protection agency under the Ministry of Justice that provides services such as psychological therapy, temporary housing, and social support linkage for crime victims and their families who suffer from psychological difficulties such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, and anxiety disorders. Although 15 centers are operated nationwide, none had been established in Jeonnam, so the Gwangju Smile Center had been responsible for Jeonnam until now.

The Mokpo Smile Center, the 16th to open nationwide, was created through collaboration between the Ministry of Justice and Mokpo City by remodeling and expanding part of the existing Mokpo Police Station building into a three-story facility.

The former Mokpo Police Station site had been left vacant after the police station relocated to a newly constructed building near Yudal Stadium in September 2017. Later, as Mokpo City attracted three public institutions including the Smile Center, the Ministry of Unification Honam Regional Unification＋Center, and the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family Jeonnam Youth Support Center, a plan for utilizing the site was established, and the city subsequently renovated the site and buildings.

The Honam Regional Unification＋Center and Jeonnam Youth Support Center projects are underway with a goal of completion in 2022, and currently, design services are in progress to construct new buildings on the site where the old buildings were demolished.

With the opening of the Smile Center and the upcoming openings of the Honam Regional Unification＋Center and Jeonnam Youth Support Center, an increase in floating population including public institution workers and visitors is expected, which is anticipated to revitalize the commercial district.

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