Jung-gu Expands Informatization Education to Bridge the Digital Divide

No Neighbor Left Behind in the Digital Divide: Combining Online and Offline Education... Always Accessible YouTube Lessons and Real-Time Webex Virtual Classes

[Asia Economy Reporter Jong-il Park] Jung-gu (District Mayor Seo Yang-ho) is expanding informatization education for Jung-gu residents and local businesses to bridge the digital information gap.

Since the outbreak of COVID-19, a digital-based non-face-to-face culture has rapidly taken root in all areas. Due to social distancing policies, social interactions such as work and education are conducted online, and even food ordering and grocery shopping have become part of everyday online life.

Although daily life is changing significantly, many residents struggle because they are not familiar with non-face-to-face services. Accordingly, informatization education has been carefully organized to ensure no neighbors are left behind due to the digital divide.

This year’s resident informatization education is operated through ▲ real-time online education via the YouTube channel 'Jung-gu Online Broadcasting' ▲ real-time online (video) education via Webex ▲ and 1:1 customized digital face-to-face education called 'Digital Counseling Center.'

Applications for education are accepted from around the 25th of each month through the Jung-gu Office website, and basic courses can also be applied for by phone.

The lectures are free, and once selected as an education participant, instructions on how to access the online education are sent via text message.

Applications for the June informatization education are open until May 28, and YouTube education can be viewed anytime by searching for the channel name 'Jung-gu Online Broadcasting' on YouTube.

Additionally, for residents unfamiliar with online education, both non-face-to-face and face-to-face education are operated concurrently.

For real-time online education using Webex, the first session provides face-to-face preliminary training on how to watch the online education, and the remaining seven sessions are conducted online without face-to-face interaction.

Also, for residents who have difficulty starting to use digital devices such as smartphones and computers, the 'Digital Counseling Center,' a 1:1 customized face-to-face education service, has been operating since March.

The Digital Counseling Center is a 1:1 customized educational counseling service designed to resolve questions from residents who find it difficult to use online education, computers, smartphones, apps, kiosks, and other non-face-to-face systems.

Reservations can be made through Naver’s real-time reservation service or the district office’s informatization education call center. At the reserved time, visitors can come directly to the Jung-gu Pildong Education Center (5th floor of Pildong Senior Citizens’ Center). Sessions are held every Friday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., each lasting 50 minutes.

Detailed education schedules and related materials can also be found on the Jung-gu Resident Informatization Education community site.

Currently, about 60 people attend online education monthly, and around 120 watch educational videos, participating in informatization education. Starting in July, offline informatization education will gradually expand in small groups while strictly adhering to quarantine guidelines.

District Mayor Seo Yang-ho stated, "The unprecedented pandemic has widened the educational and cultural life gap for the information-disadvantaged groups," adding, "We will strive to prepare a variety of informatization education programs that anyone can easily and comfortably access so that no residents are left behind."

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