2021 Seongbuk-gu Book of the Year Selected as Kim Soyoung's 'The World of Children'

[Seoul District News] 2021 Seongbuk-gu Hanchaek Book Concert Successfully Held... Dongdaemun-gu Operates ‘Street of Fallen Leaves’ on Jungnangcheon Trail Until the 21st... Jungnang-gu Hosts 3rd Jungnang Innovation Education Expo from 4th to 6th... Jongno-gu Receives Donation of 539 Works Including Master Calligrapher Wongok Kim Gi-seung’s Pieces from Wongok Cultural Foundation Chairman Kim Seong-jae (Former Minister of Culture and Tourism)... 6th Dongjak Innovation Education Festival ‘Dongjakhara 2021’ Held Online... Yangcheon-gu Holds Signboard Ceremony and Opening of Sinwol 6-dong Administrative Complex Town... Gangnam-gu, 5th ‘2021 Artpri

Seongbuk-gu (Mayor Lee Seung-ro) successfully concluded the '2021 Seongbuk-gu One Book Concert.' At the 2021 Seongbuk-gu One Book Concert, conducted through a mix of in-person and online formats, Mayor Lee Seung-ro announced this year's selected book, The World of Children.

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Seongbuk-gu (Mayor Lee Seung-ro) successfully concluded the ‘2021 Seongbuk-gu One Book Book Concert.’

Seongbuk-gu’s representative reading campaign, ‘Seongbuk-gu One Book Reading,’ has continued as an occasion to respect differences in the process of selecting one book, understand generational gaps, and share sincere stories with neighbors through books.

This year, as in the previous year, the event was held online and non-face-to-face to prevent the spread of COVID-19, allowing participants to meet various genre authors online during the festival period, from poet Park Jun to novelist Jeong Yu-jeong.

The author Kim So-young of the selected book of the year, "The World of Children," YouTube channel Winter Bookstore’s Kim Gyeoul, and singer-songwriter Ahn Ye-eun gathered in one place to share diverse stories about reading and art, drawing much positive response.

The One Book Book Concert recorded 1,200 views within two days after its release, with many viewers participating in the live broadcast, exchanging their own impressions and various questions through the chat window.

Seongbuk-gu Mayor Lee Seung-ro, who opened the 2021 Seongbuk-gu One Book Book Concert, said, “It was a precious time when local residents could read one book together and comfort each other during difficult times,” and expressed gratitude to author Kim So-young for writing a good work.

Seongbuk-gu One Book Reading, a representative local reading campaign that met online to become a communication space where anyone who loves books beyond the region can participate, is already anticipated to show what kind of appearance it will have next year.

Dongdaemun-gu (Mayor Yoo Deok-yeol) is operating the ‘Street of Fallen Leaves’ on a total of 5 km sections including Jungnangcheon embankment walking trail boundary to Imun Police Station (1.1 km), Baebongsan connecting bridge to Jangan Bridge (1.5 km), and Jangan Bridge to Gunja Bridge (2.4 km) until the 21st.

The ‘Street of Fallen Leaves’ is operated by not collecting fallen leaves such as cherry trees, zelkova trees, and ginkgo trees during the operation period so that residents on a walk can feel the autumn atmosphere and romance.

Areas other than the walking trail, such as slopes and stairs, are cleaned normally to avoid impairing the scenery, and fallen leaves will be collected all at once after the operation period ends.

The Jungnangcheon walking trail is a place where many residents enjoy walking throughout the year, especially in spring when gorgeous and beautiful cherry blossoms bloom profusely, establishing it as a cherry blossom attraction.

The district plans to create a street where people want to walk even in autumn by allowing residents to enjoy autumn foliage and fallen leaves in the nearby urban area through the operation of the Street of Fallen Leaves.

Dongdaemun-gu Mayor Yoo Deok-yeol said, “I hope residents exhausted by COVID-19 will spend healing time feeling the beautiful autumn atmosphere by seeing autumn leaves and fallen leaves on the Jungnangcheon walking trail Street of Fallen Leaves.”

Jungnang-gu (Mayor Ryu Gyeong-gi) will hold the 3rd Jungnang Innovation Education Expo at Jungnang-gu Office from the 4th to the 6th. This expo will look back on the Jungnang Innovation Education District, now in its third year.

The district stated that this event was prepared to share the achievements of the Innovation Education District project, which has been working hard under the vision of ‘Realizing a happy educational city for children and youth created together with the village,’ with residents.

The expo consists of Our Village Education Forum, performance sharing meeting, lectures and performances, experience and exhibition booths, and will be held at Jungnang-gu Office’s Jungnang Citizen Square, first-floor lobby, and basement auditorium. It will be operated in compliance with quarantine rules and social distancing for safety according to the first phase of gradual daily recovery.

First, the Our Village Education Forum, held from 3:30 pm on the 4th, will have village teachers, parents, teachers, children, and youth participate under the theme of the present and future of Jungnang education. On the 5th, a performance sharing meeting will be held to share this year’s achievements and propose next year’s projects. On the last day, the 6th, a club congratulatory performance and a village TED lecture will be held.

During the expo, village schools, parent clubs, and out-of-school children and youth clubs will operate 17 experience booths such as coffee making, magic experience, chess, mask making, and 14 exhibition booths, providing various enjoyable activities for local residents.

Jungnang-gu Mayor Ryu Gyeong-gi said, “I hope this expo will be an opportunity to share the achievements of the Innovation Education District project and for village communities to grow together,” adding, “We will continue to do our best in establishing educational policies and supporting activities to improve the quality of education for local children and youth with various educational stakeholders from the public, private, and academic sectors.”

Jongno-gu (Mayor Kim Young-jong) held the ‘Wongok Cultural Foundation Calligraphy Artwork Donation Ceremony’ at the mayor’s office on the afternoon of the 3rd.

The donation ceremony was held after Kim Sung-jae, chairman of the Wongok Cultural Foundation, son-in-law of Wongok Kim Gi-seung (1909?2000) and former Minister of Culture and Tourism, expressed his intention to donate a total of 539 calligraphy works owned by the foundation to Jongno-gu.

Wongok Kim Gi-seung, a representative figure of Korean calligraphy, completed the unique Wongok style in the early 1970s and was the first to write the history of Korean calligraphy.

His major works include the Declaration of Independence, the epitaph of Ahn Chang-ho, the Bonfire Tower of Yu Gwan-sun, the Korean Language Dictionary, and hymns. In 1978, he established the Wongok Calligraphy Award to promote the calligraphy field and received the Silver Crown Order of Cultural Merit in 1985.

His calligraphy has been widely used from book covers (title characters) to computer fonts, epitaphs, signboards, and ink paintings, leaving a great achievement in the development of practical calligraphy.

Among the donated works, representative pieces include ‘Plea on the Cross,’ ‘The Analects, Chapter 1,’ ‘Divine Creation of All Things,’ and ‘Auspicious Energy Gathering at the Gate.’ In addition, folding screens, hanging scrolls, seals, books, and personal items such as brushes and inkstones used by Wongok during his lifetime are included.

Jongno-gu plans to create a separate space called the Wongok Calligraphy Hall (tentative name) within the new government building upon its completion to exhibit the donated works, supporting many citizens to easily access excellent calligraphy works.

Mayor Kim Young-jong said, “I am deeply moved to receive the precious works of Mr. Wongok, who has been loved by the public for a long time,” and added, “We will help more people feel closer to calligraphy and enjoy a cultural life through exhibitions and other events in the future.”

Opening Ceremony of the 5th Dongjak Innovation Education Festival Held in 2019

Dongjak-gu (Mayor Lee Chang-woo) announced that it will hold the 6th Dongjak Innovation Education Festival ‘Dongjakhara 2021’ online on the 12th and 13th.

Since May, a festival planning team composed of youth, parents, teachers, and village residents has directly planned and prepared the festival to share the achievements of the 2021 Innovation Education Project and provide a place where everyone can enjoy and experience.

Last year, the festival was not held due to the spread of COVID-19, but this year, various online platforms (Metaverse, YouTube, ZOOM, etc.) suitable for the nature of festival programs such as visible radio, one-day classes, and board games will be used to hold a festival that anyone can participate in anywhere.

This festival features an online fashion show ‘Dongjak Fashionista’ realized through Gather Town with the sparkling ideas of youth, an online debate room ‘Challenge! Balance Various Aspects,’ and visible radio ‘If You Have Concerns, Look Here.’

Also, the ‘Ollmang Nolmang Village Creative Experience Classroom’ offers one-day classes to experience various village education programs, and the ‘Parent Creative Festival Online Market’ sells works from parent clubs, with all proceeds planned to be donated at the end of the year.

Additionally, a ‘High School Admission Special Lecture’ mainly for high schools in Dongjak-gu and ‘Dongjakhara Exploration Team,’ where teams including elementary and middle school students play board games produced by the Dongjak Innovation Education District village textbook, are also included.

The closing ceremony will be a concert of encouragement and harmony reviewing the past two days of the festival and the Dongjak Innovation Education District under the theme ‘Ordinary and Precious Our Daily Life,’ featuring a performance by invited singer Casey to richly conclude the festival.

Moreover, an SNS pre-event is held until the last day of the festival, where participants certify their participation by posting photos of plogging activities in the village or tagging with the hashtag (#Dongjakhara2021) on personal SNS.

Program information can be found at the festival website. For more details, contact the Education Policy Division.

Jung Jong-rok, head of the Education Policy Division, said, “This festival was prepared as a unique festival of the Innovation Education District using various platforms,” and added, “I hope many residents participate to share and enjoy the achievements and future of our district’s innovation education.”

The 1st Gwangjin Arts Festival successfully concluded with the closing performance on the 3rd.

The Gwangjin Arts Festival, held for the first time this year, was promoted to relieve the cultural needs of local residents and artists exhausted by the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic, with a total of 17 programs including dance, Korean traditional music, theater, and classical music held from the 8th of last month to the 3rd of this month.

The closing performance on the 3rd featured trot singers Youngtak, Sukhaeng, Park Gun, and the b-boy team MB Crew, ending the event splendidly.

This performance was held simultaneously online and offline in line with the phased daily recovery implemented from November 1.

For safer phased daily recovery, only residents who completed the second vaccination and submitted a negative PCR test result before the performance were allowed to attend in person.

Lee Sook-ja (63, Jayang-dong), who watched the performance, said, “Enjoying a face-to-face performance after a long time feels like returning to the pre-COVID-19 daily life,” and added, “I hope many cultural events will be held as phased daily recovery begins.”

Additionally, an online viewing seat was prepared through a back screen, and the performance was simultaneously live-streamed on the Gwangjin Cultural Foundation YouTube channel and Naver TV.

Gwangjin-gu Mayor Kim Sun-gap said, “The mandatory vaccination completion and PCR testing for face-to-face viewing of the closing performance will be the first step for the fast and safe establishment of Gwangjin-style With-Corona,” and added, “We will continue to hold various events to help residents recover their daily lives faster and more safely.”

The district plans to promote various performances and events to stimulate the creative motivation of artists who have been withdrawn and provide cultural enjoyment opportunities for residents starting with this performance.

Yangcheon-gu (Mayor Kim Soo-young) will hold a commemorative event for the ‘Sinwol 6-dong Administrative Complex Town Plaque Ceremony and Open House’ at 3:30 pm on the 5th.

The ‘Sinwol 6-dong Administrative Complex Town,’ completed in August, had its opening ceremony postponed due to the maintenance of level 4 social distancing in the metropolitan area. However, with the start of ‘gradual daily recovery (With Corona)’ in November, the opening ceremony will be held to celebrate the facility opening and support a new leap forward with local residents.

The Sinwol 6-dong Administrative Complex Town is the first signal of the ‘Construction of Complex Government Buildings in Sinwol 6·7-dong and Sinjeong 2-dong,’ one of Yangcheon-gu’s 7th-term election pledges. It introduced a groundbreaking paradigm called ‘complexification’ to the existing administrative service space focused on administrative affairs, newly becoming a one-stop complex facility centered on resident convenience where all residents, regardless of age or gender, can use administrative, cultural, and welfare services in one place.

With a total floor area of 6,071.03㎡ and consisting of one basement and four above-ground floors, Sinwol 6-dong Administrative Complex Town boasts the largest scale among Yangcheon-gu’s dong offices. The construction cost totals 17.8 billion KRW, including 1.1 billion KRW in national funds from the selection of the Living SOC Complexification Project and 2 billion KRW in city funds from the 50 Plus Center Project.

The first floor houses the dong community service center providing civil services and the Saeareum Small Library boasting over 7,000 books. The second floor includes the community center where various cultural programs are held and the Youth Counseling Welfare Center and Youth Support Center (Dream) providing integrated support services such as counseling and education for local youth.

The third floor houses the Healthy Family Multicultural Support Center and Dream Start Center, while the fourth floor has the Disabled Family Support Center and the 50 Plus Center, which supports the second act of life for middle-aged residents, newly renovated. The Sinwol 6-dong Administrative Complex Town, which adds essential living infrastructure to public facilities, is expected to become a new landmark of Sinwol-dong as an open space for all local residents.

The ‘Sinwol 6-dong Plaque Ceremony and Open House’ commemorative event will be held with limited attendance considering gradual daily recovery (With Corona), strictly following quarantine rules such as temperature checks, mask-wearing, and visitor log registration.

The event will be attended by Yangcheon-gu Mayor Kim Soo-young, members of the National Assembly, city and district council members, and resident representatives, who will participate in official events such as the plaque ceremony and ribbon cutting, as well as open houses and on-site rounds of each facility. Various pilot programs of facilities, sand art and soap-making experiences for children, and multicultural awareness improvement events will be held in line with the complex town’s characteristics.

Yangcheon-gu Mayor Kim Soo-young said, “The Sinwol 6-dong Administrative Complex Town will establish itself as an urban anchor facility that provides various administrative and welfare services and rich cultural life through synergy effects between facilities,” and added, “I hope the Sinwol 6-dong Administrative Complex Town will enrich the daily lives of residents as a hub space that revitalizes the region.”

Gangnam-gu (Mayor Jung Soon-gyun) will hold the ‘2021 Art Prize Gangnam,’ a comprehensive art competition open to all, from the 5th to the 14th at the furniture street in Nonhyeon-dong (from Nonhyeon-dong to Hakdong Station).

Now in its third year, this event is held under the theme ‘Good Art Saving the Earth,’ exhibiting 98 selected works in painting, sculptures, and photography. The works can be seen at 13 furniture stores and the theme pavilion.

Various side events will also be held simultaneously. Four special exhibitions will display works by distinctive artists such as Kim Mul-gil, Nanan, and Saenjeong, and a pop-up store selling MD products by participating artists will operate. In addition, visitor participation programs and various SNS events will be conducted.

The closing ceremony on the 14th will include an awards ceremony for excellent works selected by professional judges. One grand prize and four excellence prizes will be awarded cash prizes, and two popularity prizes will receive small gifts.

Gangnam-gu Mayor Jung Soon-gyun said, “We prepared ‘Art Prize Gangnam’ to expand cultural and artistic participation of residents, which has been shrinking due to the prolonged COVID-19, and to provide publicity opportunities for emerging artists,” adding, “We will make it a representative event of ‘Future-Oriented Attractive City Gangnam’ through event operation where residents, companies, and the district office coexist.”

Gwanak-gu (Mayor Park Jun-hee) is receiving great response by distributing companion robots equipped with artificial intelligence (AI) functions to single disabled persons with high depression due to entrenched social isolation.

Currently, one in four disabled persons (27.5%) lives alone, and the number is steadily increasing. Disabled persons living alone face serious emotional instability such as loneliness and depression due to external disconnection and risk of solitary death.

The district plans to strengthen community care for vulnerable groups through non-face-to-face care services using AI in response to the increase in single disabled persons and changes in policy conditions such as care gaps caused by COVID-19.

The AI companion robot distributed by the district is named ‘Channy Bot.’ The name is derived from the greeting ‘Are you okay?’ (Gwaenchan-ni), meaning a companion who helps (贊) and benefits (利) the daily life of single disabled persons.

Channy Bot’s functions include ▲supporting daily life through personalized notifications (medication time, waking up, sleeping, etc.) ▲emotional support through various cute comments and companionship ▲emergency linkage through safety management monitoring such as detecting danger signals ▲AI-based smart integrated care support including notifications of Gwanak-gu administrative and welfare news and general information.

Notably, three types of AI robots are provided with differentiated customized robots according to the characteristics of the recipients, responding to various needs and degrees of disability.

For elderly disabled persons who prefer simple companionship or those with unclear pronunciation, a touch-recognition-based plush robot called ‘Companion Doll’ is provided; for disabled persons with high depression needing conversational partners, an ‘AI Doll’ equipped with natural language processing (NLP) technology capable of emotional conversation is provided; and for disabled persons capable of operating smart devices, a desktop ‘AI Robot’ offering face recognition, video calls, and display screens is provided.

The district has been distributing companion robots to 100 disabled persons living alone since the end of October, and due to high response, plans to distribute an additional 100 units in the first half of next year.

Moreover, the district plans to analyze effectiveness rather than merely distributing.

Through user satisfaction surveys, depression scale tests, and server data analysis, the district will analyze how much companion robots contribute to the emotional stability and care performance of single disabled persons and concretize the AI-based smart integrated care model.

Earlier in August, the district produced and distributed ‘Gwanak-gu Single Household Statistics’ to grasp the status of increasing disabled single households. As demand-oriented customized welfare is increasingly required due to the abolition of disability grades, the district plans to strengthen statistical surveys and analysis of disabled single households for accurate status identification and policy development.

Gwangjin-gu (Mayor Kim Sun-gap) opened the ‘Small Business Loss Compensation On-site Reception Center’ on the 3rd to facilitate small business owners’ application for loss compensation.

The district formed a dedicated on-site reception task force and set up the reception center in the basement of the Safety Management Building at Gwangjin Family Shelter for small business owners who have difficulty using online services.

The Small Business Loss Compensation System is a compensation system for small business owners who complied with government’s gathering bans and business hour restrictions due to COVID-19, different from disaster support funds, calculating and paying customized compensation proportional to the scale of loss per business.

The eligible period is from July 7 to September 30, targeting small business owners and small enterprises who suffered business losses due to gathering bans and business hour restrictions. Major targets include restaurants, cafes, singing rooms, entertainment and karaoke bars with sales losses among restricted businesses.

Loss compensation proceeds through three stages: quick compensation, confirmation compensation, and objection application. The quarterly compensation ceiling is 100 million KRW, and the floor is 100,000 KRW.

Small business owners wishing to apply can easily apply online via the website. Those who have difficulty with online applications can visit the on-site reception center at the district office with a copy of their business registration certificate or business registration confirmation and ID card.

However, offline applications will be subject to a five-day rotation system based on the last digit of the business registration number for the first 10 days until the 16th. For details, contact the loss compensation on-site reception center or call center.

Gwangjin-gu Mayor Kim Sun-gap said, “I hope this loss compensation will be a practical help to small business owners who faithfully complied with quarantine measures,” adding, “We will continue to discover and promote various policies to revitalize the depressed local economy.”

Geumcheon-gu (Mayor Yoo Sung-hoon) will hold the ‘Geumcheon Youth CEO Project’ free market at 11 am on the 6th around Siheung Intersection (in front of 236 Siheung-daero).

As part of the child-friendly city project, Geumcheon-gu has been conducting the ‘Geumcheon Youth CEO Project’ with the Siheung Geumcheon Youth Center since April, recruiting participants to help youth establish economic awareness and cultivate entrepreneurial spirit through startup experience.

At this free market, five youth CEO groups newly started in 2021?‘Goibobusang,’ ‘The Barumi,’ ‘Ceramic Crime Squad,’ ‘Samba Shampoo Bar,’ and ‘Ajang! Ajang!’?will participate, showcasing 12 items including themed kits, natural solid perfumes, custom ceramics, eco-friendly solid shampoos, and accessories.

Additionally, various events for consumers and neighbors such as Polaroid commemorative photos, price draws, and quiz discounts are prepared.

Since it is conducted as a startup simulation, the purpose is to observe consumer reactions rather than earn high profits, so all sales prices are set affordably between 2,000 and 7,000 KRW.

All proceeds from the free market will be donated to the Geumcheon Future Scholarship Foundation. Through donation, youth learn corporate social responsibility by returning profits created based on help from neighbors and society to social members.

Geumcheon-gu Mayor Yoo Sung-hoon said, “I hope this meaningful event where youth can grow together with the community will be an opportunity to enhance entrepreneurial capacity and community spirit,” adding, “We will continue to support Geumcheon youth to grow as future talents representing the local community.”

Gangbuk-gu (Mayor Park Gyeom-su) conducted the ‘Children’s Environmental Patrol Keeper’ education for daycare children over four months from July to October.

‘Children’s Environmental Patrol Keeper’ is a program that uses friendly animations and picture materials to teach children the necessity of environmental protection. It is an experiential education designed to help children practice proper recycling separation in daily life.

The education targeted 467 children aged 4 and above at 20 national, public, and private daycare centers in the district. The district conducted a recycling separation experience activity called ‘Hope and Green’s Clean Gangbuk Story’ for the children. Participants received a ‘Children’s Environmental Patrol Keeper’ membership certificate.

This education received positive evaluations for helping arouse children’s interest. Daycare officials said, “It was a good opportunity for children to realize the importance of nature protection from their perspective and to become more interested in environmental issues through recycling separation education.”

Gangbuk-gu Mayor Park Gyeom-su said, “It will be an opportunity for children, the future leaders, to take more interest in environmental protection through direct experience and practice,” adding, “We will discover various activities and do our best to continuously promote projects to raise proper environmental awareness, such as reducing disposable product use.”

Seodaemun-gu (Mayor Moon Seok-jin) will conduct a stamp tour for two weeks from the 8th to the 21st on the Ansan (鞍山) Women-Friendly Theme Road ‘Yeogiro (女記路)’ in the district.

This road was created in 2017 through public-private cooperation by Seodaemun-gu and the Seodaemun Women-Friendly City Creation Council, stretching about 2 km from ‘Meeting Square’ on the Ansan foothill trail to the ‘Book Cafe Shelter.’

The name ‘Yeogiro’ was chosen through a resident contest at the time of creation, meaning ‘a road containing memories of women.’

As the name suggests, the district installed storyboards at eight points along this section with content about women in history and women related to Seodaemun-gu.

The themes include ▲Seodaemun ‘Yeogiro’ ▲Women figures in history ▲Reasons for the small number of female independence activists ▲The first female pilot ‘Kwon Gi-ok’ ▲Our sad history ‘Comfort Women’ ▲‘Lee Tae-young’ who paved the way for gender equality ▲Representative modern literature writer ‘Park Wan-seo’ ▲Women’s history explored through quizzes.

By installing and running the ‘WalkOn’ app on a smartphone (Challenge → Women-Friendly Theme Road) and activating ‘location,’ stamps are automatically marked on the app when passing each of the eight storyboard points along the route.

The district will draw 400 participants who collect all eight stamps and complete the challenge after the 24th of this month to receive a 5,000 KRW mobile Seoul Love Gift Certificate.

As a special program, six ‘Yeogiro Tours with Resident Guides’ will be held during the event period (Tuesdays at 10 am, Thursdays and Saturdays at 2 pm).

Each tour lasts about two hours, with 2 to 8 participants listening to explanations on each theme from guides at each point, allowing interesting participation. Those interested can apply by referring to the notice on the Seodaemun-gu website.

Seodaemun-gu Mayor Moon Seok-jin said, “I hope this stamp tour will be a time to increase knowledge about women in history and find autumn leisure in nature.”

Nowon-gu (Mayor Oh Seung-rok) is installing LED floor-type pedestrian traffic lights at 82 crosswalks in 32 major intersections including school zones this year to create a safe walking environment.

LED floor traffic lights are auxiliary pedestrian traffic lights with LED panels embedded at pedestrian waiting lines on crosswalks, emitting light of the same color as existing traffic lights.

By October, installation was completed at 32 crosswalks in 12 locations, including crosswalks in front of Surak Elementary and Gongneung Elementary in school zones, with plans to install at crosswalks in front of Gongun Elementary, Yeonji Elementary, Seongok Elementary, Yongwon Elementary, Nokcheon Elementary, Singye Elementary, and Yongdong Elementary by the end of the year.

Installation has also been completed at intersections near Suraksan Station, Sanggye Station, Junggye Station, Hagye Station, Gongneung Station, Hwarangdae Intersection, and Wolgye Healthcare Intersection, which are traffic-congested areas. The district is actively conducting construction to install floor traffic lights at 82 crosswalks in 32 locations by the end of this year.

Additionally, the district is implementing a ‘Pedestrian Signal Voice Guidance Auxiliary Device Installation Project.’ Sensors installed on traffic lights automatically detect pedestrian movement and emit safety warning sounds or signal change guidance according to pedestrian situations. This helps prevent dangerous behaviors such as stepping onto the road while waiting for signals by alerting pedestrians’ attention.

So far, 64 voice guidance devices have been installed mainly in school zones, with plans to add 24 more by the end of the year, aiming for a total of 88 devices at 38 locations.

The district will continue to expand traffic safety facilities such as yellow carpets and color blocks, promote pedestrian environment maintenance projects, and build a safe traffic environment for both drivers and pedestrians.

Nowon-gu Mayor Oh Seung-rok said, “Most pedestrian traffic accidents occur near crosswalks,” adding, “We will create a safe and smart traffic city Nowon by expanding traffic safety facilities including floor-type pedestrian traffic lights and improving the pedestrian environment.”

Gangdong-gu (Mayor Lee Jeong-hoon) is actively introducing the ‘Seoul Metropolitan Area Station Area Activation Project’ targeting old and underutilized sites, creating various facilities for local residents such as resident complex centers through active public-private cooperation with landowners.

The Seoul Metropolitan Area Station Area Activation Project aims to develop station areas in a compact city urban spatial structure according to the National Land Planning and Utilization Act and the Seoul Metropolitan Area Station Area Activation Project Operation and Support Ordinance, revitalizing them as centers of public transportation and citizen activities while constructing public rental facilities and living service facilities needed by the region.

Since 2019, the district has conducted research to create compact city station areas with lower development density compared to other regions, preparing urban management plans for each station area and actively promoting the first phase and expanded projects of Seoul Station Area Activation through voluntary participation of local residents.

First, Dunchon-dong Lot 489, selected as a first-phase project site in May 2020, will change the zoning from the third general residential area to neighborhood commercial area and promote high-density mixed-use development with underground 6 and above-ground 20 floors for residential, commercial, and public use.

In particular, a certain space from underground 2 to above-ground 4 floors will house the Dunchon 2-dong Resident Complex Center for local residents, including the existing old and narrow Dunchon 2-dong Community Service Center and community hall, a book cafe library, public, educational, sports facilities, and parking lots.

The urban management plan for the high-density mixed-use development of Dunchon-dong 489 passed the Seoul City Urban and Architectural Joint Committee review on October 27, the first among eight first-phase project sites, and procedures for building permits will proceed.

The district expects to save about 12.3 billion KRW in finances due to the creation of the resident complex center.

Seongnae-dong 19-1 area (within Cheonho C3 Special Planning Zone), also selected as a first-phase project site in May 2020, will change zoning from the third general residential and neighborhood commercial areas to general commercial area and promote an urban maintenance-type redevelopment project with underground 7 and above-ground 44 floors combining residential, sales/office, and public uses.

A certain space in the building will be created as public sports and cultural facilities that meet the needs of local residents and activate the Cheonho Boulevard area.

The district is continuously consulting with related organizations such as Seoul City and total planners to expedite the urban maintenance-type redevelopment project and expects to save about 50 billion KRW or more in finances due to the creation of public facilities for residents.

Additionally, Seongnae-dong 428-5, selected through the selection committee in September after application as an expanded project site from the second half of this year, will also change zoning from the third general residential area to neighborhood commercial area and promote high-density mixed-use development for residential, commercial, and public uses.

It plans to actively introduce resident convenience facilities that can embrace users of Dunchon Station traditional market, Seongnae 3-dong residents, and Dunchon reconstruction apartment residents.

Gangdong-gu Mayor Lee Jeong-hoon said, “The Station Area Activation Project is a good model that can quickly develop old and underutilized station area sites while improving public services,” adding, “As local residents’ interest in the project increases and inquiries continue, we plan to actively apply for follow-up expanded project sites to Seoul City in the second half of this year.”

Jung-gu, Seoul (Mayor Seo Yang-ho) announced that it opened the ‘Jung-gu Lifelong Learning Integrated Support Center’ on the 1st for digital vulnerable groups.

The ‘Jung-gu Lifelong Learning Integrated Support Center’ resolves inconveniences for residents who had difficulty accessing lifelong learning programs due to the digital divide and provides demand-oriented lifelong learning services such as learning counseling based on integrated information.

As non-face-to-face became commonplace due to COVID-19 and digital-based learning services such as online lectures became widespread, this service started with consideration for digital disadvantaged groups who are relatively marginalized, providing offline services based on wired and face-to-face methods so that anyone can easily and conveniently obtain learning information.

The integrated support center installed within the Lifelong Education Promotion Team of Jung-gu Office will provide one-stop integrated services including ▲providing information on lifelong learning programs in the region ▲designing programs and stepwise advanced courses through individual competency diagnosis ▲customized learning counseling such as certification acquisition and employment/startup linkage ▲guidance on public facility idle spaces for activating lifelong learning clubs and local communities.

In the future, the center plans to provide upgraded services such as personalized lifelong learning roadmaps and curation through regular and continuous learning data construction and analysis.

For details, contact the ‘Jung-gu Lifelong Learning Integrated Support Center’ directly. Jung-gu Mayor Seo Yang-ho said, “I hope the integrated support center will create an environment where anyone can easily access lifelong learning anytime and anywhere without discrimination, and further improve residents’ quality of life through individual self-realization.”

Songpa-gu (Mayor Park Sung-soo) will hold the Songpa Youth Festival ‘I’m Imblank FESTIVAL’ from 2 pm to 9 pm on the 6th around Seokchon Lake to relieve the worries of young people struggling due to COVID-19 and provide a time to laugh and enjoy together.

The I’m Imblank FESTIVAL is an event planned and executed directly by youth, with the theme ‘Thinking about myself, informing myself, and getting to know another me, the blank,’ prepared with various programs to give vitality and hope to youth in the With-Corona era.

It mainly consists of ▲‘Performance’ programs such as music talks (lectures), youth bands, and live painting ▲‘Participation’ programs such as participatory painting and free markets ▲‘Exhibition’ programs that families as well as youth can enjoy together.

First, at the central stage of Seokchon Lake East Lake, a ‘Music Talk & Three Steps Lecture’ will be held from 2 pm to 7 pm, where various busking music crossing genre boundaries and youth stories can be enjoyed. Around the Dongho Tourist Information Center, a ‘Free Market’ selling products made by youth and a ‘Promotion Booth’ sharing the value of youth-made products and brands will operate from 2 pm to 8 pm.

Also, at the Seokchon Lake West Lake waterfront stage, ‘Live Painting’ by 12 artists drawing on-site will be held from 2 pm to 6 pm, and at the West Lake Atelier from 7 pm to 9 pm, a unique performance by a youth band expressing stories about new encounters as youth will be held.

Throughout West Lake, ‘Audience Participation Painting’ and ‘Participation Exhibition’ with chalkboards allowing free expression of stories about Songpa in words and pictures will be conducted, providing direct experience and small fun.

More detailed information can be found on the Songpa-gu website or the official Instagram account of I’m Imblank FESTIVAL.

Songpa-gu Mayor Park Sung-soo said, “We provided a stage for local young artists exhausted by COVID-19 to promote themselves and created a generational integration space where residents can enjoy and understand youth culture,” adding, “I hope this festival offers cultural experiences that youth and families can empathize with and enjoy together and have healing time.”

Guro-gu (Mayor Lee Sung) will hold a ‘Thanksgiving Concert’ on the 26th to pray for the stable settlement of COVID-19 daily recovery.

Guro-gu announced on the 4th, “This Thanksgiving Concert was prepared to commemorate the return of the Oryu Culture Center, which operated as a COVID-19 vaccination center from May to October, to a cultural facility and to support the early settlement of daily recovery.”

The concert will consist of a humanities talk show and music performance. In the first part, psychiatrist Park Jong-seok will appear in a talk concert ‘Save the Stock Market’ discussing psychological anxiety related to stocks. In the second part, singer Song Chang-sik, known for his unique vocal ability, will perform a special show ‘My Guitar Story’ with Korea’s representative guitarist Ham Chun-ho.

Admission is free, and those wishing to participate can apply through Guro-gu Office’s online application system from November 5 to 15. However, attendees must be fully vaccinated (14 days after vaccination, including electronic vaccination certificates) or have a negative PCR test result (within 48 hours) as of the performance day.

A Guro-gu official said, “We hope to return to ordinary daily life before COVID-19 through this performance,” adding, “We will strive to provide more cultural events for residents.”

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