Swimming Pool and Tax Office in One Place... Gangbuk-gu, Dobong Tax Office Complex Development

[Seoul District News] Gangbuk-gu to Build Complex Facility Integrating Dobong Tax Office and Multipurpose Sports Facility by 2027; Swimming Pool, Gym, and Auxiliary Facilities Planned... Secured 3 Billion KRW Budget through Dongdaemun-type New Deal Project Selection... ‘Ai·Mom Gangdong’ Opens 8th Branch at Amsa Market... Yongsan-gu Opens 16 Dong Care SOS Centers

Dobong Tax Office Multipurpose Sports Facility Complex Development Bird's-eye View

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Gangbuk-gu (Mayor Park Kyum-soo) signed a business agreement on the 7th with the Ministry of Economy and Finance, the National Tax Service, and the Korea Asset Management Corporation for the 'Dobong Tax Office Complex Development.'

The complex development project is the first collaborative case of integrating a national government office and resident convenience facilities into a single building on state-owned land. Previously, only the national government could construct permanent facilities on state-owned property, but due to a related law amendment last year, local governments and public enterprises can now also create lifestyle convenience facilities.

The complex building will be reconstructed by 2027, demolishing the current tax office and building a 17,500㎡ structure from three basement floors to nine above ground. Among these, from the second basement floor to the first floor, multipurpose sports facilities such as a swimming pool, gym, and auxiliary facilities will be installed.

According to this business agreement, each institution will share tasks and cooperate mutually. The Ministry of Economy and Finance and the National Tax Service will support the complex development, Korea Asset Management Corporation (KAMCO) will carry out the entire project, and Gangbuk-gu will bear the 8.6 billion KRW budget for the sports facilities and provide administrative support. Basic and detailed designs will proceed from next year, and after completion, a sales contract will be signed with KAMCO.

Mayor Park Kyum-soo of Gangbuk-gu said, "In the reality of Gangbuk-gu, where available land is very scarce, this project is a significant new example of administrative cooperation," adding, "I hope the Dobong Tax Office will be reborn as an open space where public work and community sports facilities coexist."

Dongdaemun-gu (Mayor Yoo Deok-yeol) announced that it secured a budget of 3 billion KRW by having 16 projects selected in government and Seoul city Korean New Deal public contests, as a result of actively promoting a total of 74 New Deal projects throughout the year.

The district established a New Deal Policy Team in January this year to keep pace with the Korean New Deal promoted by the government and quickly pushed forward the Dongdaemun-style New Deal comprehensive plan.

The Dongdaemun-style New Deal projects promoted this year focused on green and digital New Deal areas tailored to the district's status, supported by human New Deal projects, consisting of three major fields, 11 core tasks, 31 key projects, and 74 detailed projects.

Among them, in the core green New Deal sector, projects such as ▲Green remodeling of daycare centers and senior centers ▲Workplace fine dust management ▲Expansion of electric charging stations, and in the rapidly shifting non-face-to-face digital economy, projects to prevent vulnerable groups from being left behind such as ▲AI and IoT health management services for vulnerable seniors ▲Creation of a smart-based K-library in Dapsimni Library ▲Establishment of digital literacy learning centers, totaling 16 projects, were selected in government and Seoul city Korean New Deal public contests.

Additionally, the district judged that the interest and participation of all departments and employees were crucial to securing momentum for New Deal projects. In the first half of the year, it promoted an idea contest for 'New Dealization of all departments' to make New Deal a part of daily life with a small budget, and in the second half, it further held an idea contest for all employees to reflect 'New Deal I create' in district projects. As a result, 18 projects were discovered and will be actively reflected in new projects next year.

Mayor Yoo Deok-yeol of Dongdaemun-gu said, "Despite the unprecedented COVID-19 crisis in 2021, the New Deal projects could be swiftly promoted thanks to the silent work of all departments and employees," adding, "We will do our best with employees to provide motivation through rewards so that employees feel rewarded for their hard work and to promote New Deal projects that residents can sympathize with."

Branch 8 Open Playground

This place, ‘Ai·Mom Gangdong,’ is currently popular among mothers raising children in Gangdong-gu.

Gangdong-gu (Mayor Lee Jung-hoon) opened the 'Ai·Mom Gangdong' Amsa Market branch (8th branch) on the 30th of last month. It is the eighth branch following Seongnae (1st), Cheonho (2nd), Gangil (3rd), Cheonho Park (4th), Amsa (5th), Gildong (6th), and Godeok (7th).

'Ai·Mom Gangdong' is an early childhood complex community facility created as part of spatial welfare, directly operated by the district office, and since 2019, branches have been increased by dividing regions so that all residents can comfortably visit.

The newly opened ‘Ai·Mom Gangdong’ at Amsa Market is jungle-themed, featuring charming play spaces that foster children's imagination and adventurous spirit, as well as spaces where children can freely run and be active.

Operating hours are from Tuesday to Saturday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and the facility is available to preschool children residing in Gangdong-gu accompanied by a parent or grandparent. Reservations can be made in advance on the Gangdong Children's Center website.

Mayor Lee Jung-hoon of Gangdong-gu said, "I hope the spatial welfare for childcare realized through ‘Ai·Mom Gangdong’ will enrich the lives of Gangdong residents," adding, "We will do our best to carry out various child-friendly projects befitting the nickname ‘Gangdong, a good place to raise children.’"

The ‘Ai·Mom Gangdong’ Amsa Market branch is located on the 3rd floor of LS Jisan Building, 15 Olympic-ro 98-gil.

For inquiries, please check the Gangdong Children's Center website or contact the ‘Ai·Mom Gangdong’ Amsa Market branch for detailed information.

Yongsan-gu Panorama

Yongsan-gu (Mayor Sung Chang-hyun) will launch a full-scale project from December 1st to convert the Care SOS Center to a neighborhood-level operation to respond quickly to urgent care needs.

The Care SOS Center provides emergency care services to middle-aged and elderly people aged 50 and above, seniors, and persons with disabilities who need help due to sudden illness or accidents.

The neighborhood center identifies candidates through initial consultations, conducts on-site visits, establishes customized care plans, and provides emergency care.

Emergency care is divided into care services and mid- to long-term care linkage.

The care services, which apply a fee system, include ▲temporary home care ▲short-term facility care ▲accompaniment support ▲housing convenience (repairs, cleaning, disinfection, laundry) ▲meal support.

These services are available when all three conditions are met: difficulty moving alone or independent daily living, absence or inability of family members to provide care, and non-use or unavoidable gaps in public care services.

Temporary home care and short-term facility services are useful in temporary crisis situations. Service providers contracted with the district visit the client's home to provide care or support short-term facility admission.

Accompaniment support, housing convenience, and meal support services help clients overcome difficulties in daily life such as hospital visits or meal preparation.

Fees vary: temporary home care 38,340 KRW (2 hours), short-term facility 58,070 KRW (1 day), accompaniment support 14,800 KRW (1 hour), meal support 7,800 KRW (per meal). Residents with median income below 85% (temporarily 100%) receive full cost support from the district. The maximum support per person is 1.58 million KRW annually (2021 standard).

Those exceeding 85% median income (temporarily 100% until end of 2021) can use services with self-payment.

Mid- to long-term care linkage includes ▲welfare check ▲health support ▲care system ▲case management ▲emergency support, and even if eligibility criteria are not met, immediate linkage is provided upon consultation if necessary.

Residents wishing to apply for services can contact their local neighborhood community service center or the district Care SOS Center (Welfare Policy Division Care Support Team).

The district has strengthened staff capacity for 16 neighborhood welfare teams for the transition and conducted online training in the first quarter of 2021 and on-site training in June.

Efforts were also made to discover care candidates. In June, 5,000 seniors aged 75 and above visiting vaccination centers were introduced to the project one-on-one, and focused promotion was conducted in low-income dense areas such as Dongja-dong Sarangbang, jjokbang counseling centers, and goshiwon.

Mayor Sung Chang-hyun of Yongsan-gu said, "With the recent increase in single-person households, demand for emergency care is rising," adding, "We will actively work to eliminate welfare blind spots through the transition to neighborhood-level Care SOS Centers."

The district established a Care TF (now Care Support Team) within the Yongsan-gu Office in July last year and provided 1,753 services until November 30 this year.

As of December, the district has contracts with 41 service providers: 13 for temporary home care, 12 for accompaniment support, 6 for short-term facilities, 5 for meal support, and 5 for housing convenience.

Gwanak-gu (Mayor Park Jun-hee) announced the promotion candidates for grade 4 as of January 1, 2022: Gu Nam-ryeol, Director of Planning and Budget Division, and Kim Young-hak, Director of Welfare Policy Division.

Both Gu Nam-ryeol and Kim Young-hak were born in 1965 and are expected to serve as directors for one and a half years starting in 2022.

◇Grade 4 Promotion Candidates ▲Planning and Budget Division: Gu Nam-ryeol ▲Welfare Policy Division: Kim Young-hak

Dobong-gu (Mayor Lee Dong-jin) has established the ‘2021 Winter Comprehensive Measures’ to prevent various disasters and accidents that may occur during winter, ensuring residents have a safe and warm winter.

Accordingly, Dobong-gu has set the focused implementation period for winter comprehensive measures until March 15, 2022, and will operate ▲strengthened quarantine system to prevent COVID-19 spread ▲winter snow removal and cold wave measures ▲safety measures ▲protection measures for vulnerable groups.

First, in response to the recent increase in COVID-19 cases, Dobong-gu formed inspection teams to focus on multi-use facilities, strengthened inspections and quarantine rule promotions at entertainment and bath facilities, and expanded the ‘Living Treatment Center and Home Treatment Operation TF Team’ for stable home treatment management, prioritizing COVID-19 response and quarantine.

Additionally, the district plans to shorten intervals for booster vaccinations to enable early vaccination (varying by target group), implement a pre-reservation system for unvaccinated individuals, expand the target for children's flu vaccination to those under 13 years old, and conduct age-based staggered flu vaccinations to create a safe vaccination environment.

This year’s snow removal measures include expanding private snow removal contracts from 9 to 11 routes to strengthen capacity, installing heating cables on steep slopes in Ssangmun-dong Flower Village main roads (14 locations, 1,116m in operation), and adding small-capacity eco-friendly snow removal agents to vulnerable points’ snow removal boxes, which received positive feedback from residents last year.

For cold wave management, 455 disaster helpers are secured, a rapid situation transmission system is maintained during cold wave warnings, 52 cold wave shelters and 4 nighttime cold wave shelters operate to protect vulnerable elderly, street homeless counseling teams operate, and patrols to protect homeless people in winter are strengthened.

Safety measures include additional fire alarm facilities in traditional markets, installation of quarantine booths capable of simultaneous fever checks and full-body disinfection at Changdong Sinchang and Changdong Alley Markets, joint inspections by external experts and officials for construction sites and disaster-vulnerable facilities, and hygiene inspections of livestock products and guidance on seasonal foods for year-end and Lunar New Year.

Furthermore, during heavy snow, snow removal using cleaning vehicles and prompt collection of household waste, as well as air pollution alert systems and seasonal fine dust management, will be promoted.

Mayor Lee Dong-jin of Dobong-gu said, "Departments and related organizations will cooperate closely to actively respond to winter snow removal and cold waves, doing their best to ensure residents have a safe and warm winter."

Yeongdeungpo-gu (Mayor Chae Hyun-il) achieved the great feat of receiving the Innovation Champion Plaque as its patented ‘Road Water Pooling Drainage Device and New Construction Method’ was selected as an excellent case of resident life innovation in 2021, hosted by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety.

The Ministry of the Interior and Safety’s resident life innovation case dissemination support project collects and discovers excellent cases from local governments and selects outstanding cases with high performance in five criteria: resident life impact, ease of dissemination, innovation (participation and cooperation), etc., to spread them nationwide.

This year, Yeongdeungpo-gu’s ‘Road Water Pooling Drainage Device’ recognized as an excellent case reduces pedestrian inconvenience and splash damage caused by poor drainage during rainfall and fundamentally solves environmental problems such as odor and insect occurrence.

The device operates by installing an integrated connecting pipe underground along the roadside where water pools occur, connecting to the central sewer pipe, filling with eco-friendly permeable aggregates, and connecting to nearby rainwater inlets. Both methods boast high drainage effectiveness.

Notably, the development of this method is significant as it was devised through active listening to residents’ complaints about road water pooling, seamless interdepartmental collaboration without barriers, field-centered administrative efforts, and numerous trials and improvements.

The district succeeded in developing the water pooling drainage device for the first time nationwide in June, filed a patent application with the Korean Intellectual Property Office, and completed official patent registration in March this year.

Recently, the district actively shared the device’s principles and construction methods with Seoul city and other local governments nationwide. As a result, 24 local governments across the country have benchmarked and adopted the water pooling method, contributing significantly to the spread of this excellent case and the award.

A district official said, “We are very honored that our efforts to solve problems and resolve complaints together with our staff have been recognized,” adding, “We will continue to do our best to create a safe and pleasant road environment so that our residents can travel with peace of mind.”

Nowon-gu (Mayor Oh Seung-rok) announced that it won the Minister’s Award at the ‘2021 National Policy Design Excellent Project Performance Sharing Conference’ hosted by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety.

National Policy Design refers to a policy where citizens as policy demanders and public officials as suppliers participate together throughout the policy process, applying service design techniques to understand the needs of the target and improve public policies and services.

The policy project presented by the district was ‘Our Child Nutrition + Exercise Vaccine Together,’ which was selected among the top 12 projects in citizen and expert evaluations despite being the first participation this year. The award ceremony and performance sharing conference were held on the 25th of last month at the KW Convention Center in Daejeon, and the award brought a special grant of 60 million KRW.

In response to serious health issues such as irregular eating habits, increased TV and internet usage time, decreased physical activity, and obesity among children and adolescents due to prolonged COVID-19, the district developed the ‘Our Child Nutrition + Exercise Vaccine Together’ as a customized policy for health recovery.

First, a National Policy Design team was formed with parent representatives, related institution children, Walkerhill chefs, service designers, and various citizens. From June, through 14 idea meetings and field surveys, they jointly explored a demand-centered policy direction using service design techniques.

The Nowon-gu National Policy Design team planned ideas such as ‘Healthy Home Meal Kit’ and ‘Healthy Game Store’ where children can actively enjoy freedom and fun. Together with expert Walkerhill chefs, they developed prototype healthy juice recipes (smart, healthy, energy, beauty) so children can make healthy juice meal kits at home, and conducted physical activity programs using home training mats designed as board games with strength, aerobic, and stretching movements.

This approach, targeting children isolated due to COVID-19 and contributing to restoring their daily lives and improving child health, was highly evaluated in both public online voting and expert review.

Especially, Nowon-gu has the largest child and adolescent population and the most elementary, middle, and high schools among Seoul’s 25 districts, actively supporting healthy growth of children and adolescents.

The district plans to gradually pilot the project for general households’ children and children in related institutions such as care classrooms based on the National Policy Design project results.

Mayor Oh Seung-rok said, “This achievement reflects a demand-centered approach to implementing the district’s concerns about child and adolescent health issues in the COVID-19 era into policy,” adding, “We will continue to actively develop customized policies that residents can directly feel.”

Seongbuk-gu announced that Dongil Highvill New City Apartment (Resident Representative Nam Seung-bo) donated 1,429,000 KRW in resident contributions to help neighbors in need.

On the 20th of last month, Dongil Highvill New City held a rich ‘Resident Festival’ as part of the apartment community activation project. Starting with the popular Ana-bada market for children, residents interested in growing potted plants learned how to plant companion plants, and a small concert was held within the complex, offering a healing time with high-quality classical music and vocal performances.

The contributions were collected voluntarily by grateful residents who, through the resident festival, were able to spend enjoyable time with neighbors in daily life and wished to help neighbors in need in the community.

Nam Seung-bo, chairman of the resident representative meeting, and Han Sang-duk, neighborhood representative, who participated in the donation ceremony said, “It was a meaningful occasion for residents to communicate and harmonize through the community activation project. During the cold times of COVID-19 and cold waves, residents voluntarily raised funds hoping to help our marginalized neighbors have a warm winter.”

A Seongbuk-gu official said, “We sincerely thank the residents of Dongil Highvill New City for showing a true sharing community spirit despite difficult conditions due to COVID-19, and we will ensure the contributions are delivered to places in need within the community.”

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