Yongsan-gu Establishes Disaster Preparedness Business Continuity Plan

[Seoul District News] Yongsan-gu Plans Function Impact Analysis, Core Function Identification, Risk Factor Analysis, and Resource Estimation to Sustain Key Functions During Disasters... Eunpyeong-gu Recruits Social Economy Hub Center Tenants... Yangcheon-gu Operates Ombudsman... Gangdong-gu Promotes Youth Startup Online Marketing Support Project... Jung-gu Provides Total 200 Million KRW for Clothing Manufacturing Workplace Improvement Project

On the 7th, relevant officials held a discussion with contractors on the direction of establishing a Business Continuity Plan in the meeting room of the Safety and Disaster Division at Yongsan District Office.

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Yongsan-gu (Mayor Seong Jang-hyun) is establishing a continuity of functions plan in accordance with Article 25-2 of the Framework Act on Disaster and Safety Management (Disaster Prevention Measures by Heads of Disaster Management Agencies).

This will be done through an external professional agency service.

The continuity of functions plan refers to a plan established and operated to ensure that the agency's core functions can continue without interruption in a wide range of crisis situations that the district may face, including natural and social disasters.

The establishment process includes functional impact analysis and identification of core functions, risk factor analysis and estimation of required resources, and formulation of continuity strategies, which is expected to take a total of four months.

Functional impact analysis involves analyzing the ripple effects over time and allowable limits when a district office function is interrupted, identifying core functions, and examining the resources needed to perform these functions.

The district is currently selecting targets for functional impact analysis among 865 tasks under the 'Seoul Metropolitan City Yongsan-gu Administrative Organization Establishment Ordinance Enforcement Rules,' and will determine recovery goals, levels, and necessary resources for each core function through interviews with responsible personnel.

A district official said, "Following the Ministry of the Interior and Safety guidelines, about 20 core functions of the district office will be selected," adding, "We will include the five essential municipal tasks such as disaster response and recovery, resident administrative management, welfare promotion, living environment facility management, and maintenance of local public order."

Risk factor analysis targets all disaster situations that could cause interruption of the district's core functions. In particular, it assumes scenarios such as the collapse of the district office building or suspension of facility operations due to earthquakes, and plans to investigate essential and substitute personnel, alternative workspaces, and necessary equipment and facilities required to perform core functions.

Plans for alternative workspaces linked to the contingency plan and the already implemented telecommuting system will also be reviewed.

Additionally, the district plans to operate and manage situations more systematically during disasters by establishing an emergency organizational system, assigning tasks, and preparing procedures and standards for returning to normal work systems.

Yongsan-gu Mayor Seong Jang-hyun said, "We are making every effort in disaster prevention, preparedness, and response to maintain our reputation as the number one in social safety index nationwide," adding, "Through the continuity of functions plan, we will minimize interruption or reduction of core municipal functions."

Besides establishing the continuity of functions plan, the district plans to create a safer city for residents through ▲ Disaster Response Safety Korea Training ▲ Establishment of safety and health management systems related to major accidents ▲ Safety education tours for children ▲ Operation of local autonomous disaster prevention groups and safety security officers ▲ Safety inspections and maintenance projects for vulnerable households.

Ombudsman Consultation

Yangcheon-gu (Mayor Kim Soo-young) will operate the 'Yangcheon-gu Ombudsman' again this year to resolve residents' grievances and protect their rights.

The ombudsman is a rights protection system that objectively investigates and resolves illegal or unfair administrative actions or long-standing unresolved grievances from the residents' perspective. Yangcheon-gu has been operating this system for four years since 2019, and currently, three ombudsmen, including lawyers, are actively working.

From September 2019 to December 2021, the Yangcheon-gu Ombudsman handled 38 cases. Through site visits, legal reviews, and consultations, they derived compromises on various grievances and disputes requiring mediation, and proposed legal amendments for cases needing proactive administration, achieving meaningful results.

One major achievement was related to a grievance demanding the cancellation of the Yongwangsan Badminton Court facility improvement project last year. After several site investigations and resident interviews, they recommended reducing the badminton courts, removing lighting facilities, and planting trees to reduce noise and wind, leading to smooth resident agreements. As a result, the project was successfully completed, resolving a long-standing, sharply divided grievance wisely.

Meanwhile, the district received the highest grade for three consecutive years in the 'Comprehensive Evaluation of Civil Complaint Services in the Grievance Handling Sector,' jointly hosted by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety and the Anti-Corruption and Civil Rights Commission. Especially, in the local ombudsman activation category among grievance evaluation factors, it received a significantly higher score than the average, recognizing the excellence of the ombudsman operation.

Applications for grievance complaints to the Yangcheon-gu Ombudsman can be submitted by visiting the Ombudsman Office on the 3rd floor of the district office every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. In unavoidable cases, applications can also be submitted by mail (Ombudsman Officer, Mayor's Civil Complaints Office, 5th floor of the district office) or fax.

Yangcheon-gu Mayor Kim Soo-young said, "Through the sound operation of the ombudsman system, we will always carefully oversee administration from the residents' perspective and do our best to smoothly resolve grievances."

Eunpyeong-gu (Mayor Kim Mi-kyung) is recruiting social economy enterprises, prospective startup teams, and public interest activity groups to move into the 'Eunpyeong-gu Social Economy Hub Center' located in Nokbeon-dong by the 21st.

The Eunpyeong-gu Social Economy Hub Center has a total floor area of 930㎡ (281 pyeong) and consists of 80 office seats, an education center, meeting rooms, a common hall, and a shared kitchen. It plays a role in creating a sustainable social economy and local circular economy based on mutual trust and solidarity within the local community.

The recruitment targets are legally established social enterprises, cooperatives, village enterprises, and other social economy enterprises or startup preparation teams and public interest activity groups. Resident enterprises and organizations will be selected through a first round of document screening and a second round of face-to-face interviews.

Selected tenants will pay reasonable rent and management fees and can stay for up to three years with annual reviews. In addition to office space, they can use the education center and meeting rooms free of charge and receive support for social economy education and local community networking activities.

Applications can be submitted via email. For more details, refer to the announcement on the Eunpyeong-gu Social Economy Support Center website or contact by phone.

Gangdong-gu (Mayor Lee Jung-hoon) is promoting the 'Youth Startup Online Marketing Support' project to help young (prospective) entrepreneurs succeed in online startups and increase sales.

The 'Youth Startup Online Marketing Support' project supports young entrepreneurs by providing online marketing education, customized online marketing support, and opportunities to enter the Gangdong-gu online promotion hall, responding to the increased demand for online startups and the rise in non-face-to-face consumption due to COVID-19.

Fifteen promising (prospective) youth enterprises will be selected and supported through all stages of online startup, from creating detailed pages for Smart Store, product registration, to online marketing consulting after store entry.

Additionally, excellent products from youth enterprises can be listed in the Gangdong-gu online promotion hall to be established later.

In April, online marketing education will be provided for the selected companies, including ▲ Practical training on Smart Store shopping mall startup marketing ▲ Blog promotion marketing optimization for higher exposure ▲ Video production and editing practice. Four additional sessions will be held until November for young (prospective) entrepreneurs wishing to start online businesses.

Applicants must be prospective or existing entrepreneurs aged 19 to 39 who wish to start an online shopping mall. Prospective entrepreneurs must reside in Gangdong-gu as of the announcement date, and existing entrepreneurs must have business registration in Gangdong-gu.

Applications can be submitted by filling out the application form posted on the Gangdong-gu Office website (Notices/Announcements) and emailing it by March 30.

Gangdong-gu Mayor Lee Jung-hoon said, "'Youth Startup Online Marketing Support' is a project launched this year to provide practical help on basic knowledge and methods necessary for online startups to young (prospective) entrepreneurs struggling with online startup preparation," adding, "We hope for active interest and participation from young (prospective) entrepreneurs."

For more information about the Youth Startup Online Marketing Support project, contact the Social Economy Division of Gangdong-gu Office.

Jung-gu (Mayor Seo Yang-ho) is promoting a work environment improvement project to improve the poor working conditions of small sewing companies in the area.

Jung-gu is the center of Seoul's fashion and sewing industry, with about 1,400 clothing manufacturing companies clustered and about 5,000 workers. However, most companies are small businesses with fewer than 10 employees, facing various difficulties due to aging workplaces and young generations' reluctance to engage in manufacturing. The COVID-19 pandemic has further worsened the manufacturing economy.

Accordingly, the district has been allocating its own budget since last year to support the removal of hazardous factors in outdated clothing manufacturing workplaces and create a pleasant and safe working environment, contributing to productivity improvement and competitiveness enhancement of small sewing businesses.

Support targets are clothing manufacturing companies located in Jung-gu with fewer than 10 regular employees. Unlike Seoul city support projects, Jung-gu's work environment improvement project also supports unregistered businesses. The district plans to prioritize support for workplaces located underground or semi-underground with poor ventilation and high risk of exposure to harmful substances, selected through on-site inspections.

Support items include ▲ sound absorption and insulation facilities ▲ wastewater piping ▲ air circulation duct devices ▲ floor improvement work ▲ restroom improvements. Business owners can select necessary items when applying. Safety management items such as fire extinguishers, fire detectors, circuit breakers, and wiring boxes must be applied for if not installed or expired.

The total support amount is 200 million KRW, with a maximum of 9 million KRW per registered business and up to 5 million KRW for unregistered businesses on the condition of business registration. The self-pay ratio is 10% for both.

Applications can be submitted by visiting the Urban Industry Division of Jung-gu Office or the Jung-gu Clothing Fashion Support Center directly, or by mail or email by the 25th.

After on-site surveys and environmental improvement consulting for applicants, the first candidates will be selected, and the final support targets will be confirmed through review. Construction and support payments are scheduled for May.

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