KT Group Support for Environmental Improvement of Geumcheon-gu Community Child Center

[Seoul District News] Support for Environmental Improvement at Hyemyeong Regional Child Welfare Center in Siheung 5-dong, Geumcheon-gu... Seodaemun-gu Creates Flower Path with Theme 'Fields Where Autumn Breeze Stayed' Along 670m Section from Hongyeon 2 Bridge to Waterfall Square on Hongjecheon... Eunpyeong-gu Posts Various Media Contents on 'Eunpyeong In Media' Website from 16th to 24th for Residents to Have a Healthy and Abundant Chuseok Holiday... 'One Pyeong of Art' Exhibition at Jongno Urban Gallery... Yongsan-gu Special Disinfection During Chuseok Holiday, Vaccine Center Not Operating... Seongdong-gu Pet Registration

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Geumcheon-gu (Mayor Yoo Seong-hoon) announced that KT Service Northern Branch and KT Group Hope Sharing Foundation donated funds for environmental improvements to renovate the facilities of Hyemyeong Regional Child Welfare Center located in Siheung 5-dong, and held a plaque ceremony on the 15th.

The plaque ceremony was attended by Yoo Seong-hoon, Mayor of Geumcheon-gu, and Lee In-tae, KT Chief Management Officer.

This donation was for facility environment improvements such as installing sunshades inside and outside the entrance to the dining hall of Hyemyeong Regional Child Welfare Center, replacing lights, installing safety handrails on stairs, and painting the second-floor corridor of the center. With the recent completion of the facility construction, children can now receive education and live in a better environment.

Opened in 2005, Hyemyeong Regional Child Welfare Center has been providing care services to children who stay alone after school due to the increase in dual-income families, family breakdowns, and economic difficulties. Currently, 33 children use the center, and due to recent facility aging, environmental improvements were necessary.

Upon learning of the center's difficulties, the Geumcheon-gu Office All-day Care Team proposed environmental improvement support to the KT Group, which led to the realization of this project.

Yoo Seong-hoon, Mayor of Geumcheon-gu, said, “We are grateful to KT Service Northern Branch and related parties for providing a safe and pleasant space to children at the center who needed facility improvements,” adding, “We will continue to do our best to connect private social contribution activities to places where they are needed.”

'Ganggangsullae' Creation Image

Seodaemun-gu (Mayor Moon Seok-jin) is creating a flower path themed “The Field Where the Autumn Breeze Stayed” along a 670-meter section from Hongyeon 2 Bridge on Hongjecheon Stream to the “Waterfall Yard,” and will open it to citizens from the 27th of this month until the end of next month.

To this end, the district will create flower paths with about 42,000 flowers of 12 species including cockscomb and yellow cosmos, arranged into four sub-themes: Home of Hometown, Festival of Flowers, Scarecrow Garden, and Ganggangsullae.

In particular, to convey the autumn atmosphere with various attractions, a large full moon shape made of chrysanthemums and a thatched house sculpture will be installed.

Looking upstream from Hongyeon 2 Bridge along Hongjecheon Stream, the “Home of Hometown” section features the flower path entrance, a thatched house sculpture, and a hanbok topiary doll photo zone; the “Festival of Flowers” section is decorated with a yellow cosmos field and an ox model pulling a traditional cart.

In the “Scarecrow Garden” section, swaying silver grass and smiling scarecrows welcome visitors, and in the “Ganggangsullae” section at the Hongjecheon Waterfall Yard, a large full moon sculpture and Ganggangsullae topiary works evoke nostalgia.

Walking further behind the Waterfall Yard leads to Ansan Herb Garden and the foothill trail, where visitors can better appreciate the deepening beauty of autumn.

Moon Seok-jin, Mayor of Seodaemun-gu, said, “During these difficult times of social distancing, it would be good to take a stroll along the flower path by Hongjecheon Stream as a day trip,” adding, “Anyone can freely view it, but please follow quarantine rules such as wearing masks.”

Eunpyeong-gu (Mayor Kim Mi-kyung) will post various media contents on the ‘Eunpyeong In Media’ website from the 16th to the 24th to help residents have a healthy and abundant Chuseok holiday.

Established in January this year, ‘Eunpyeong In Media’ is a media website for Eunpyeong-gu, meaning ‘Media of Eunpyeong People’ and ‘Eunpyeong in Media.’ It provides various information such as lifestyle tips and Eunpyeong-gu events through video and card news media content. The district also encourages resident participation in content production to vividly convey unique stories of Eunpyeong-gu.

On the 16th, the content titled “I am a City Person - Traditional Market Exploration Edition” will be posted. It is prepared in a vlog format to vividly introduce the scenes and events of Eunpyeong-gu traditional markets ahead of the Chuseok holiday.

On the 17th, the content “Pabal-i is Here” features Eunpyeong-gu character Pabal-i guiding the “Chuseok Checklist.” During the holiday, residents can easily and enjoyably check hospitals and pharmacies open, garbage disposal days, etc., with Pabal-i.

On the 20th, the “Home Cooking for Chuseok” content will introduce easy and simple home-cooked dishes to make with family.

On the 22nd, the “Rest Meditation” content is a video to relieve holiday stress and depression caused by COVID-19 during the Chuseok holiday, offering a resting time for tired residents.

On the 24th, the “Eunpyeong In Home Training - Calorie Burning Edition” content introduces high-intensity calorie-burning exercises to quickly lose weight gained from high-calorie holiday foods during Chuseok.

Kim Mi-kyung, Mayor of Eunpyeong-gu, said, “I hope residents have a healthy and abundant holiday through the Eunpyeong In Media contents prepared for Chuseok,” adding, “Although it is a difficult time due to COVID-19, I ask for thorough compliance with quarantine rules during the holiday so we can overcome it wisely.”

'Jongno in the World'

Jongno-gu (Mayor Kim Young-jong) operates the ‘Jongno Urban Gallery’ to create an environment where anyone passing by can easily access culture and arts and to provide exhibition opportunities to emerging artists and local resident artists.

This year, various works are being exhibited closer to citizens at the ‘Heunginjimun Exhibition Hall’ and ‘Ikseon Gonggam Exhibition Hall.’ From last month until the 30th of this month, two urban galleries in the area are showcasing works themed on the coexistence of humans and nature and re-examining traditional culture for autumn.

First, at Heunginjimun Exhibition Hall (70 Jongno 6-ga, entrance to Heunginjimun Park), the exhibition titled “Brilliant Flight” was inspired by BTS’s passionate performance of “Mikrokosmos” on The Jimmy Fallon Show.

It expresses seven large and small hot air balloons floating against the backdrop of Gyeongbokgung Gyeonghoeru Pavilion, symbolizing overcoming the pandemic crisis and spreading dreams and hopes worldwide.

As part of the Zero-Waste movement, the hot air balloons and diamond objects are made using certified eco-friendly natural pulp fabric. Also, the work was assembled and produced without adhesives, reflecting the value of sustainability.

Next, at Ikseon Gonggam Exhibition Hall (50-2 Samil-daero 32-gil), the exhibition “Jongno in the World,” previously displayed at Heunginjimun Exhibition Hall, has been relocated.

Visitors can enjoy Korean and English calligraphy works set against national treasure-level cultural assets such as Changdeokgung Palace, Jongmyo Shrine, and the Ten-story Stone Pagoda of Wongaksa Temple. A total of five calligraphy artists, including foreigners, participated with the intention of widely promoting the value of Korean history and cultural heritage worldwide.

Kim Young-jong, Mayor of Jongno-gu, said, “In these times when social atmosphere is more depressed than ever due to COVID-19, I hope citizens passing by can encounter artworks and take a moment to rest through the urban gallery,” adding, “Since the works are illuminated by eco-friendly LED night lighting after sunset, visitors can also experience a unique view blending light and darkness.”

Yongsan-gu (Mayor Seong Jang-hyun) is launching special quarantine measures for the Chuseok holiday.

This is part of the 2021 Chuseok comprehensive plan.

The district will operate the Disaster Safety Countermeasures Headquarters situation room continuously from the 18th to the 22nd. There will be 17 staff members per day, and during nighttime, the comprehensive situation room (dining room) will maintain the situation.

The health center screening clinics will operate from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. during the period, excluding disinfection time (1 p.m. to 2 p.m.). The temporary screening clinic at Yongsan Station will operate from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the 18th and 19th, and from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. from the 20th to the 22nd. The Hannam-dong temporary screening clinic will operate only from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the 18th and resume operation on the 23rd.

The epidemiological investigation team will have 11 to 16 members daily to trace confirmed cases and contacts. The disinfection team consists of four members per team, continuing disinfection work at confirmed patients’ homes. Management of self-quarantined individuals is divided among 319 district employees, who monitor for violations and report daily to Seoul City. Violators will be prosecuted according to the manual.

The residential treatment center will continue operation with 28 staff members daily, managing residents, distributing relief and living supplies, and handling medical waste. The vaccination center will not operate during the holiday.

Additionally, before the holiday, the district conducted quarantine inspections of public multi-use facilities for women, seniors, and children, large distribution facilities, traditional markets, entertainment venues, and academies, and will continue inspections after the holiday.

Seong Jang-hyun, Mayor of Yongsan-gu, said, “We have established a comprehensive Chuseok holiday plan covering COVID-19 quarantine, citizen safety, and traffic flow,” adding, “About 1,300 public officials will do their best to ensure residents can spend the holiday comfortably.”

The district will implement the Chuseok comprehensive plan for nine days from the 15th to the 23rd. The main focus is on seven tasks including COVID-19 quarantine. The comprehensive situation room will handle general civil complaints and operate the COVID-19 response headquarters and functional task forces (for wind and flood damage, cleaning, parks and green spaces, traffic, parking, and medical care).

Support measures for vulnerable groups include holiday consolation money for low-income and protected children, meal support for residents in small rooms and homeless people, and welfare checks for elderly living alone.

During the holiday (18th to 21st), waste disposal in residential areas should be avoided. Disposal is allowed from the 22nd, and accumulated garbage will be collected collectively on the 23rd.

Seongdong-gu (Mayor Jung Won-oh) will produce and distribute ‘Pet Identification Tags’ to Seongdong residents who have completed animal registration.

The pet identification tags, which display the owner’s name, phone number, and animal registration number, can be applied for on the Seongdong-gu Office website starting from the 16th by any resident who has completed animal registration.

When applying, applicants enter the pet’s name and registration number, then select the tag size and color according to whether the dog is small or large. The customized tag will be delivered to their home.

As the number of animal registrations in the area has steadily increased annually (7,437 in 2018, 12,710 in 2019, 14,252 in 2020), the district has prepared this pet identification tag support to encourage animal registration.

According to district officials, wearing the identification tag along with a leash when going out with a pet will strengthen the owner’s sense of responsibility and improve pet owners’ awareness. It will also help find owners easily if pets get lost, preventing abandoned animals.

The district also runs various projects for registered animals, such as supporting rabies vaccination in spring and autumn, when incidence rates are high.

They operate a dedicated online portal ‘Pet Dog Together Center’ that integrates counseling, education, and behavior correction programs for dogs, and a ‘Animal Protection Field Dispatch Team’ for rapid rescue of abandoned and lost animals. From this month, they also newly support adoption fees for abandoned animals, leading efforts to foster a mature pet culture.

Jung Won-oh, Mayor of Seongdong-gu, said, “Through the animal registration system and identification tag support project, we can strengthen animal owners’ responsibility and prevent abandoned and lost animals,” adding, “We will continue to strive to help residents enjoy happy pet lives through various policies.”

Gangdong-gu (Mayor Lee Jeong-hoon) finalized the 2021 fiscal year second supplementary budget on the 14th at the district council, focusing on revitalizing the local economy to overcome difficulties caused by the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic.

The finalized supplementary budget increased by 44.2 billion KRW (4.86%) from the original budget this year, totaling 954.5 billion KRW. The main contents include restoring local economic dynamism, creating a safe and livable community safety net, and adjusting national and city subsidies.

Main projects include ▲105 billion KRW matching funds for COVID-19 national coexistence support payments ▲14.3 billion KRW for emergency welfare, housing benefits, basic pensions, etc. ▲4.1 billion KRW for living support for COVID-19 self-quarantined individuals ▲1 billion KRW for school support and Happy School for sustainable educational environment ▲300 million KRW for issuing Gangdong Love gift certificates (worth 10 billion KRW) ▲150 million KRW for youth job creation, among others.

Lee Jeong-hoon, Mayor of Gangdong-gu, said, “We prepared the second supplementary budget following the first in May to quickly resolve local issues such as recovering the local economy depressed by COVID-19 by utilizing available resources to the fullest,” adding, “We will speed up budget execution to revitalize the local economy.”

Gangnam-gu (Mayor Jung Soon-gyun) has started free influenza vaccinations from the 14th for 150,000 people including children, pregnant women, seniors, and basic livelihood security recipients to prepare for the winter influenza epidemic.

Children receiving their first vaccination (6 months to under 9 years old) will receive the first dose from the 14th and the second dose after a 4-week interval. Other children (9 to 13 years old) who require one dose will be vaccinated sequentially from the 14th of next month. Pregnant women will be vaccinated from the 14th of this month, and seniors aged 65 and over from the 12th of next month.

The total number of vaccination targets is 137,545.

Vaccinations can be received at designated medical institutions regardless of residence. Medical institutions can be found on the Vaccination Helper website or Gangnam-gu Health Center website. Reservations can be made by the individual or proxy through the vaccination pre-reservation system (ncvr.kdca.go.kr) or by visiting medical institutions.

Separately from the national vaccination program, free vaccinations will be provided for 12,958 basic livelihood security recipients, disabled persons, and national veterans residing in Gangnam-gu at designated medical institutions within the district from the 19th of next month to December 18th.

Yang Oh-seung, Director of the Health Center, said, “Gangnam-gu was the first local government nationwide to establish a smart infectious disease management center to maintain a proactive quarantine system of ‘early detection, early blocking,’” adding, “We will prevent the simultaneous epidemic ‘twindemic’ in advance through this vaccination.”

Gwangjin-gu (Mayor Kim Seon-gap) is promoting the ‘Outdoor Advertising Consumption Coupon’ project to support advertising installation and production costs for small business owners in the district.

The ‘Outdoor Advertising Consumption Coupon’ is part of the 2021 Ministry of the Interior and Safety support project, prepared to support small business owners amid the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic and to revitalize the stagnant outdoor advertising business.

If small business owners operating in Gwangjin-gu install or produce signs through outdoor advertising businesses registered in Gwangjin-gu, they will receive support funds of up to 2 million KRW per advertiser (small business owner).

About 15 businesses are eligible, and applications are open until the 30th.

Small business owners wishing to participate can submit application forms and related documents in person to the Gwangjin-gu Office Street Landscape and Advertising Management Team during the recruitment period.

Details such as excluded targets and required documents can be found in the notices and announcements section on the Gwangjin-gu website.

After the application period, the district will select recipients based on quantitative evaluation applying criteria such as receipt of small business disaster support funds, 2020 tax base, and business operation period in Gwangjin-gu, ranking by high scores. The final recipients will be confirmed after review by the Outdoor Advertising Review Committee in October.

Kim Seon-gap, Mayor of Gwangjin-gu, said, “We hope this ‘Outdoor Advertising Consumption Coupon’ project will help revitalize the local commercial district, which continues to face difficulties due to COVID-19,” adding, “We will continue to do our utmost to alleviate the economic burden on small business owners and revitalize the local economy.”

Yeongdeungpo-gu (Mayor Chae Hyun-il) announced it will hold the ‘Expecting (Responding to Climate Crisis) Youth Video Contest’ to share awareness of the climate crisis with youth, the future leaders, and to enhance practical action to overcome it together.

This contest is planned to raise interest in the climate crisis such as heatwaves and cold waves by having youth directly plan and produce content, and to build community consensus on response measures.

The contest theme is to promote youth actions responding to the climate crisis, including ▲efforts to save energy, use public transportation, reduce waste in daily life ▲climate crisis response measures reflecting Yeongdeungpo-gu’s regional characteristics ▲and other content that can inspire youth interest in climate crisis response.

Contest categories include various video content formats such as animation, motion graphics, vlogs, and documentaries, planned and produced directly by youth.

Youth interested in the environment in Yeongdeungpo-gu (middle and high school students and those of equivalent age) can participate individually or in teams of up to five.

Applicants should download the application form from the Yeongdeungpo-gu Office website’s notices/announcements section by September 30, fill it out, and submit it along with the produced work via email (contest@intw.co.kr).

The district will select a total of 10 works (1 grand prize, 2 excellence awards, 3 merit awards, 4 encouragement awards) through expert judging based on theme suitability, originality, and usability. Winners will receive certificates and prizes, and the winning works will be used in Yeongdeungpo-gu’s climate change education, events, and promotional projects.

The results will be announced on the district website and notified individually on October 25.

Chae Hyun-il, Mayor of Yeongdeungpo-gu, said, “I hope this contest will awaken youth awareness of the climate crisis and increase practical action to overcome it, turning crisis into opportunity,” adding, “We will do our best to promote climate action and spread it with residents to leave a clean and livable environment for future generations.”

Seongbuk-gu (Mayor Lee Seung-ro) held the 2021 Seongbuk-gu Youth Policy Discovery Group Appointment and Policy Sharing Meeting with Seongbuk-gu council members on the 11th.

The Seongbuk-gu Youth Policy Discovery Group is a public project selected annually by the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family among 10 local governments nationwide to activate youth participation in local communities and enhance their capabilities as democratic citizens. Seongbuk-gu was selected as the implementing agency for the first time this year and conducted the project under the name ‘Seongbuk-gu Made by Youth.’

The project aims to encourage youth in Seongbuk-gu to take interest in local social issues, discover policy agendas through education and discussion, thereby guaranteeing practical youth participation rights and enhancing their capabilities as democratic citizens. It consists of capacity building education, policy discovery and discussion, policy presentation, and practical activities, with various activities planned until the end of the year.

At the event, about 50 youth were appointed as policy discovery group members to begin activities. Simultaneously, a policy sharing meeting was held as a mid-stage policy discovery event with policy officials including Jeong Hye-sook, Chair of the Seongbuk-gu Council Administrative Planning Committee, and Vice Chair Jeong Hye-young.

The participating youth were divided into five groups and actively discussed policy agendas previously submitted by youth with officials, exchanging opinions. They also presented detailed content of seven policies developed through this process, including ▲Domestic history exploration experience for out-of-school youth ▲Youth librarian training course to promote youth reading ▲Seongbuk Environment Do Dream ▲Seongbuk Guardians ▲Youth participation projects to revitalize youth playgrounds ▲Economic education for youth ▲Seongbuk-gu e-sports competition.

Lee Seung-ro, Mayor of Seongbuk-gu, said, “Through the activities of the Seongbuk-gu Youth Policy Discovery Group, we will deeply reflect youth voices and strive to provide more participation opportunities,” adding, “As the nation’s first child-friendly city, Seongbuk-gu will actively incorporate youth suggestions into policies for youth, not just leave them at the suggestion stage.”

Gangseo-gu, Seoul (Mayor Roh Hyun-song) prepared gifts for vulnerable children to celebrate the traditional Korean holiday Chuseok.

During the Chuseok holiday, the district announced it will hold a ‘Making Ugly Songpyeon Contest’ to help children share joyful memories with their families.

The event aims to support families in recalling the meaning of Chuseok and sharing warm affection by making songpyeon (traditional rice cakes) together.

Making songpyeon in various colors and shapes stimulates children’s curiosity, and eating the completed songpyeon provides nutritional benefits, achieving two effects at once.

The contest will be held in a non-face-to-face format using songpyeon making kits for 293 children under Dream Start case management.

Before the contest, the district delivered songpyeon making kits to each target child’s household. Families receiving the kits can make songpyeon reflecting their family’s faces or characteristics during the Chuseok holiday, showcasing their unique family style.

To participate, families should submit photos of the completed songpyeon along with photos of sharing and enjoying the songpyeon with family, including descriptions, to their assigned case manager by the 30th.

The district plans to select 20 families who actively participate from those who send activity photos and reviews and award them gift certificates worth about 30,000 KRW as prizes.

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