Goodbye 2023... Strike! 2024

Junggu Hosts Year-End Bowling Tournament for Single-Person Households

On the afternoon of the 9th, a bowling alley in Myeongdong, Jung-gu (Mayor Kim Gilsung) was bustling with the sound of bowling pins crashing down and cheers. Christmas decorations and bursts of laughter here and there enhanced the year-end atmosphere.

The event held that day was the ‘Year-end Bowling Tournament’ organized by Jung-gu for single-person households, with 45 residents of various ages from their 20s to 60s participating. The expressions of the residents who came together to enjoy bowling and create memories with their neighbors were uniformly bright.

After the bowling tournament, a unique awards ceremony that brought laughter was held, awarding the ‘Ilshim Dongche Award’ to the team with the highest score, the ‘Effort Appreciation Award’ to residents who rolled the ball diligently despite bowling for the first time, and the ‘Trailblazer Award’ to the participant who had the most gutters (balls falling into the gutter).

Matilda (nickname), who participated in the event, said, “This is my first time attending a single-person household event, and since we are neighbors, we were able to talk comfortably with each other,” adding, “I want to participate more often in the single-person household programs run by the district from now on.”

On one side of the bowling alley, a satisfaction survey for the single-person household programs held by the district throughout the year was also conducted. Participants gave high marks to the bowling tournament held that day, as well as to cooking classes, the pre-Jeongdong Night Walk, Namsan walking, and the Wise Alcohol Life special lecture.

Since the beginning of this year, the district has held 55 sessions of nine regular programs such as financial planning, gardening, and organizing and storage lectures, attracting about 380 participants. Special programs such as potluck parties, Hongdangmu Market, and book talks were also held seven times, enjoyed by 2,265 residents.

The popularity of the single-person household programs was supported by the activities of Jung-gu’s single-person household cafe, ‘The Singles.’ The number of members, which was only 170 in February this year, surpassed 1,150 in October. Positive reviews left by residents who participated in Jung-gu’s single-person household programs led to the influx of new members.

Jung-gu plans to continue implementing ‘vitamin-like’ policies for single-person households next year as well. From December this year to December next year, they will operate a ‘Reading Challenge’ to provide mental vitamins and support reading clubs. Participants can receive reading expenses by reading books and leaving reviews. The district is also preparing ‘birthday fruit gifts’ to recharge physical vitamins. Among residents who apply for fruit gifts in advance, 10 will be selected by lottery to receive fruit boxes, and members will be encouraged to exchange congratulatory messages with each other.

Kim Gilsung, Mayor of Jung-gu, said, “About 44.9% of residents in Jung-gu live alone, and the number of single-person households is steadily increasing,” adding, “Although they live alone, we want them to feel reassured that they are not alone. Jung-gu will continue to work harder next year to improve welfare, safety, and life satisfaction.”

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