Yeongdeungpo-gu, Completely Changed Safety Inspection for Vulnerable Groups

Inspection and Maintenance of Safety Facilities for Over 600 Vulnerable Households... Establishing a Comprehensive Safety Welfare Network

Expanding Targets to Include Marginalized Groups Such as Youth Heads of Households and Providing Customized Safety Supplies by Target Group

Choi Ho-kwon, District Mayor: "We will cover every safety gap in daily life to make Yeongdeungpo a safe city where all residents can feel secure"

Yeongdeungpo-gu (District Mayor Choi Ho-kwon) announced that it will expand the targets of the ‘Safety Inspection and Maintenance Project for Vulnerable Households’ to include single-parent families and youth heads of households, in addition to recipients of basic livelihood security and lower-income groups, and provide customized safety supplies according to the target group.

The district will invest 67 million KRW this year to support over 600 households by November, aiming to prevent safety accidents and protect the lives and property of residents through inspections of aging residential facilities in safety-vulnerable households such as basic livelihood recipients, the elderly, and persons with disabilities.

Since 2013, the district has visited safety-vulnerable households to conduct safety inspections in areas such as ▲electricity ▲gas ▲fire safety ▲boilers, and immediately repaired or replaced any parts requiring maintenance, while installing gas timers, fire detectors, and carbon monoxide alarms.

This year, the district will expand the inspection targets to include single-parent families, youth heads of households, and socially isolated single-person households vulnerable to daily life safety, and provide customized safety supplies by target group to cover even small gaps in daily life. The aim is to eliminate safety blind spots and build a dense welfare safety net.

Fire Detector Installation

Specifically, ▲visual alarm-type fire detectors will be provided for the hearing impaired ▲non-slip mats and throwable fire extinguishers for mobility-impaired persons or the elderly ▲double window locks for single-person households.

Additionally, safety information for daily life, such as action guidelines during various disasters like typhoons and floods and precautions for using heating devices, will be delivered.

Choi Ho-kwon, Mayor of Yeongdeungpo-gu, said, “This year, to further strengthen the value of walking with the vulnerable, we will expand the support targets to include marginalized groups and carefully provide customized safety supplies by target group. We will create a safe city Yeongdeungpo where no resident is excluded from safety and everyone can feel secure.”

Songpa-gu Implements ‘Drawing Happiness with AI Companion Robots Haha and Hoho’ Using District Characters

Targeting Vulnerable Elderly... Providing Emotional Care to Alleviate Loneliness and Support Well-aging

▲Medication and Meal Reminders ▲Alerts to Caregivers if No Movement Detected ▲Greeting and Interaction via Sensors

Songpa-gu (District Mayor Seo Gang-seok) is supporting AI companion robots ‘Haha and Hoho’ using district characters for vulnerable elderly living alone.

With increasing life expectancy and the imminent entry into a super-aged society, the welfare paradigm for elderly care is gradually shifting from a passive care system aimed at preventing solitary deaths to supporting ‘Well-aging.’ Accordingly, the district announced the planning of the ‘Drawing Happiness with AI Companion Robots Haha and Hoho’ project, which introduces 4th industrial revolution technology into care services.

This project is a welfare service where elderly living alone adopt a stuffed robot doll dressed just like Songpa-gu’s characters ‘Haha and Hoho’ as a ‘companion grandchild (반려손, Banryeoson)’ to receive emotional care. The district expects that emotional care through companion robots will help vulnerable elderly alleviate loneliness and depression and enjoy a happy old age.

The companion robots provide ▲medication and meal reminder services to support the elderly’s daily life and ▲alert caregivers if no movement is detected to actively respond to emergency situations.

HahaHoho Character

Also, through sensors installed in the robots, they can ▲greet and interact with the elderly, greatly helping to relieve loneliness and stabilize emotions.

The district plans to support companion robots to 60 elderly households requiring continuous care in May, the month of family. The support targets are elderly selected from the elderly customized care service who live alone in difficult circumstances.

In particular, the district plans to provide individualized management to help elderly form attachments to the companion robots. Elderly customized care workers will visit homes to guide the use of the dolls and organize monthly or more frequent communication and meeting opportunities among the elderly, offering various programs using the dolls such as singing, sharing achievements, and outings.

Seo Gang-seok, Mayor of Songpa-gu, said, “I hope that the smart technology-based companion robots Haha and Hoho can provide even a small help so that elderly living alone in difficult circumstances can live healthily and safely. The district will continue to discover welfare projects that perfectly meet the needs of the elderly and take the lead in creating an inclusive city Songpa.”

Seongbuk-gu Holds Blood Donation Day Event in Seokgwan-dong to Practice Life Sharing

4th Seokgwan-dong Blood Donation Day Event Hosted by Seokgwan-dong Residents’ Autonomous Committee

Over 80 Local Residents Participate in Blood Donation; Donated Blood Certificates to Be Delivered to Places in Need

The ‘4th Seokgwan-dong Blood Donation Day’ event was held in Seokgwan-dong, Seongbuk-gu on the 28th of last month.

The Seokgwan-dong Residents’ Autonomous Committee planned this blood donation event to address the blood supply issues arising after COVID-19 and contribute to stabilizing blood supply and demand.

The Seokgwan-dong Residents’ Autonomous Committee has been conducting blood donation events since 2021, and this event was attended by over 80 local institution workers and residents. The blood donation certificates donated by residents will be given to places in need through the Korean Red Cross.

Kim Deok-hyun, Chairperson of the Seokgwan-dong Residents’ Autonomous Committee, said, “I thank the residents and local institutions who participated in this blood donation event with warm hearts loving their neighbors. We will take the lead in spreading a blood donation culture that practices neighborly love and shares precious life.” Seok Chang-seop, Head of Seokgwan-dong, said, “I appreciate this precious practice of sharing life and hope it will provide even a little strength to those in need.”

Lee Seung-ro, Mayor of Seongbuk-gu, who visited the blood donation event site, said, “I hope this blood donation event will help stabilize blood supply. I thank the Seokgwan-dong residents who personally practiced life sharing and the Residents’ Autonomous Committee members who worked hard to organize the event.”

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