'Chuseok Without Distancing' Seoul City Continues 'Walking Together with the Vulnerable'... Promotes 'Comprehensive Measures for Vulnerable Groups'

Support for 220,000 Basic Livelihood Security Households with Consolation Goods Expenses and Strengthened Check-ins for Elderly Needing Care During Holidays
Three Meals Daily Without Gaps at 38 Homeless Facilities and Special Holiday Meals for Facility and Ssokbang Residents Provided

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Cheol-young] Seoul City is implementing a comprehensive plan for vulnerable groups during the Chuseok holiday, the first since the social distancing measures were lifted, to ensure that those easily isolated can have a warm holiday.

On the 6th, Seoul City announced that although social distancing has been lifted, the possibility of a COVID-19 resurgence still exists. Therefore, the comprehensive plan for vulnerable groups during this Chuseok holiday has been prepared with a focus on quarantine and medical systems, tailored to each target group.

The comprehensive plan includes ▲ providing consolation gift money and welfare checks for basic livelihood security households and vulnerable elderly ▲ preventing meal skipping and providing special holiday meals for homeless people and residents of jjokbang (small rooms) ▲ supporting consolation money and special holiday meal expenses for facility users and residents ▲ special support for crisis households through connections with private resources and welfare centers ▲ full efforts including normal operation of municipal funeral facilities and support through a situation room.

Seoul City will first provide consolation gift money for about 218,000 basic livelihood security households. This is about 17,000 households more than last year, and since the 1st, 30,000 KRW per household has been distributed. For 35,728 elderly people aged 65 or older who are basic livelihood recipients, near-poor class, or basic pension recipients and require care due to mobility difficulties, welfare checks will be conducted via phone before and after the Chuseok holiday, with home visits in emergencies. A total of 3,047 life support workers and dedicated social workers will participate as personnel to make at least one welfare check call to all recipients during the holiday period.

To ensure that facility residents or homeless people on the streets do not skip meals, three meals a day will be provided. Thirty-one living facilities and seven usage facilities will provide three meals daily without interruption during the holiday, and the comprehensive support center and temporary protection facilities for street homeless people will operate 24 hours a day without breaks.

During the holiday period, the comprehensive support center and temporary protection facilities, which operate without discharging homeless users, will notify the relevant autonomous district and city self-support department through an emergency contact network in case of emergencies, maintaining systematic protection for the homeless. Additionally, five jjokbang counseling centers located in Changsin-dong, Dongja-dong, Namdaemun, Yeongdeungpo, and Donui-dong will provide special holiday meals to 2,460 jjokbang residents.

Consolation gift money will also be provided to elderly or disabled people admitted to facilities for Chuseok. In 41 residential facilities for the disabled, support has already been provided to a total of 2,025 individuals since August 25, and from the 2nd, consolation gift money is being distributed to 1,176 elderly people admitted to 22 facilities (6 free nursing homes and 16 priority admission nursing facilities for basic livelihood recipients).

‘Hope Wagon,’ which directly visits neighbors in need to provide food and daily necessities in cooperation with the Seoul Metropolitan Food Bank Center and autonomous districts, will operate intensively from August 16 to the 16th of the following month for isolated neighbors during Chuseok. The target is 1,260 vulnerable households including those in urgent livelihood crises, single mothers, single-parent families, and irregular youth workers, who will receive food, daily necessities, and special Chuseok gifts.

At the Seoul Metropolitan Food Bank Center and 38 other food bank centers, the selection of support items will be greatly expanded from August 29 to the 23rd of the following month. About 30,000 low-income and single-parent households visit these centers to receive daily necessities. Usually, 3 to 5 items can be selected at the food bank.

Additionally, from the 5th to the 14th, Seoul City will deliver warm greetings through 1,200 members of the Our Neighborhood Care Group to about 36,000 socially isolated households who are unemployed or unable to go outside due to illness or injury. Furthermore, 139 comprehensive welfare centers will operate a total of 300 programs to provide enjoyment to users.

Meanwhile, during this year’s Chuseok holiday, Seoul City will operate 14 municipal funeral facilities, including the Seoul Municipal Crematorium, normally. Over the four-day holiday, Seoul City will operate a ‘Grave Visiting Support Situation Room’ to implement necessary measures for the convenience of visitors and compliance with COVID-19 prevention guidelines, actively encouraging staggered grave visits considering COVID-19 spread prevention and traffic congestion.

Kim Sang-han, Director of Seoul City Welfare Policy Office, said, “Although it is the nation’s holiday, Chuseok, it is also Seoul City’s duty to warmly embrace vulnerable citizens who find it difficult to enjoy the holiday comfortably due to financial or psychological reasons.” He added, “Seoul City, as a city that advocates walking with the weak, will devote efforts to sincere support for citizens so that everyone can enjoy a warm Chuseok together with their neighbors.”

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