"To think they transformed it into such a great house..."

Owl Design, a Company in the Mapo Area, Provides Free Interior Renovations for Vulnerable Groups... Will Continue Their Good Deeds

Removed All Door Thresholds for Elderly with Mobility Difficulties, Installed Safety Bars in Bathrooms

Park Gang-su, Mayor of Mapo-gu, “Promises Continuous and Active Cooperation for Welfare Together with Mapo”

After Renovation of the Master Bedroom

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] “Before, even when I turned the electric blanket to the highest setting, I couldn’t sleep because it was cold, but now the doors and veranda windows close well, so no wind comes in. The house is warm even with the boiler on low, so I sleep very well. All the thresholds are gone, so it’s easier to walk back and forth.”

An elderly person who had difficulty living alone due to heating costs and limited mobility now has a warm new home. This was made possible through a housing renovation project for vulnerable groups, carried out in cooperation between a local interior design company and Mapo-gu (Mayor Park Gang-su).

The company is called 'Owl Design,' located in Seongsan-dong, Mapo-gu. As part of their social contribution activities, they had been providing free interior renovations for marginalized neighbors. This time, they decided to work on a project for the community where their company is based and partnered with Mapo-gu.

The district recommended a beneficiary after comprehensively considering income, age, health status, and housing environment. The beneficiary was an 87-year-old elderly person living alone in a 30-year-old semi-basement villa.

When the elderly person checked the completed house on the 7th, they said, “I feel sorry that I couldn’t even offer a glass of water to the people who did such a good deed without even knowing me,” and expressed gratitude, saying, “The house has become so nice, but I feel regretful because I don’t have many days left to live.”

The renovation was carried out with help not only from Owl Design, which planned the project, but also from other interior companies and material suppliers who shared the same intention. They replaced the leaking bathroom and sink as a basic measure, completely demolished the interior, and carried out full interior work, making it like a new house. Safety bars were also installed in the bathroom and living room for the elderly person with limited mobility.

Park Chi-eun, CEO of Owl Design, said, “We started as a small company and have received help from many people around us to get to where we are now. I wanted to give back that gratitude in some way, so I started this project,” and promised to continue projects for the residents of Mapo-gu.

Regarding this, Park Gang-su, Mayor of Mapo-gu, said, “The goal of the 8th elected term of Mapo-gu is to create a welfare Mapo where no one is left out, from infants to the elderly, and essential to this process is public-private cooperation,” adding, “I deeply thank Owl Design for leading social contribution activities for housing-vulnerable groups, and our district will also prepare housing development plans for vulnerable groups through continuous and active cooperation.”

'Good Morning Seongdong! Project' to Discover and Support At-Risk Households

Expansion of Dedicated Personnel for At-Risk Household Discovery and Use of Big Data to Detect Crisis Signs... AI-Powered Smart Care Service for Welfare Checks

Expansion of Human Safety Nets Where Neighbors Watch Over Neighbors, and Tailored Support by District Office Upon Discovery of At-Risk Households

Seongdong-gu (Mayor Jeong Won-oh) is promoting the ‘Good Morning Seongdong! Project’ to discover and support socially isolated households.

Recently, with the breakdown of traditional family networks, the number of single-person households living alone has surged, making social isolation and solitary deaths a social issue. Seongdong-gu has 58,154 single-person households, accounting for 43.6% of all households, and in 2021 enacted the 'Ordinance on Prevention of Social Isolation and Solitary Death of Single-Person Households.'

This year, through the ‘Good Morning Seongdong! Project’ for at-risk households, aiming to realize inclusive welfare, the district will implement 25 projects across five areas: ▲Establishing and operating a continuous discovery system for at-risk households ▲Strengthening crisis prevention through smart care ▲Expanding human safety nets where neighbors watch over neighbors ▲Enhancing tailored integrated services ▲Raising local awareness and promotion to prevent solitary deaths.

First, to continuously discover at-risk households, the dedicated discovery personnel team ‘Dense Discovery Team’ will be expanded from 2 to 4 members, focusing on targeted discovery and promotional activities in housing-vulnerable areas. Also, anyone can easily report at-risk households through the KakaoTalk channel ‘Seongdong Neighbor Watcher,’ with a reward of 50,000 KRW per report.

Additionally, the district will focus on welfare checks through strengthened human safety nets organized by each neighborhood. The ‘Our Neighborhood Care Team,’ composed of local residents and professionals, will be assigned 2 to 3 members per neighborhood, each monitoring about 40 households weekly via phone calls and visits to strengthen care responsibilities for high-risk households. Furthermore, the district plans to use 44 types of big data, including water and electricity cutoffs, and conduct surveys on single-person households to detect crisis signs proactively.

For socially isolated and at-risk households discovered, tailored integrated services will be provided. In particular, for economically vulnerable households, the district plans to expand emergency welfare support and the Care SOS service to ensure efficient assistance. If the beneficiary does not meet legal qualification criteria, the district will actively support them by linking with neighbor aid funds.

Moreover, various smart care services will be offered, including ‘Let’s Check In Together’ through call reception confirmation, ‘Smart Plug’ that detects electricity usage, and ‘Good Morning Call, AI Welfare Check’ with automated phone calls.

Jeong Won-oh, Mayor of Seongdong-gu, said, “If you watch over those around you with warm interest, we can create a Seongdong where no one is left out and everyone is happy,” and added, “Seongdong-gu will continue efforts at the district level to build a more detailed and meticulous welfare safety net and expand tailored support.”

Lee Pil-hyung, Mayor of Dongdaemun District (left), is visiting a solitary elderly person, engaging in conversation and offering encouragement.

Dongdaemun-gu (Mayor Lee Pil-hyung) announced that it is providing customized welfare services tailored to the types of vulnerable groups to eliminate welfare blind spots in line with the policy of 'Seoul, a Coexistence City Walking with the Vulnerable.'

To overcome the COVID-19 crisis and prepare for cold waves, the district provides customized welfare services that meet the welfare needs of households and crisis types, including children and adolescents, persons with disabilities, the elderly, single-person households, and other low-income groups.

For the elderly, services such as senior cafeterias, lunchbox delivery, and side dish delivery are provided to those at risk of malnutrition due to mobility difficulties and economic hardship, ensuring basic nutrition and livelihood. The district has also introduced an 'AI Welfare Check Service' that automatically checks the situation once a week to prevent solitary deaths.

Recently, the 'Dail Welfare Foundation Bapper Sharing Movement Headquarters,' which has been controversial for illegal extensions on an unauthorized building, is also one of the meal support agencies for low-income elderly residents in Dongdaemun-gu. Since November last year, after the 'Bapper' side expressed refusal to accept subsidies, the district received a list of 140 low-income elderly residents using 'Bapper' and provides them with lunchbox delivery services.

For persons with disabilities, the district supports employment counseling and job searching for registered disabled persons seeking employment through the disabled employment support project. It also supports cultural, artistic, and sports activities to improve the quality of life for persons with disabilities and operates the 'Disability Welfare Committee' to review and plan better policies related to disability welfare projects.

In major hub areas such as Cheongnyangni Station, patrols for homeless people are strengthened, and the district identifies those wishing to receive free meals and provides delivery services such as lunchboxes as part of homeless prevention policies.

In addition to existing basic livelihood security and near-poverty support projects, Dongdaemun’s efforts to eliminate welfare blind spots are ongoing, including the 'Care SOS' project that provides five major care services?temporary home care, short-term residential facilities, meal delivery, housing convenience, and outing accompaniment?for other low-income groups needing urgent or temporary care.

Lee Pil-hyung, Mayor of Dongdaemun-gu, said, “Each local government, including ours, has support systems for vulnerable groups, and there are social welfare facilities such as senior welfare centers, disability centers, and homeless shelters in every neighborhood, so unlike in the past, there are various ways to help those in need within the system,” adding, “We will carefully manage welfare facility operations and support projects, such as expanding affordable cultural programs so that those facing economic difficulties can socialize with neighbors, empathize, find comfort, and enjoy leisure activities,” promising meticulous welfare administration without blind spots.

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