Eunpyeong-gu Establishes Comprehensive Plan for Integrity and Anti-Corruption... Songpa-gu Offers Free Resident-Centered Carbon Neutrality Practice Education

[Seoul District News] Eunpyeong-gu Promotes 22 Projects in 5 Areas for a Clean Public Service and Trusted District Administration... Songpa-gu Educates on Emission Reduction Driving Tips and Resource Circulation Donation System for Practical Daily Life... Dongjak-gu Supports 7,000 KRW Meal Allowance per Meal for Food-Insecure Children's Health and Safety

Eunpyeong-gu 2022 1st Integrity Policy Executive Meeting

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Eunpyeong-gu has established the ‘2022 Comprehensive Plan for Integrity and Anti-Corruption’ to promote a clean public service and a trusted district administration, and is launching ‘22 projects across 5 major areas.’

The five key areas the district will focus on this year are ‘Establishment of Integrity and Anti-Corruption Systems,’ ‘Improvement of Resident Trust,’ ‘Enhancement of External Integrity,’ ‘Enhancement of Internal Integrity,’ and ‘Efforts to Spread Integrity and Anti-Corruption Policies.’

The district will first reflect on the improvement measures for vulnerable areas identified in last year’s public institution integrity assessment results and prepare for the comprehensive integrity evaluation system to be implemented from this year.

By establishing integrity and anti-corruption systems, the district will regularize integrity policy meetings. They plan to meticulously check the progress of integrity policies and focus discussions on corruption-prone areas.

To improve resident trust, the district will actively promote resident-experienced proactive administration and ensure transparency in budget execution. The plan is to create an ‘Integrity Eunpyeong’ through communication and empathy.

Additionally, projects to enhance the integrity awareness of affiliated public officials and residents will be promoted. These include Integrity Happy Calls, proper awareness of the Improper Solicitation and Graft Act, sending integrity letters to corruption-prone areas, and operating integrity advisories.

To institutionalize integrity practice and spread an integrity culture, the district will operate ‘Visiting Integrity.’ The first Monday of every month is designated as ‘Integrity Day’ to encourage public officials’ interest in integrity. The plan is to continuously spread an integrity atmosphere within the organization.

An official from Eunpyeong-gu stated, “Through the exemplary conduct of senior public officials, spreading an integrity culture, and continuous practice of integrity and anti-corruption in daily life, we will do our best to create an ‘Integrity Eunpyeong’ with communication and empathy that has a promising future.”

Dongjak-gu (Mayor Lee Chang-woo) announced on the 23rd that it will provide meal support to children who are skipping meals or at risk of skipping meals due to economic difficulties or other reasons.

The support targets include ▲low-income vulnerable groups such as recipients, near-poverty, and single-parent families with children at risk of skipping meals (due to guardian’s work, illness, disability, etc.) ▲children under 18 who have difficulty receiving meals at home due to guardians’ accidents, chronic diseases, or limited caregiving ability within 52% of median income households ▲children using welfare programs at local children’s centers and social welfare centers.

Additionally, children at risk of skipping meals for other reasons can receive meal support through recommendations from homeroom teachers, social workers, or community leaders and review by the Child Meal Deliberation Committee.

Children selected for support will receive a ‘Kkum Namu Card’ (Dream Tree Card), which can be used at general restaurants or convenience stores registered as Shinhan Card merchants, with 7,000 KRW loaded per day for one meal.

Through the ‘Seoul City Kkum Namu Card’ app, users can check merchant names and locations, and verify card balances after registration. Currently, 2,598 merchants are registered in the district.

Also, depending on the situation of the support target, meal support is provided through lunchbox delivery to homes or group meal support when using group meal facilities such as local children’s centers.

Residents wishing to apply for meal support can submit applications online via Bokjiro or at their local community service center throughout the year. If they discover children at risk of skipping meals or have other inquiries, they can contact their local community service center or Dongjak-gu Office’s Child and Youth Division.

Last year, the district supported about 16,000 children with approximately 2.45 billion KRW in meal expenses. In particular, in September, an additional 32 million KRW was provided to 64 children at risk of skipping meals due to the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic.

Kim In-sook, head of the Child and Youth Division, said, “In the prolonged COVID-19 situation, we will carefully monitor children in blind spots who cannot have sufficient meals so that they can grow up healthy and bright without worrying about meals.”

Meanwhile, from this year, the district is making efforts to improve child welfare and reduce the economic burden of childcare by introducing new systems such as ▲a 2 million KRW ‘First Meeting Voucher’ for children born this year ▲a monthly infant allowance of 300,000 KRW for children under 2 years old (0-23 months) raised at home ▲expansion of child allowance payment age to under 8 years old.

Songpa-gu (Mayor Park Seong-su) is conducting the ‘Resident-Experienced Carbon Neutrality Practice Education’ for the first time.

Through this, the district plans to create ‘Carbon Neutral Songpa’ together with residents in line with the government’s announced ‘2050 Carbon Neutrality Declaration.’

Park Seong-su, Mayor of Songpa-gu, explained the background, saying, “Since achieving carbon neutrality is a problem difficult to realize by the efforts of the government or local governments alone, we prepared experiential education believing that residents’ practice and awareness change are important.”

The ‘Carbon Neutrality Practice Education’ consists of 8 basic sessions and 3 advanced sessions and will be held for one month from March 3 to April 7.

The education content includes ▲‘Tips for Reducing Automobile Emissions’ delivered by an automotive technician ▲‘Urban Mining’ to discover mineral resources from discarded waste ▲introduction of donation systems to activate resource circulation, all designed to be easily practiced in daily life.

Also, trainees who complete both basic and advanced education will receive a certificate issued by an organization authorized by the Ministry of Environment. The district plans to nurture resident experts who will spread education and expand the will and atmosphere for carbon neutrality practice in the community.

Residents of Songpa-gu or students and workers attending schools (elementary, middle, high, university) located in the area can apply. The recruitment period is until February 28, and applications can be made by phone to the Clean Asia Fine Dust Research Institute. The education is free of charge.

For further inquiries, check the announcements on the Songpa-gu Office website or contact the Songpa-gu Office Environment Division.

Mayor Park Seong-su said, “The climate crisis is an urgent issue that must be addressed for us living now and future generations,” adding, “Through this education, I hope residents learn practical carbon neutrality measures in daily life and that Songpa-gu becomes a model as a ‘Carbon Neutral Advanced City.’”

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