Gangseo-gu Establishes 'Digital Video Cafe,' a Dedicated Space for Video Conferencing

[Seoul District News] Gangseo-gu Digital Video Cafe Equipped with Computers, Large Monitors, Webcams, Wired and Wireless Internet Devices, Available Free for Up to 2 Residents with Prior Reservation... Seongdong-gu Provides 5.6 Billion KRW Loan Support to Struggling SMEs and Small Businesses... Dongdaemun-gu Operates Psychological Support Program Amid Increased Mental Health Risks for COVID-19 Response Personnel... Seodaemun-gu Mediates Conflicts in Green Smart Future School... Gangdong-gu Creates Digital Jobs through AI Data Labeling Training

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] “Video conference spaces, available for free rental.”

Gangseo-gu, Seoul (Mayor Noh Hyun-song) announced that it has established a video conference space called the ‘Digital Video Cafe’ that any resident can conveniently use, and will begin full operation from the 16th.

With the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic, online classes and telecommuting have become widespread, increasing the demand for non-face-to-face video conferences. However, it is still difficult for individuals to find meeting equipment and spaces.

Accordingly, the district has set up a dedicated video conference space called the ‘Digital Video Cafe’ at the Deungchon Regional Information Center (96, Hagok-ro 63-gil, Gangseo-gu, 4th floor), which residents can use free of charge.

The Digital Video Cafe is equipped with basic video conference equipment such as computers, large monitors, webcams, and wired/wireless internet. It is a single-person space but can accommodate up to two people for a meeting.

The space can only be used for video conferences, online lectures, and telecommuting, with a maximum usage time of 2 hours per session. Additionally, thermometers and hand sanitizers are provided inside the booth to strictly comply with quarantine rules.

The space operates by reservation. Reservations can be made by phone or on-site.

The district plans to analyze user satisfaction and demand after starting the Digital Video Cafe operation and consider expanding the service.

Mayor Noh Hyun-song said, “We hope that the newly created digital space will help residents communicate smoothly even in the non-face-to-face era and play a role in spreading digital smart culture. We will continue to discover policies that respond to changing times and improve convenience for residents.”

The Seongsu-dong area in Seongdong-gu, densely populated with small and medium-sized enterprises and small business owners

Seongdong-gu (Mayor Jung Won-oh) is recruiting companies eligible for loans totaling 5.662 billion KRW from the 13th to the 30th.

The support targets are small and medium-sized enterprises and small business owners with workplaces or factories in the region, including corporations. The loan limit is up to 200 million KRW within one-quarter of the annual sales, with an interest rate of 1.0%, a 1-year grace period, and 3 years of equal installment repayment.

This loan support was prepared to stabilize management and minimize damage for small and medium-sized enterprises and small business owners severely affected by the prolonged COVID-19 social distancing Level 4.

Earlier, the district provided 3.3 billion KRW in loans from the Small and Medium Enterprise Development Fund in the first half of the year, and on the 8th of this month, it allocated an additional supplementary budget of 2 billion KRW to prevent COVID-19 spread, stabilize livelihoods, and revitalize the local economy. The district plans to do its best to ensure that companies urgently needing management stabilization and emergency funds do not miss the opportunity to overcome the crisis.

Companies wishing to apply for loans should refer to the notice section on the Seongdong-gu website, bring the loan application and required documents, consult in advance at the designated loan bank, and then visit the relevant department (Local Economy Division) to apply.

After the application deadline, the Small and Medium Enterprise Development Fund Operation Committee will review and select support targets, and loan execution and fund receipt are expected to begin at the end of October.

A small business owner who received loan support from Seongdong-gu, Mr. Kim, said, “After the spread of COVID-19, it was a difficult economic time, but receiving a low-interest loan through Seongdong-gu’s loan support helped stabilize my store.”

Mayor Jung Won-oh of Seongdong-gu said, “As COVID-19 prolongs, we have allocated additional loan funds to provide practical help to small and medium-sized enterprises and small business owners struggling with economic recession and business operations. We will continue to do our best to stabilize their management.”

On the afternoon of the 14th, Yoo Deok-yeol, Mayor of Dongdaemun District, visited the operation site of the "Cheer Up Bus" and handed out refreshments to the staff.

Dongdaemun-gu (Mayor Yoo Deok-yeol) started psychological support for COVID-19 response personnel on the 14th, the first among Seoul’s autonomous districts. The program is conducted jointly with Seoul City and will continue to provide support such as free counseling.

According to the Korean Society of Trauma Stress, the depression risk group among COVID-19 public health center response personnel was 33.4%, 15.3% higher than the general public’s 18.1%, and the anxiety risk group was 27.6%, more than twice the general public’s 12.2%.

To improve psychological recovery and stability for COVID-19 response personnel experiencing high stress, the district held a psychological support program jointly with Seoul City on the afternoon of the 14th.

At the Dongdaemun-gu Office staff lounge, ‘Shimteulak,’ burnout prevention psychological counseling was provided for COVID-19 response personnel, along with various programs such as massage services and nail art experiences.

Additionally, the district operated a “Cheer-up Bus” in the ground parking lot in front of the district office, delivering messages of support and providing refreshments to comfort the exhausted response personnel amid the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic.

The district plans to continue caring for the mental health of COVID-19 response personnel by supporting free counseling at local psychiatric medical institutions for those who want professional counseling through psychological consultations.

Mayor Yoo Deok-yeol, who visited the “Cheer-up Bus” site to encourage staff, said, “We have launched this psychological support program with Seoul City to care for the mental health of response personnel exhausted by the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic. We will continue to seek various support measures to reduce work fatigue and address psychological needs.”

Seodaemun-gu (Mayor Moon Seok-jin) has attracted attention for actively mediating conflicts in the education field related to Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education’s recent ‘Green Smart Future School Project’ promotion.

Under the recognition that ‘children’s right to learn and safety are the top priority,’ Mayor Moon held meetings with parents of the relevant elementary school on the 2nd and 7th of this month, with officials from the Western Education Support Office on the 6th, and with the Seoul Metropolitan Superintendent of Education on the 8th.

Through dialogue with parents, Mayor Moon confirmed their anxiety about the Green Smart Future School Project and requested the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education to create opportunities for direct communication between parents and the education office.

As a result, on the 11th, a ‘Green Smart Future School’ meeting involving parents, the Metropolitan Office of Education, and the district office was held in the 3rd-floor planning situation room of Seodaemun-gu Office.

At the meeting, Mayor Moon proposed “deciding on whether to proceed with the Green Smart Future School Project after a deliberation process over a certain period to reconcile positions between the education office and parents.”

This proposal was accepted, and on the 15th, the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education announced that “for schools requesting withdrawal from the Green Smart Future School Project, the project will be temporarily suspended, and each school will have an autonomous opinion-gathering and deliberation period.”

It also stated, “After reviewing the safety of school facilities by each education support office, the final decision on withdrawal will be made, and if necessary, ‘deliberation councils’ will be formed and operated for each school.”

Some parents of Seoul schools have demanded withdrawal of the Green Smart Future School Project, arguing that it is being pushed unilaterally without sufficient opinion gathering.

Parents of Yeonhui Elementary School in Seodaemun-gu also protested against the designation of the Green Smart Future School by demonstrating in front of the school on the way to school.

Mayor Moon Seok-jin said, “I hope the Green Smart Future School Project becomes a model case of conflict resolution through communication and consultation, and the district office will actively cooperate to that end.”

Gangdong-gu (Mayor Lee Jung-hoon) has been promoting job linkage for data labeling education graduates since April, achieving results with 23 out of about 100 graduates entering the digital industry.

Data labeling is a data preprocessing task that adds labels or annotations to data to build training data that computers can learn from autonomously. Data labelers can work from home and face low entry barriers, emerging as a promising new occupation in the digital new deal era.

Accordingly, the district has operated data labeling education since April, producing 100 graduates, providing opportunities to participate in projects conducted by AI specialized companies and institutions such as Seoul National University and Neomodule, promoting data capability enhancement and job linkage. As a result, women with career breaks, housewives, and job seekers who had long struggled to find employment are now actively working as data labelers and generating income.

Mayor Lee Jung-hoon of Gangdong-gu said, “In the digital new deal era, where data utilization capabilities are highly valued, creating digital jobs through education is very meaningful. We will continue to expand such educational opportunities so that our residents can develop data capabilities and gain more digital job opportunities.”

The 4th data labeling education in Gangdong-gu will open on October 25, and applications will be accepted on the district office website from October 4 to 18 for two weeks.

Gwanak-gu (Mayor Park Jun-hee) announced that it will operate the ‘Enjoying the Early Childhood Nature Learning Centers 100 Times’ program at three early childhood nature learning centers in the region to mark the full opening of Guksabong Early Childhood Nature Learning Center (Bongcheon-dong San 103-86 area).

Since the launch of the 7th local government, the district has actively promoted the campaign pledge to expand early childhood nature learning centers, establishing centers in Samseong-dong and Gwanak Urban Agriculture Park in 2019, Guksabong last year, and plans to add two more in Namhyeon-dong this year.

‘Early Childhood Nature Learning Centers’ are spaces created by using forests around mountains or parks as learning spaces for children to interact with nature and play freely. Existing natural resources are maximally utilized to provide various forest experience play facilities such as wooden xylophones, insect hotels, and hammocks.

The ‘Enjoying the Early Childhood Nature Learning Centers 100 Times’ program will be held over two days on the 25th and 26th, with a total of 16 on-site experiences. All programs are non-face-to-face, and explanatory videos to help understand the programs will be uploaded on the YouTube channel ‘Gwanak-gu Office Parks and Greenery Division’ from the 17th.

Each nature learning center offers different programs. In Samseong-dong, a nature-based job exploration program called ‘Forest Jania’ will be operated, and at the Urban Agriculture Park, a mystery-solving program using walkie-talkies called ‘Gather, Insect Forest’ will be held. After each course, participants can make and take home wood speakers, wooden insects, and natural scent sprays as memories in nature.

At Guksabong, a music concert called ‘Forest Cantabile’ using instruments made of forest wood and instruments producing forest sounds will be held. On Saturday, a string quartet (performer group Seokyung Music Society) will perform, and on Sunday, a gayageum performance (performer group Gayageum Ensemble Mori) will take place.

Especially, the gayageum performance on September 26 at Guksabong Early Childhood Nature Learning Center will be streamed live on the YouTube live channel (Gwanak-gu Office Parks and Greenery Division), and participants via the YouTube channel will be entered into a draw to receive souvenirs.

The program will operate on the 25th and 26th at 10 a.m., 1 p.m., and 2:40 p.m., recruiting five families per session on a first-come, first-served basis through the Seoul Public Reservation Service (Education Courses → Nature/Science → search ‘Early Childhood Nature Learning Center’). The usage fee is 3,000 KRW for Samseong-dong and Urban Agriculture Park, and 1,000 KRW for Guksabong.

Songpa-gu (Mayor Park Sung-soo) announced on the 15th that it will provide the ‘080 Safe Call Phone Entry Log Service’ (hereinafter ‘Safe Call Service’) free of charge to multi-use facilities such as restaurants and cafes.

The ‘Safe Call Service’ is an entry management system where visitors call a phone number assigned to each facility to record visit time and contact information. The stored information is used only for epidemiological investigations in case of COVID-19 confirmed cases and is automatically deleted after 4 weeks.

This service addresses limitations of handwritten logs, such as infection risk from shared pens, personal information leakage, and false information entry. Also, it allows easy recording of visit details with a single phone call, expected to alleviate inconvenience for information-vulnerable groups such as the elderly who had difficulty using electronic entry logs (QR codes).

Songpa-gu assigns unique Safe Call Service phone numbers to each multi-use facility in the region and covers all call charges.

Eligible applicants are about 14,000 mandatory entry log facilities in Songpa-gu, including restaurants, cafes, academies, karaoke rooms, PC rooms, indoor sports facilities, and wedding halls. Applications can be made by visiting the local community center or the Disaster Safety Division of Songpa-gu Office. By providing business registration numbers and location information, facilities will receive unique numbers within two days and can start using the service. The assigned number should be written on posters distributed upon application and displayed at each facility.

For residents who find it difficult to apply in person, online applications through the district office website will be available in October.

The district expects the Safe Call Service to improve the speed of epidemiological investigations. Unlike handwritten or electronic logs that require cooperation from related agencies to verify visit records, the Safe Call Service automatically stores visit records on the server, allowing epidemiologists to access the system directly for immediate inquiry.

Mayor Park Sung-soo of Songpa-gu said, “Through the ‘080 Safe Call Phone Entry Log Service,’ we will resolve inconveniences for small business owners and residents and strengthen the quarantine system for rapid epidemiological investigations. We will continue to proactively implement various projects to alleviate quarantine concerns and do our best to protect residents’ safety and health from COVID-19.”

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