From Open Childcare Rooms to Coin Karaoke... Transformation of Dong Community Centers

Yongsan-gu Completes Remodeling of Seobinggo-dong Office with 1.1 Billion Won... New Open Childcare Room, Kiwoom Center, Coin Karaoke... Small Library and Pocket Ball Room Relocated... Gym and Restrooms Neatly Renovated

Seongjanghyun Gu, the district mayor, touring a coin karaoke room

[Asia Economy Reporter Jongil Park] Yongsan-gu (Mayor Seongjang Hyun) Seobinggo-dong Community Center (279 Seobinggo-ro) has been newly transformed through remodeling.

The district established its first open childcare room (1st floor), Our Neighborhood Care Center and Cultural Lecture Room (4th floor), Bingo Maru and Coin Karaoke Room (6th floor), while relocating the small library (from 1st to 4th floor) and pocket billiards room (from 2nd to 6th floor). The gym (3rd floor), restrooms, and corridors were also neatly renovated.

The open childcare room is a play space where children under five years old and their guardians can spend time together, operated under commission by the Yongsan-gu Childcare Support Center. It is available Monday through Friday in three 2-hour sessions per day, with priority given to group members such as daycare centers (up to 10 infants and toddlers).

Individual members can use the facility with up to five families per time slot. Guardians may accompany up to two per household. However, considering the COVID-19 situation, currently only two families are allowed to enter simultaneously in two sessions per day. The usage fee is free.

On the 25th, Kyung Minsook (female, 44), who visited the facility with her daughter, said, “I use the open childcare room once a week. There was a lack of childcare facilities and playgrounds in the neighborhood, so I am glad such a good space has been created.”

Our Neighborhood Care Center is a district-run care facility for elementary school students (grades 1 to 6). The Seobinggo-dong center is the 7th branch in Yongsan-gu and operates Monday through Friday from after school until 8 p.m. (opens at 8 a.m. during vacations).

In addition to basic care, it supports individual study and snacks, and plans special programs such as choir, neighborhood walks, play art, and handicraft activities.

Center Director Kang Eun-kyung said, “About 15 children from nearby Seobinggo Elementary School use the facility daily on average. Priority is given to dual-income families, families with multiple children, and care-vulnerable households.”

The 4th-floor Cultural Lecture Room and 6th-floor Bingo Maru operate various community center programs. Static classes like calligraphy and Kuksundo will resume in July, while dynamic classes such as aerobics will have their resumption reconsidered in the second half of the year.

The coin karaoke room also attracts attention. Reflecting opinions from nearby students and parents, two sets of karaoke machines and soundproof rooms were installed. The district expects this to help residents relieve daily stress at once. However, it is not currently in operation.

The small library moved from the 1st to the 4th floor of the community center. It holds about 5,400 books and currently only offers book lending and returns, as well as membership card issuance. Four volunteers manage the facility on a rotating basis, and it is open on weekdays from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

The pocket billiards room moved from the 2nd to the 6th floor, improving the view significantly. Currently, about 25 residents use the facility in the form of a community sports class, and the district plans to find ways to encourage participation from a wider age range.

A district official said, “The military unit that shared the Seobinggo-dong Community Center facilities withdrew two years ago, creating idle space. After holding four rounds of resident meetings to finalize utilization plans, construction was carried out from late last year to early this year with about 1.1 billion KRW invested.”

The remodeling completion ceremony was held on June 25, combined with the ‘2021 On-site Visiting Mayor’s Office.’ Mayor Seongjang Hyun of Yongsan-gu and 20 guests attended, with a 30-minute event including progress reports, ribbon cutting, and facility tours.

Mayor Seongjang Hyun said, “Congratulations on the remodeling and reopening of Seobinggo-dong Community Center. It has become a fully resident-centered space for the first time in 18 years since its completion. The district will spare no support to ensure more people can freely use the facilities.”

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