Gwanak-gu Resident Communication Space 'Gwanakcheong(聽)' Opens Wide

Park Jun-hee, the mayor of Gwanak District, is having a conversation with young people at Gwanak Office.

Weekly Civil Complaint Consultations Every Thursday at the Open Space on the First Floor of the District Office with the District Mayor

Enjoy Coffee and Books at the District Office... Establishing Gwanak as a Representative Communication Space

Gwanak-gu (District Mayor Park Jun-hee) has fully reopened ‘Gwanakcheong (聽)’, a representative space for communication between the district mayor and residents.

Since November 2018, Gwanak-gu has operated ‘Gwanakcheong (廳)’, a caf?-style open mayor’s office on the first floor of the district office building covering 136.34㎡, as an open space where any resident can meet the district mayor for civil complaint consultations every Thursday and neighbors can gather for conversations.

However, due to the spread of COVID-19 and social distancing guidelines, Gwanakcheong was operated only on days with civil complaint consultations in a limited manner. Recently, with the easing of quarantine rules such as indoor mask-wearing recommendations, it has been fully reopened.

At the reopened Gwanakcheong, the ‘Communication Date with the District Mayor’ is actively held. This program allows any resident to meet the district mayor face-to-face for consultation every Thursday from 2 PM to 5 PM by prior registration.

Additionally, the open civil complaint office inside Gwanakcheong operates continuously during business hours, allowing residents to receive consultations anytime. The information zone provides PCs for online civil complaint applications or urgent work processing.

Next to Gwanakcheong is the ‘Little Library Dreaming of Dragons’ where visitors can borrow books, and by going up the stairs to the second floor, they can enjoy ‘Gallery Gwanak’, which exhibits works by local artists.

The district is utilizing various spaces to transform the district office into not just a place for resolving civil complaints but a ‘space (空簡)’ where residents can communicate, rest, and improve their quality of life.

District Mayor Park Jun-hee said, “I hope Gwanakcheong will establish itself as Gwanak-gu’s representative communication space where any resident can communicate,” and added, “We will continue to engage in constant dialogue with residents, realize the value of communication, and strive to create spaces that enhance residents’ quality of life.”

Seongdong-gu Launches Life-Closely Policy Idea Contest

District Holds Idea Contest to Solve Everyday Inconveniences Until April 17

Selected Excellent Proposals Will Be Reflected in Life-Closely Policies and Awarded a Total of 2.1 Million KRW in Prizes

Seongdong-gu (District Mayor Jung Won-oh) announced the launch of the ‘5th Seongdong-gu Life-Closely Policy Idea Contest’ to gather various ideas to improve inconveniences experienced in daily life.

This contest is themed ‘Smart Life-Closely Policies’ for a smart inclusive city, Seongdong. The district expects this contest to serve as an active policy communication channel to receive residents’ unrestricted ideas across various fields of daily life.

The submission period is open until April 17, and anyone can participate. Forms can be downloaded from the Seongdong-gu website and submitted online or in person at the Smart City Division. Winners will receive a total prize of 2.1 million KRW, including ▲1 million KRW for the Gold Prize ▲500,000 KRW for the Silver Prize ▲300,000 KRW for the Bronze Prize.

This is the fifth edition of the contest. Representative ideas previously reflected in policies include ▲e-book reading in libraries ▲rental service for hidden camera detectors ▲plogging projects for river environment improvement ▲‘Life Civil Complaint Mobile Unit Chakchak Seongdong’ helping vulnerable groups with LED light replacements and screen door installations ▲installation of ‘It’s Okay to Be Slow Zone’ kiosks to bridge the digital divide. Many other resident ideas have been promoted as policies to improve daily convenience.

District Mayor Jung Won-oh said, “Small inconveniences in daily life are the reason for the existence of administration, and solving them is the core of life-closely policies,” adding, “We will strive to realize a smart inclusive city Seongdong where everyone enjoys a convenient daily life through residents’ brilliant ideas,” encouraging active participation.

Seocho-gu Offers Habit Training for Companion Dogs: ‘Old Habits Last a Lifetime’

District Runs Various First Half-Year Experience Education Programs for Dogs and Owners Starting April 18

‘Puppy Class’ for Dogs Under 12 Months to Teach Social Skills and Etiquette

Seocho-gu (District Mayor Jeon Seong-su) will operate various experiential education programs starting April 18 through the ‘Seocho Animal Love Center’ to create a city where pet owners and companion dogs live happily together.

Since its establishment in 2018, the Seocho Animal Love Center has been working to reduce the occurrence of abandoned and lost animals, support adoption of abandoned dogs, and foster a proper companion animal culture.

This first half of the year, as part of the ‘From Cradle to Grave’ companion culture establishment project, the center will operate education programs tailored to different life stages.

First, starting this month, the district will introduce the ‘Puppy Class’ for social skills and etiquette education that puppies under 12 months should learn. It targets Seocho-gu residents raising dogs under 12 months, with classes held every Saturday for four weeks starting April 18. The curriculum includes ‘play and walks to build good habits’ and ‘well-mannered companion dogs learning social skills’ focusing on basic manners.

Next month, the district will conduct ‘Halmeong Academy’, a specialized education program for senior dogs aged 7 and older, targeting Seocho-gu residents. This program offers tailored education for owners to address life stage challenges such as aromatherapy, diet composition, and nutrition.

Additionally, from April 19 to May 9, a program on ‘Companion Dog Nutrition and Making Praise Treats/Nutrition Stick Bars’ will be held. It runs every Sunday with 5 participants per session, totaling 8 sessions and 40 participants. There are also plans to operate a cultural class for drawing companion dog portraits with artist Jo Won-kyung.

Besides new programs, popular existing courses continue to meet companion families. The ‘Seocho Companion Dog Academy’, a 1:1 customized correction program for dogs and owners’ temperaments and behaviors, is currently running its 13th session, with the 14th session scheduled for May.

In June, the district plans to hold the ‘Seoripul Rainbow Gathering’ and ‘Companion Dog Aromatherapy Making’ programs, which help overcome ‘Pet Loss Syndrome’ experienced after losing a companion animal. The Seoripul Rainbow Gathering has been highly praised since its launch in 2021 as the first local government initiative. For detailed information on program applications and operations, contact the Seocho Animal Love Center.

Meanwhile, last year, the Seocho Animal Love Center contributed significantly to raising awareness of life respect for companion animals and abandoned animals, achieving an adoption and return rate of 90.2%. It has continuously promoted adoption by supporting up to 500,000 KRW adoption fees?the largest nationwide?for adopting abandoned dogs. It also requires adopters to receive pre- and post-adoption education in four sessions to increase responsibility.

District Mayor Jeon Seong-su said, “We will continue to promote various projects to create a mature animal-friendly city Seocho where humans and animals can coexist happily.”

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