Yangcheon-gu to Increase 'Seoul-style Kids Cafes' from 3 to 11 by Next Year

8 More Sites to Be Developed by Next Year
Expansion to Private Facilities Also Planned

At the 'Seoul-style Kids Cafe Sinjeong 7-dong Branch (5 Saekkkalkal KIDS),' children and Lee Gi-jae, Mayor of Yangcheon-gu, are having a joyful time. Provided by Yangcheon-gu.

Yangcheon-gu, Seoul (District Mayor Lee Gi-jae) plans to expand the number of public indoor playgrounds, known as ‘Seoul-type Kids Cafes,’ to 11 locations by next year. Currently, Yangcheon-gu operates three such facilities: Sinjeong 7-dong branch (5saekkkalkkal KIDS) and Omok Park branch run by the district office, and the Mokdong Municipal branch operated by Seoul City.

The ‘Seoul-type Kids Cafe’ offers an affordable usage fee of 3,000 KRW for two hours, various age-specific play facilities that support children's growth and talent development, and childcare functions, receiving high praise from users.

Since its conversion to a Seoul-type Kids Cafe in November 2022, the Sinjeong 7-dong branch ‘5saekkkalkkal KIDS’ transformed the underutilized traffic park into an indoor playground reflecting residents' needs, attracting about 1,000 users per month on average. The Omok Park branch, established in February this year, has become a natural play spot in the city where visitors can enjoy both indoor and outdoor play areas as a park-type Kids Cafe.

The district is promoting the creation of balanced public indoor play spaces across regions by utilizing not only public facilities but also idle spaces in private facilities. In addition to the Sinwol 3-dong and Sinjeong 4-dong branches using religious facilities, and the Sintree Park and Gangwol Children’s Park branches utilizing parks, eight more locations are planned to open sequentially by the end of next year, including the Sinjeong 7-dong 2nd branch in the upcoming childcare town and the Mok 4-dong, Mok 3-dong, and Sinwol 5-dong branches using co-parenting rooms.

The district plans to secure at least 7 square meters of space per child at each facility to ensure comfort and safety, and will mandatorily assign childcare staff.

The ‘Seoul-type Kids Cafe’ is available for children aged 0 to 9 years, including preschoolers and lower-grade elementary students. Reservations can be made on the ‘Our Neighborhood Care Portal’ website starting seven days before the intended date of use. The cafes operate including holidays to accommodate residents visiting on weekends.

Mayor Lee Gi-jae stated, “For children’s healthy growth, it is essential to guarantee an environment where they can play freely near their homes without restrictions from weather or fine dust. We will continue to expand public indoor play facilities where our children can play safely and healthily, making Yangcheon a great place to raise children.”

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