4600 Participants to Run in Yangcheon Marathon After 8 Years

Yangcheon-gu Closes Registration with Over 4,600 Participants Ahead of Full-Scale Event at Haemaru Soccer Field on May 13 at 8 AM

470 Groups Participating, Oldest Participant 84, Youngest 4-Year-Old Child Draw Attention, Three-Generation Families Also Running Together

Joint Pre-Inspection by District Office, Police Station, and Fire Station on the 2nd; About 250 Staff Deployed on Event Day to Ensure Safety

Yangcheon-gu (Mayor Lee Gi-jae) announced that over 4,600 participants have completed registration for the ‘12th Yangcheon Marathon’ to be held along the Anyangcheon area on the 13th, marking its first occurrence in eight years.

Looking at the registration status by course, there are 761 for the half marathon, 1,206 for the 10km, and 2,677 for the 5km, with the 5km course accounting for 58% of participants. Due to the active running club culture, group participants make up 72% (3,360 people) of total registrants, with 470 groups registered, demonstrating the strong enthusiasm for the marathon event.

Examining the age distribution of participants, middle-aged and older adults aged 40 and above form the core at 66% (3,027 people). Among them, participants in their 50s are the largest group with about 1,000, and those in their 70s and 80s number around 200, showing the vitality of the elderly. Additionally, the MZ generation, referring to people in their 20s and 30s, accounts for about 1,139 participants, or 24%, proving that marathon running is gaining popularity as a new trend among younger generations. The oldest and youngest participants also stand out. The oldest participant is 84 years old, and the youngest is a 4-year-old child born in 2020.

This marathon is expected to be a local festival where various age groups?from children and MZ generation running crews to experienced middle-aged marathoners and elderly participants?can communicate and unite beyond age.

Unique participants such as three-generation families running together also attract attention. Mr. Lee Mu-woong, 81, active in the Haenuri Marathon Club, plans to complete the 10km course together with his son (49) and grandson (15). Additionally, 18 volunteer firefighters from the Yangcheon Fire Station will participate in the 5km course. The regional distribution of participants is notable, covering not only nearby Gyeonggi and Incheon but also Gangwon-do, Chungcheong-do, Jeolla-do, Daejeon, Busan, Gwangju, and other areas nationwide.

The 12th Yangcheon Marathon, to be held at 8 AM on May 13 under Sinjeonggyo Bridge at Haemaru Soccer Field, will provide participants with various souvenirs such as functional T-shirts and sling bags. In addition to course-specific and event awards ceremonies, various side events including photo booths and congratulatory performances will be held. A surprise event to commemorate the marathon will also take place. By following the official Yangcheon-gu Instagram, taking a certification photo of marathon participation on the event day, uploading it with hashtags, and submitting a Google Form application, the best photogenic participant will be selected and awarded a coffee coupon.

With just over ten days left before the full-scale event, the district conducted a joint pre-inspection on the 2nd with Yangcheon Police Station and Yangcheon Fire Station. On the event day, about 250 staff including event personnel and health workers will be deployed throughout the venue to ensure thorough safety management.

Lee Gi-jae, Mayor of Yangcheon-gu, said, “As the 12th Yangcheon Marathon is a large-scale event with over 4,000 participants nationwide, we will do our best to ensure thorough and meticulous preparation until the end so that everyone can unite and communicate in the spirit of sportsmanship.”

Gwanak-gu Improves Organizational Culture Reflecting Opinions of New Public Officials

‘Empathy Talk’ Between Mayor and New Officials Held for Third Year, Promoting Open Dialogue

Efforts to Build Intergenerational Empathy Within the Organization Through Two-Way Communication Stand Out

Gwanak-gu (Mayor Park Jun-hee) is improving organizational culture through various communication methods to help new public officials adapt to public service life.

The ‘Empathy Talk with the Mayor for New Officials,’ now in its third year, is a program where new officials freely discuss their difficulties and suggestions in an open atmosphere through activities such as honest conversations with the mayor, balance games, and quizzes related to public service life, with ideas collected and reflected within the organization.

The district has actually implemented ideas gathered from the empathy talks, such as producing a ‘New Official Work Manual’ and introducing a ‘Mentor-Mentee System’ to support new officials in their public service careers.

Additionally, the ‘Escape from Kkondae, Becoming a Generation-Embracing Leader’ project educates senior officials in managerial roles about the characteristics of the MZ generation and changing social trends.

They also run ‘Escape from Kkondae, Gifticon Goes!’ where employees read books on workplace generational differences and receive gifticons for excellent book reviews, encouraging voluntary reading and participation in change and communication.

Furthermore, the district is implementing the ‘Top 10 Work Innovation Proposals’ including reducing unnecessary overtime, refraining from last-minute work orders, activating focused work hours, conducting concise and efficient meetings, providing clear work instructions, minimizing unnecessary face-to-face reporting, fostering a healthy drinking culture, encouraging use of annual leave, and leading by example from managers to create a healthy workplace culture.

Other small but meaningful changes within the organization include providing lunch to officials who have completed their probation period through the ‘New Official, Are You Eating?’ program, refraining from giving gifts upon promotion or transfer, and respecting the culture of eating alone.

Mayor Park Jun-hee said, “We will continue to communicate to help new public officials adapt well to public service life and develop their capabilities.”

Eunpyeong-gu Forms Dedicated TF for Jeonse Damage... Full Support for Victims

Comprehensive Measures Meeting Held on the 1st, Dedicated Team Established to Provide Legal Counseling, Local Tax Collection Deferral, and More

Landlord’s Unpaid Local Tax Inspection and Single-Person Household Safe Contract Service Implemented

Eunpyeong-gu (Mayor Kim Mi-kyung) is taking full measures by forming a ‘Jeonse Damage Support Task Force (TF)’ to prevent jeonse (long-term lease) damage and support victims.

The district held a comprehensive measures meeting on the 1st and established a dedicated team led by the deputy mayor for swift and systematic support.

First, the ‘Jeonse Damage Counseling Center’ will operate from the 3rd to provide tailored support consultations for jeonse victims. It offers legal consultations including how to respond if the deposit is not refunded, guidance on litigation procedures, information on related support agencies, and assistance with various form preparations.

A new consultation window will also be set up for direct consultations with certified real estate agents regarding housing lease issues. Consultation areas include housing lease brokerage disputes, precautions for jeonse accidents, and housing lease contract advice, with support linked to the Housing and Urban Guarantee Corporation (HUG) Damage Reception Center and Eunpyeong (Western) Police Station.

Residents suffering mental difficulties such as stress, depression, or anxiety due to jeonse fraud can receive initial mental health assessments and psychological counseling through the Eunpyeong Mental Health Welfare Center.

Emergency welfare support for affected tenants will also be expanded. Even if income and property criteria are exceeded, support can be included through the Emergency Support Deliberation Committee when emergency welfare support is deemed necessary.

To ease the financial burden on jeonse victims, the district will support local tax deadline extensions and other measures within a maximum of one year, including extension of payment deadlines for acquisition tax and other local taxes, deferral of collection for property tax and other levied local taxes, suspension of delinquency measures, and postponement of tax audits.

Tenants will be allowed to inspect landlords’ unpaid local tax records (from contract date to lease start date). Following the April amendment to the Local Tax Collection Act, tenants of residential or commercial buildings with deposits exceeding 10 million KRW can check local taxes without landlord consent. To inspect, tenants must bring an ID and a copy of the lease contract to the local community service center or the district tax administration office.

The ‘Safe Jeonse Contract Assistance Service’ for single-person households will operate from the 2nd through the end of the year. Certified real estate agents knowledgeable about real estate and local conditions will be appointed as housing safety managers to provide services such as lease contract consultation, housing search support, accompaniment for house viewing, and housing policy guidance. Applications can be made online via the Seoul Single-Person Household Portal or by phone at the district family policy department consultation office.

Mayor Kim Mi-kyung said, “We will do our utmost to respond to jeonse damage so that all residents, including victims, can feel safe,” and added, “We will devise all possible support measures to help victims return to their daily lives as soon as possible.”

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