Yongsan-gu, 2022 Aerial Photo Interpretation Field Survey... Why?

[Seoul District News] Yongsan-gu Launches On-Site Investigation of 3,501 Suspicious Buildings Including Unauthorized Extensions by 7 Officials Including Housing Maintenance Team Leader; Owners Asked for Voluntary Correction, Enforcement Fines for Non-Compliance... Nowon-gu Recruiting Participants for Public Lectures to Discover and Nurture Youth Talent in Artificial Intelligence (AI)... Geumcheon-gu Recruiting Companies for '2022 Small Business Design Development Support Project'... Jungnang-gu Supporting Environmental Improvement of Aging Clothing Manufacturing Workplaces... Dongdaemun-gu Successfully Completes 2021/22 Winter Snow Removal Measures Without Accidents, Advanced

On the 22nd, Yongsan District Office officials conducted an on-site investigation in Seobinggo-dong based on the 2021 aerial survey interpretation results.

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Yongsan-gu (District Mayor Seong Jang-hyun) will conduct on-site investigations until July to verify violations of buildings identified through aerial photo analysis conducted in 2021.

This is to prevent safety accidents caused by unauthorized construction such as illegal extensions and to improve the urban landscape. The number of buildings subject to investigation is 3,501.

The crackdown targets buildings and temporary structures constructed (new construction, extension, reconstruction, extension/reconstruction) without obtaining building permits, reports, approvals, or consultations as required by the Building Act and other relevant laws.

In particular, the investigation will focus on ▲ unauthorized extensions of rooftops, balconies, storage rooms, or other auxiliary buildings ▲ unauthorized construction of temporary structures such as containers ▲ unauthorized installation of temporary structures in front of stores and operating businesses therein.

The investigation team consists of seven officials, including the head of the Housing Maintenance Team. Each member is responsible for one to three districts.

A district official stated, “Purchasing a building without knowing whether it violates regulations can cause difficulties. The district is doing its best to prevent resident damages by regularly investigating the status of illegal buildings in the area every year.”

If unauthorized buildings are confirmed through the investigation, the district will request voluntary correction from the building owners. If corrections are not made within the deadline, a penalty will be imposed after prior notice.

When legalization of the violating buildings is possible, the district will guide the building owners through approval (post-approval or reporting) procedures to minimize disadvantages.

Last year, the district investigated 3,227 buildings and detected 163 violations.

Yongsan District Mayor Seong Jang-hyun said, “The primary purpose of the on-site investigation of illegal buildings is to protect the safety of residents,” and urged, “Please actively cooperate with the officials conducting the on-site investigation.”

Nowon-gu (District Mayor Oh Seung-rok) is recruiting participants for an open lecture program aimed at discovering and nurturing youth talents in artificial intelligence (AI), a core technology of the 4th Industrial Revolution.

The program is organized by the Nowon Science Gifted Education Center at Seoul National University of Science and Technology.

For the classes, renowned professors in related fields have been invited, including Professor Kim Byung-chan from the Department of Basic Education, Professor Kim Jung-soo from the Department of Electrical and Information Engineering, Professor Han Ji-hyung from the Department of Computer Engineering, Professor Park Sun-young from the Department of AI Applications at Seoul National University of Science and Technology, Professor Ahn Jae-yoon from Ewha Womans University, Professor Choi Soo-young from Ajou University, and Dr. Jung Young-beom from Furiosa AI.

The program consists of 20 lectures covering basics of AI algorithms to beginner-level algorithm application practice using Google Colab.

Representative lecture topics include ▲ Can you estimate body weight if you know height and waist circumference? (Functions and Algorithms) ▲ What number is this? (Artificial Neural Network Google Colab demonstration) ▲ Does studying guarantee good exam results? (Generalization error and data splitting) ▲ Demonstration of the game ‘Chatari Pong’ using artificial neural networks.

Classes will be held every Saturday from April 16 to August 27 via the eClass online lecture system of Seoul National University of Science and Technology. Participants will watch pre-recorded lectures and practice independently. Questions during classes can be asked through the eClass 'Q&A' feature.

There is no tuition fee, and students from 6th grade elementary to 1st grade middle school interested in AI can enroll.

Applications are accepted until March 31 via the Nowon Science Gifted Education Center website.

Students who do not attend for four consecutive weeks or more will be removed from the participant list and cannot continue attending. Students who attend more than 90% of the classes will receive a certificate of completion issued by the director of the Nowon Science Gifted Education Center at Seoul National University of Science and Technology.

Established in June 2010 to nurture future talents, the Nowon Science Gifted Education Center is operated by Seoul National University of Science and Technology and fully funded by Nowon-gu.

Every year, it recruits talented students in mathematics and science from 1st and 2nd grade middle school students and provides systematic education support.

District Mayor Oh Seung-rok said, “Artificial intelligence (AI) is causing significant changes in industry, society, and the economy and is emerging as a core future technology,” adding, “We will continue to support various programs so that young people can realize their dreams and hopes.”

Geumcheon-gu (District Mayor Yoo Sung-hoon) is recruiting participating companies for the ‘2022 Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) Design Development Support Project’ until April 15 to enhance the product value of SMEs located in Geumcheon-gu and support market development.

Since signing a business agreement with the Korea Institute of Design Promotion in January 2020 for the SME Design Development Support Project, Geumcheon-gu has been supporting local small manufacturing companies facing difficulties in design development due to lack of in-house design personnel and facilities.

Through this project, about 20 SMEs with insufficient design utilization during product development are linked with professional design companies to receive expert design development support. This year, to overcome the prolonged COVID-19 situation, the number of supported companies has been expanded from 15 last year to 20.

From April to December, Geumcheon-gu plans to support the entire design development process, including design consulting, product promotion marketing, and distribution, using the facilities of the Design-Driven Manufacturing Innovation Center (DKworks) of the Korea Institute of Design Promotion.

Companies wishing to participate can download the application form from the ‘Notices and Announcements’ section on the Geumcheon-gu website, fill it out, and submit it along with the required documents via email to the Design-Driven Manufacturing Innovation Center (DKworks) of the Korea Institute of Design Promotion.

In this recruitment, not only companies seeking design development support but also design professional companies and consultants who will carry out development tasks are being recruited.

Last year, Geumcheon-gu supported design development for 15 local SMEs, including electronic taekwondo protective gear, air purifiers, and capsule coffee vending machines, and held an exhibition of the design development results at the district office at the end of the year.

Geumcheon District Mayor Yoo Sung-hoon said, “We will closely cooperate with the Korea Institute of Design Promotion so that local SMEs facing management difficulties can strengthen their competitiveness in design development and explore market development strategies.”

For more details, inquiries can be made to the Regional Economy Division of Geumcheon-gu Office or the Seoul Design-Driven Manufacturing Innovation Center of the Korea Institute of Design Promotion.

Jungnang-gu (District Mayor Ryu Kyung-gi) is recruiting companies to apply for the 2022 Work Environment Improvement Support Project for Clothing Manufacturers until the 31st of this month.

This project, part of Seoul City’s public contest, supports small businesses by providing basic environmental improvements and equipment to enhance work efficiency. The district plans to select up to 40 companies through recruitment.

Eligible applicants are small businesses registered in the district with fewer than 10 regular employees. Detailed criteria include ▲ companies with average standards below dust, illumination, noise, and safety levels ▲ companies operating in underground or semi-underground workplaces with poor ventilation and constant exposure to harmful substances such as mold ▲ companies with long business history at the current site.

Selected companies will be prioritized for support with essential safety equipment such as fire extinguishers, fire detectors, and circuit breakers, as well as improvements to the work environment and air quality, including ducts, suction devices, old wiring organization, and LED lighting replacement. Equipment to improve work efficiency, such as drafting tables and workbenches, can also be installed.

The support fund is up to 8 million KRW per company, covering up to 80% of the total construction cost. Final selection will be made by the end of May after field surveys and subsidy review committee deliberations. Companies wishing to apply should visit the Jungnang-gu Office Enterprise Support Division during the recruitment period. More details are available on the Jungnang-gu Office website.

Jungnang District Mayor Ryu Kyung-gi said, “We hope this support project will improve the work environment of small sewing companies and enhance productivity,” adding, “We will do our best to prepare various support policies to strengthen the competitiveness of the fashion sewing industry, a representative local industry.”

Jungnang-gu has the largest number of sewing companies (2,491) among the 25 districts of Seoul, accounting for 12% of Seoul’s entire sewing industry.

Dongdaemun-gu (District Mayor Yoo Deok-yeol) has completed the 2021/2022 winter snow removal measures by achieving more than six times the snow removal effect per manpower through shifting from manpower-centered to equipment-centered, economical, and efficient snow removal operations.

The district deployed a total of 3,719 personnel, including public officials, sanitation workers, private snow removal contractors, and professional groups, along with 1,876 vehicles and equipment and 1,223 tons of snow removal agents, aiming to ▲ minimize inconvenience to residents through rapid snow removal during sudden heavy snowfall ▲ encourage voluntary snow removal participation by residents ▲ build a safe city without fall accidents through advanced snow removal operations.

In particular, the district greatly improved snow removal efficiency by utilizing various equipment and private contractors. First, the Disaster Safety Countermeasures Headquarters’ situation room established a comprehensive CCTV system divided by key snow removal zones such as mountain roads, main roads, bus stops, subway stations, parks, and side streets to identify snow removal blind spots and strengthen response capabilities.

To reduce inefficient vehicle movement routes for replenishing snow removal agents during operations, five temporary forward bases were operated, doubling the snow removal speed compared to the past.

Additionally, improved performance sidewalk snow removal machines were introduced to enhance sidewalk snow removal capacity, ensuring pedestrian safety and preventing fall accidents.

Furthermore, snow removal of back alleys and side streets, installation of snow removal boxes, and supplementary work previously handled by each neighborhood community center were outsourced to private contractors, enabling efficient and prompt operations and alleviating manpower shortages at the community centers.

As a result of these differentiated and practical snow removal measures, the district was able to conclude the snow removal measures without traffic inconvenience or fall accidents.

Dongdaemun District Mayor Yoo Deok-yeol said, “The most important factor in implementing snow removal measures is to establish detailed plans to ensure practical snow removal work and strengthen professional snow removal capabilities,” adding, “We will improve snow removal measures and enhance their professionalism from now on to provide residents with a safe and comfortable commuting environment even in heavy snowfall.”

Dongdaemun-gu was awarded the Best District in Seoul’s snow removal evaluation in 2021.

Gwanak-gu (District Mayor Park Jun-hee) has extended the free food waste collection period for small restaurants, which was scheduled to end this month, until the end of June.

Since April 15 last year, the district has been providing free food waste collection for small restaurants to support small business owners affected by COVID-19. Considering the continuous economic difficulties faced by small business owners due to the Omicron variant’s daily record-high spread, the district decided to extend the service until June 30.

This extension aims to economically support and compensate small business owners whose livelihoods are threatened by prolonged social distancing, gathering bans, and imminent loan situations.

The support targets remain the same: general restaurants under 200㎡ and cafes under 300㎡ that used payment certificates, excluding large-scale waste producers.

During the free collection period, each business can dispose of food waste directly into designated collection containers without attaching payment certificates. Disposal hours are from 6 PM to midnight, and disposal is not allowed on Saturdays.

The district covers all collection, transportation, and processing fees, benefiting approximately 5,989 small restaurants in the area.

To facilitate this project, the district amended the ‘Ordinance on the Reduction, Collection, Transportation, and Recycling of Food Waste in Gwanak-gu’ in April last year to include fee reduction provisions, expecting smooth and prompt support during disaster situations in the future.

A district official said, “We empathize with the ongoing hardships of small business owners due to the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic and will continue efforts to overcome these challenges together.”

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