[Photo] Lee Seongheon, Seodaemun-gu Mayor, Surprises as Santa Claus

[Seoul District News] Lee Seongheon, Seodaemun-gu Mayor, Visits Songjukwon Child Welfare Facility on 22nd Dressed as Santa, Delivers Christmas Gifts to 24 Children and Youth ... Kim Taeu, Gangseo-gu Mayor Transforms into Santa, Gifts Memories to Children on 23rd ... Oh Seungrok, Nowon-gu Mayor Attends Jungnangcheon Nowon Snow Sledding Opening Ceremony on 21st ... Park Gangsu, Mapo-gu Mayor Appoints 128 Members to the 1st Mapo-gu Dong Cooperation Committee on 23rd

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Lee Seong-heon, Mayor of Seodaemun-gu, transformed into a surprise Santa on the 22nd ahead of Christmas.

On this day, Mayor Lee visited Songjukwon, a local child welfare facility, dressed in a Santa outfit and delivered Christmas presents to 24 children and adolescents. Following this, balloon artist Park Min-ok performed an entertaining show.

This event was held with the support of the ‘Severance 1% Sharing Fund’ sponsored by Severance Hospital (Director Ha Jong-won).

Severance Hospital operates a social contribution program annually with Seodaemun-gu, supporting a total of 54 million KRW this year for projects such as the Severance Sharing Market (supporting food markets for low-income families) and Severance Hope House (home repairs for housing-vulnerable groups).

Mayor Lee Seong-heon, who spent time with the children on this day, said, “We will work harder to ensure there are no welfare blind spots across all generations, including children and adolescents, by expanding welfare patrols and honorary social welfare officers, and supporting care for youth who have aged out of protection and their families.”

Kim Tae-woo, Mayor of Gangseo-gu, Seoul, transformed into Santa on the 23rd ahead of Christmas to create special memories for children.

Dressed as Santa, Mayor Kim visited the 3rd branch of Our Neighborhood Care Center at 3:30 PM and joyfully played with the children with his whole body.

Mayor Kim Tae-woo said, “Seeing the children happy gives me even more strength,” adding, “I will do my utmost to create a ‘Happy Gangseo’ where children’s laughter never ceases.”

Before the facility visit, a plaque ceremony was held to commemorate the certification of the ‘Advanced Stage Child-Friendly City.’

The district first received certification in 2017 and reaffirmed its status as a genuine ‘Child-Friendly City’ by obtaining re-certification this year.

A ‘Child-Friendly City’ refers to a local government that realizes the fundamental spirit of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, providing a child-friendly environment where all children can live well.

Oh Seung-rok, Mayor of Nowon-gu, attended the opening ceremony of the Jungnangcheon Nowon Snow Sledding Park held at the inline skating rink under Nokcheon Bridge on the morning of the 23rd at 9:30 AM.

The district operates the winter-themed park ‘Jungnangcheon Nowon Snow Sledding Park’ so that families can enjoy winter experiences close to home without having to travel far to the outskirts of Seoul.

The theme park, built on a 6,234㎡ area at the inline skating rink under Nokcheon Bridge along Jungnangcheon, offers various facilities and programs including snow sledding, skating, ice fishing, and amusement rides.

The event was attended by about 100 people including Mayor Oh Seung-rok, National Assembly member Woo Won-shik, city and district council members, and local residents. The program included the national anthem, introduction of guests, greetings, congratulatory speeches, ribbon-cutting ceremony, and a figure skating performance.

Mayor Oh Seung-rok said, “We have prepared this with great care so that many people can enjoy winter activities nearby without burden,” adding, “I hope families create wonderful winter memories together with Jungnangcheon Nowon Snow Sledding Park.”

Park Kang-su, Mayor of Mapo-gu, appointed 128 members of the ‘1st Mapo-gu Dong Coexistence Committee’ at the Mapo-gu Office auditorium on the 23rd.

The Mapo-gu Coexistence Committee is established by the district to resolve local complaints and conflicts through resident consultations and to formulate policies based on consensus with residents. It is divided into ‘Dong-level Coexistence Committees’ at the neighborhood (dong) level, which know local conditions best, and ‘Complaint-specific Coexistence Committees’ for discussing particular issues.

Earlier, in November, the district held the ‘1st Seongsan Neighborhood Park Redevelopment Coexistence Committee’ to resolve the sharp conflicts over two years regarding the development and preservation of Seongsan Neighborhood Park.

The first coexistence committee, attended by 14 members including experts in environment and landscaping, representatives of local residents, and residents both supporting and opposing the development project, took a meaningful first step by deciding to prioritize preservation in the policy direction of the Seongsan Neighborhood Park redevelopment project, reflecting residents’ opinions.

Mayor Park Kang-su said, “The key to solving increasingly complex and diverse local issues starts with communication that properly understands each other’s thoughts and intentions,” adding, “We will listen to residents’ voices through the coexistence committee to lay the foundation for resolving local conflicts and formulating policies.”

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