Paju City Strengthens Welfare Safety Net to Protect Vulnerable Groups Amid Emergency Economic Measures

Emergency Welfare Support and Food-Based Crisis Household Identification

Paju City, Gyeonggi Province, is operating an Emergency Economic Headquarters and strengthening its welfare safety net to protect vulnerable groups, in line with the government’s emergency economic response policy amid prolonged instability in the Middle East and changing external conditions.

Paju City Hall panoramic view. Provided by Paju City

The city will continuously identify households in crisis by utilizing systems such as the “Haengbok-i(e)um” crisis detection system and public-private cooperation networks. It will also work to resolve welfare blind spots through on-site visits led by customized welfare teams and local human safety networks in towns and districts.

In addition, Paju will promptly provide emergency welfare support to low-income households facing sudden crises and will simplify the process of verifying eligibility for support for overseas Koreans returning from the Middle East.

Furthermore, to alleviate the burden of heating costs from rising energy prices, the city will strengthen fuel cost support and carry out regular check-ins and inspections for vulnerable groups. Alongside this, a comprehensive inspection of energy-vulnerable social welfare facilities will be conducted to enhance safety management and operational stability.

Kim Eunsook, Director of Welfare Policy, stated, “Even in emergency economic situations, we will prioritize protecting vulnerable groups and continue swift, on-the-ground responses.”

Meanwhile, Paju City is supporting food-insecure populations through programs such as “Together If,” “Sharing Refrigerator,” and “Food Bank·Market.” This year, through the “Geunyang Dream” pilot project, the city is providing 3 to 5 types of food items per day to up to 20 households, regardless of income or asset criteria.

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