Gwangjin-gu Operates Dedicated Safe Accommodation for Families of Home Treatment Patients... Opens Children's Performance Hall

Family members of home treatment patients who have completed the 2nd dose of vaccine and tested negative on PCR, upon entering the safe accommodation, will be converted to passive monitoring status, allowing minimal movement for commuting and school attendance... 300,000 KRW per person monthly for up to 24 months until the month before the child’s 2nd birthday

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Gwangjin-gu (Mayor Kim Seon-gap) is operating the first dedicated safe accommodation in Seoul for families of home treatment patients free of charge to support a swift return to daily life.

Since the COVID-19 treatment system shifted to home treatment-centered, home treatment patients are generally isolated at home for 10 days, during which cohabiting family members must also quarantine for the same period, and if they are not fully vaccinated, they must undergo an additional 10 days of quarantine.

Although not confirmed patients themselves, families of home treatment patients find daily life impossible, and the anxiety over secondary infections among family members increases, making co-quarantine of family members one of the major reasons for avoiding home treatment.

To resolve these inconveniences, the district has prepared an operation plan for a ‘Dedicated Safe Accommodation for Families of Home Treatment Patients’ to allow families to safely enjoy daily life.

The safe accommodation is available to families of home treatment patients who have completed their second vaccine dose and tested negative on PCR. Upon entering the safe accommodation, they are converted to passive monitoring status, allowing minimal movement such as commuting to work or school.

The dedicated safe accommodation for families of home treatment patients is located in Junggok-dong. It will operate from January to March, with the period subject to monthly extension depending on the infection rate and usage rate of the family safe accommodation. There are a total of 24 rooms, including 3 family rooms, and since it is exclusively for families of home treatment patients, general guests are not accepted.

The accommodation can be used for up to 8 days, and the usage fee is completely free. Gwangjin-gu is the only autonomous district in Seoul to operate a safe accommodation for families of home treatment patients with full support for lodging fees.

Residents wishing to use the facility can request it during the initial monitoring of family co-quarantine members or apply directly by phone. For more details, contact the Gwangjin-gu Home Treatment Task Force.

Kim Seon-gap, Mayor of Gwangjin-gu, said, “Through the operation of the dedicated safe accommodation for families of home treatment patients, we hope to eliminate the inconvenience and anxiety of patients and their families and accelerate a safe return to daily life,” adding, “We ask all residents to actively participate in personal quarantine rules and the third vaccine dose to overcome COVID-19.”

Children's Theater Seating

Gwangjin-gu (Mayor Kim Seon-gap) held the opening ceremony of the Gwangjin Children’s Performance Hall and the expansion relocation and opening ceremony of the Kkumipangpang Playground at the Health and Welfare Administration Town on the 4th.

The Health and Welfare Administration Town in Junggok-dong is a specialized medical and office space with a total floor area of 52,222㎡ (15,797 pyeong), consisting of 2 basement floors and 20 above-ground floors.

On the 4th, the opening ceremony of the Gwangjin Children’s Performance Hall was held on the 4th floor of the annex building of the Health and Welfare Administration Town. The Children’s Performance Hall was planned to allow everyone to enjoy culture and arts from childhood and to provide children with high-quality performance culture.

It is equipped with a 173-seat performance hall and exhibition space, and plans include ▲rental of the performance hall for activities such as school presentations and kindergarten events ▲operation of small-scale planned performance programs for children and adolescents ▲attraction of external performance programs ▲use as a community space for education, lectures, and other multipurpose performance facilities.

Also on the same day, on the 3rd floor, the expansion relocation and opening ceremony of the Gwangjin Childcare Comprehensive Support Center, which moved from Gunja-dong to the Health and Welfare Administration Town in October last year, and the opening ceremony of the Kkumipangpang Playground were held.

Since its establishment in December 2009, the Gwangjin Childcare Comprehensive Support Center has provided high-quality childcare information and various educational programs for parents, infants, and childcare workers.

The new home of the Childcare Comprehensive Support Center on the 3rd floor of the annex building in Junggok-dong includes ▲shared childcare rooms ▲Kkumipangpang Playground ▲Kiwoom Center ▲hourly childcare room ▲nursing room ▲consultation room, etc. Especially, the Kkumipangpang Playground, expected to be the most popular among children, was unveiled to attendees at the opening ceremony.

The Kkumipangpang Playground is a 442㎡ (approximately 134 pyeong) indoor playground with an Achasan forest concept, consisting of rooms such as ▲comfortable resting area ▲joyful waterfall ▲mysterious mine ▲fun camping site ▲exciting hill ▲shining rainbow with fun events.

Individuals aged 24 months and older, including preschool infants and their parents, can use the facility, and institutions can use it after registering as institutional members on the website, limited to local daycare centers and kindergartens.

The playground can accommodate up to 50 people simultaneously. Usage fees are ▲individuals: 2,000 KRW per infant, free for one guardian, and 1,000 KRW for each additional guardian ▲institutions: 1,000 KRW per infant, free for teachers and supervisors. Especially, during the first half of this year, the Kkumipangpang Playground will be operated as a pilot program and available free of charge.

Mayor Kim Seon-gap listened to opinions from daycare center directors and childcare facility officials to ensure the facilities visited on this day can be used for more children.

Mayor Kim said, “With the opening of the Children’s Performance Hall and the expansion relocation of the Childcare Comprehensive Support Center, I hope all children in our district can enjoy culture and receive high-quality childcare services,” adding, “There is a saying that it takes a whole village to raise a child. Please make good use of the various childcare and education policies prepared by Gwangjin-gu.”

Kim Seon-gap, Mayor of Gwangjin District, sitting at the Childcare Support Center

Gwangjin-gu (Mayor Kim Seon-gap) is implementing the ‘Infant Allowance Support Project’ to reduce the economic burden on families raising children and create a stable childcare environment.

The support target is guardians raising children born on or after January 1, 2022, at home. Families using daycare centers or full-day childcare services are excluded from the support.

The support amount is 300,000 KRW per child per month, paid for up to 24 months until the month before the child’s second birthday.

This infant allowance was newly established this year to replace the previous home childcare allowance, which provided 200,000 KRW per month for zero-year-olds and 150,000 KRW per month for one-year-olds not using childcare facilities. The support amount will gradually increase, reaching 500,000 KRW per month by 2025.

Applications can be made from January 5 by visiting the local community service center with required documents such as a copy of the bankbook in the name of the child or guardian. Online applications are also possible via Bokjiro and Government24.

Additionally, the district provides various childcare support projects, such as a 2 million KRW voucher for children born on or after January 1, 2022, who have been registered and assigned a resident registration number. For more details, contact the local community service center.

Mayor Kim Seon-gap said, “The infant allowance, first paid this year, was prepared to provide practical help to families raising children under two years old,” adding, “We will create a childcare environment where all residents can raise children stably.”

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