Gwanak-gu Distributes 'Wandering Detection Devices for Women with Intellectual Disabilities'... Yeongdeungpo-gu Certified as 'UNICEF Child-Friendly City'

[Seoul District News] Gwanak-gu Distributes Wandering Detectors for Women with Intellectual Disabilities Nationwide for the First Time, Supporting 30 People This Year... Yeongdeungpo-gu Accelerates Child-Friendly City Projects Under the Vision 'Yeongdeungpo Where Children's Rights Are Respected'... Gwangjin-gu Offers 1:1 College Entrance Consulting for 2022 Academic Year... Yangcheon Park Wins 2021 Asia Urban Landscape Award Grand Prize... Yeongdeungpo-gu's Mullae Neighborhood Park Receives 100 Million KRW Budget Support from HSBC Bank, (Sa) Life Forest Conducts Construction, Resulting from Public-Private Cooperation... Guro-gu Accepts Applications for Crime Prevention 'Security Facilities'

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Gwanak-gu (Mayor Park Jun-hee) has gained attention for its project supporting wandering detectors for women with intellectual disabilities to create a safe living environment for female disabled persons.

As part of the women-friendly city creation project, the district supported 30 wandering detectors for women with intellectual disabilities nationwide for the first time last year, receiving great response from residents. This year, following last year, a total of 30 applicants were recruited and supported.

The wandering detector is a device equipped with a GPS tracker. When the target person carries the device in the form of a wristwatch, the guardian can check the location of the protected person in real time through a smartphone app. It also has a function to send an alarm to the guardian's smartphone if the set area (safe zone) is left, which has the advantage of enabling quick discovery in case of missing incidents and early response to exposure to violent crimes.

The district expects that through the wandering detector service, it will be possible to expand the living range of disabled people who have restrictions in daily life and social activities and strengthen the support system to protect safety.

Entering the second year of designation as a women-friendly city, the district is focusing on 14 women-friendly policies centered on five major goals: ▲gender equality in the local community ▲expansion of women's economic and social participation ▲improvement of community safety ▲creation of a family-friendly environment ▲strengthening women's capacity for community activities, striving to create a safe city that everyone enjoys together.

A district official said, "We will provide women-friendly safety projects tailored from various perspectives so that socially vulnerable groups such as the disabled and women can enjoy daily life and free spaces."

Yeongdeungpo-gu (Mayor Chae Hyun-il) announced that it has obtained the certification of 'UNICEF Child Friendly City,' a society that guarantees and realizes children's rights to live healthily and happily.

The 'UNICEF Child Friendly City' refers to a city that faithfully implements child-friendly policies to fully realize children's basic rights such as survival, protection, development, and participation rights contained in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

The UNICEF Child Friendly City certification review committee evaluates the achievement of 10 components including ▲child-friendly legal system ▲promotion and education of children's rights ▲children's rights ombudsman ▲establishment of child-friendly city strategies ▲child impact assessment, and the genuine willingness to promote a child-friendly city, and only those who pass strict review can be certified.

Yeongdeungpo-gu took the first step toward child-friendly city certification by enacting an ordinance on child-friendly city creation in November 2018.

Subsequently, it has made steady efforts such as ▲forming and operating dedicated organizations (promotion committee, working group) ▲establishing children's participation systems ▲conducting child surveys and resident (child) roundtable discussions ▲forming and operating children's participation committees ▲forming and operating children's rights ombudsmen ▲promoting and educating children's rights (training citizen lecturers on children's rights) ▲establishing child-friendly city strategies.

The district applied for UNICEF Child Friendly City certification to the UNICEF Korea Committee in December 2020 after securing the necessary infrastructure, and after about a year of written and face-to-face evaluations, it was finally certified.

The certification period is four years from December 17, 2021, to December 16, 2025. During this period, the district can use the UNICEF Child Friendly City certification logo and has opportunities to participate in various international events, exchanges, and cooperation projects related to children as a member of the global network.

Going forward, the district plans to set the vision of 'Yeongdeungpo, a child-friendly city where children's rights are respected' and implement 46 detailed projects under five goals by 2025 to expand the child-friendly base in the region: ▲respect for children's rights ▲activation of children's participation ▲priority on child safety ▲providing satisfactory services for children ▲guaranteeing children's right to play.

A district official said, "The UNICEF Child Friendly City certification is a valuable result achieved through the continuous efforts of the entire community so that children, the future generation, can enjoy a better life," adding, "We will do our best to make Yeongdeungpo a place where all children grow up happily and healthily as respected citizens."

Meanwhile, the district plans to hold a 'Child Friendly City Certification Proclamation Ceremony' on December 30 to spread awareness of children's rights in the community.

Gwangjin-gu (Mayor Kim Seon-gap) will conduct a '1:1 consulting visiting schools' for two days on the 27th and 28th to establish strategies for regular college entrance exam applications for the 2022 academic year.

This year, the exam was held for the first time in an integrated humanities and science format and was notoriously difficult, called a 'difficult exam,' requiring more thorough entrance strategies than ever before.

Accordingly, the district, together with the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education, prepared 1:1 college entrance strategy consulting visiting schools to help high school seniors and their parents effectively establish college entrance strategies.

Thirty-three current teachers belonging to the Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education's University Admission Guidance Support Group will participate as counselors. Based on students' CSAT score reports, detailed customized counseling will be provided on ▲analysis of universities and departments where admission is possible ▲tips for filling out regular admission applications.

The consulting targets 140 students from six general high schools in the area, including Gwangnam High School and Jayang High School. Each teacher is assigned one classroom, and under strict quarantine rules such as installing partitions, 40-minute one-on-one counseling sessions between counselors and students will be conducted.

Gwangjin-gu Mayor Kim Seon-gap said, "Since there were many variables in this year's CSAT, we prepared this opportunity to ease the concerns of high school seniors and their parents about college entrance," adding, "I hope this briefing will be practically helpful in establishing successful college entrance strategies."

Previously, from August 9 for three days, the district conducted '1:1 entrance consulting for the 2022 academic year early admission,' where 249 students received customized counseling on possible universities based on mock exam scores, receiving great response from students and parents.

Graduate Student from Paris Visits Seocho-gu CCTV Control Room

Seocho-gu was selected as an excellent local government at the '2021 Local Government Internationalization Best Practices Contest' hosted by the Korea Association of City Mayors on the 23rd.

The '2021 Local Government Internationalization Best Practices Contest' is a competition held by the Korea Association of City Mayors since 2007 to discover excellent internationalization cases among 243 local governments nationwide, providing benchmarking opportunities between local governments and enhancing the competitiveness of local administration.

The district won 3rd place among local governments nationwide after preliminary and final judging for the public diplomacy achievements over the past four years (2018-2021) under the theme 'Seocho-gu Public Diplomacy Excitingly Interacting with 21 Overseas Cities in the 21st Century.' This is the only achievement among Seoul autonomous districts, officially recognizing the brand value of 'Global Cultural City Seocho' nationwide.

The district received high evaluations for utilizing various public diplomacy infrastructures in the region such as the Korea National Diplomatic Academy, Korea Diplomatic Association, embassies in Korea, and Seorae Village, in areas including ▲promotion of Korea's COVID-19 quarantine ▲public diplomacy with France and others ▲youth exchanges and operation of diplomatic academies.

First, the district was recognized in the international exchange cooperation sector for overcoming COVID-19. As COVID-19 spread, Seocho-gu's proactive response know-how, which became a model for K-quarantine cases such as 'untact screening clinics,' was shared through overseas media including ABC and CNN in the US, Le Monde in France, and Jyllands-Posten in Denmark. The district also transferred its COVID-19 response know-how and provided quarantine supplies to overseas sister cities such as Paris 15th arrondissement in France and Sisli district in Istanbul, Turkey.

The district also showed various achievements in public diplomacy with Uzbekistan and France. After signing a friendship exchange agreement with Mirabad district in Tashkent in July, it signed a business agreement with the Embassy of Uzbekistan in Korea in October to build statues of national heroes in each other's cities. Accordingly, the district plans to install a statue of Alisher Navoi in the region in cooperation with the Uzbek Embassy in Korea and build a statue of King Sejong in Tashkent next year.

Also, as the Korean chair city of the 'French Exchange Cities Group (Groupe Pays Cor?e),' the district actively participated in French-related international events and hosted the Korea-France Music Festival and Francophonie Festival in Seorae Village, leading mutual cultural exchange.

Furthermore, the district devoted efforts to strengthening youth global competencies and increasing affinity for Korean culture. Since 2017, it has operated a youth diplomatic academy in cooperation with the Korea National Diplomatic Academy and Korea Diplomatic Association, and operated youth study programs with sister cities Perth in Australia and Paris 15th arrondissement in France, providing cultural exploration opportunities in mutual cities.

In addition, the district continuously cooperates with 21 overseas sister cities in 13 countries to enhance the diplomatic capabilities of officials and residents, and dispatched Korean traditional music performance groups to overseas sister cities to continuously promote Korean culture.

Going forward, the district plans to respond to changes in the international environment by sharing and benchmarking best practices of sister cities to enhance the brand value as a global cultural city.

Acting Mayor Cheon Jeong-wook said, "We will continue to actively carry out public diplomacy activities in non-face-to-face ways and strive to strengthen the 'Global Cultural City Seocho' brand."

Gangdong-gu (Mayor Lee Jeong-hoon) established 'Godeok Village Vitality Center,' a community activity hub in Godeok-dong, and held an opening ceremony on the 24th.

Godeok Village Vitality Center (147, Dongnam-ro 82-gil, 2nd floor) is a place where the village and people meet, an open space for residents' community activities. Especially, it is located between general residential areas and apartment complexes in Godeok-dong, expected to play a central role in the village.

The center was designed as a multipurpose space for resident small groups, community activities, and various program operations, reflecting residents' opinions.

Following Seongnae, Gangil, Cheonho, and Myeongil Village Vitality Centers, it is the fifth established in Gangdong-gu. The district plans to establish a total of six centers by 2022, supporting community spaces where residents can use anytime nearby and meet to communicate and empathize.

The opening ceremony was attended by about 20 residents who participated in the community project, and a small concert was held to celebrate the opening.

Gangdong-gu Mayor Lee Jeong-hoon said, "In these difficult times due to COVID-19, I hope Godeok Village Vitality Center becomes a joyful space where residents feel 'we' rather than 'alone' and enjoy small daily happiness," adding, "I expect the center to play a central role in becoming a community involving all village residents."

Godeok Village Vitality Center will operate normally from January next year on weekdays (Monday to Friday) from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Jung-gu, Seoul (Mayor Seo Yang-ho) found that 9 out of 10 residents are satisfied with the core policies of the 7th local government administration.

According to the recent resident satisfaction survey results released by Jung-gu, the overall satisfaction with the five key policy areas promoted during the 7th local government administration was 91.7%. The Elderly Merit Allowance (Nutrition Plus Project) received the highest recognition and satisfaction. Following were Jung-gu style all-day elementary care, free childcare, resident participation budget, and expansion of public facilities such as libraries, parks, and parking lots.

The Seoul Makers Park (SMP, Printing Support Center) and administrative complex center construction project, scheduled for completion in 2025, showed a satisfaction rate of 90.8%. The response that this project would help improve residents' convenience and revitalize urban industry was 91%, reflecting residents' expectations.

Regarding the district's COVID-19 response, 89.7% evaluated it positively. Operating two vaccination centers simultaneously, leading a vaccination rate far ahead of other districts, was cited as the biggest satisfaction factor.

Meanwhile, 96% of Jung-gu residents responded that they are satisfied living in Jung-gu. When asked if they intend to live in Jung-gu 10 years later, 73.8% answered 'yes,' citing convenient transportation, facilities and infrastructure, nearby markets and affordable prices, and resident welfare as reasons.

In a survey on awareness of district administration, 79.7% of residents answered they are aware, and 82% responded that the district administration is 'doing well.' The most outstanding achievements were welfare (43.8%) and childcare/education (30.5%). The areas to focus on in the future were jobs/economy (44.3%) and parking/transportation (25.7%).

This survey was conducted to comprehensively understand residents' satisfaction with district administration and local issues in the fourth year of the 7th local government administration and to use it as basic data for future policy implementation. It was conducted by Global Research Co., Ltd., a public opinion research specialist, from September 17 to October 15, surveying 1,000 residents. The sampling error is 95% (±3.1%).

Mayor Seo Yang-ho said, "I thank all residents who participated in the survey," adding, "We will actively reflect residents' valuable evaluations and opinions on district administration in policy promotion."

Autumn Scenery of Yangcheon Park

Yangcheon-gu (Mayor Kim Soo-young) announced that the 'Yangcheon Park Renovation Project' won the grand prize at the international urban landscape awards, the '2021 Asia Urban Landscape Awards.'

The 'Asia Urban Landscape Awards' is an internationally prestigious landscape award jointly hosted by five organizations including the UN Habitat Fukuoka Headquarters, Asia Habitat Association, and Asia Landscape Design Society. Since 2010, it has been awarded annually to cities, regions, and projects in Asian countries such as Korea, Japan, and China that have achieved exemplary urban landscape creation.

This year, a total of 24 works were submitted from Asian countries including Korea. The judging criteria included ▲coexistence with the local environment ▲safe and convenient sustainability ▲respect for local culture and history ▲artistry ▲contribution to regional development and exemplary cases for other cities. After final judging by institutions and judges from each country, 11 works (4 from Korea, 2 from China, 1 from Hong Kong, 1 from Indonesia, 3 from Japan) were selected as grand prize winners.

Domestically, a public contest was held from May to June under the Korea Institute of Architecture and Urbanism (AURI), and among the nine works finally submitted, four including Yangcheon Park advanced to the finals after the first evaluation.

Yangcheon Park, submitted under the name 'Spatial Vaccine in the Pandemic Era, Yangcheon Park,' is a regeneration case of a neighborhood park in a new town over 30 years old, and a meaningful case that increased utilization by reflecting the era's demands through meticulous planning to enhance residents' use and convenience.

In particular, it was highly praised by the judging panel for its eco-friendly approach, such as using unused groundwater discharged from adjacent buildings to create water features in the park and considering the convenience of various groups including children and the disabled.

Yangcheon Park was reborn as a green resting space in the city through renovation last October. The previously hard gray asphalt floor was transformed into soft grass, becoming a green plaza that changes with the seasons. The park's book resting area, linked with an integrated playground and baby zone, has become a healing space encompassing generations where books, play, nature, and rest coexist. The beautiful sound of water created by a small stream connected to discharged groundwater offers visitors the freshness of nature.

The successful renovation of Yangcheon Park acts as an escape for urban residents seeking safety and comfort in the pandemic era and serves as a spatial vaccine for psychological and emotional stability and healthy physical activity.

Yangcheon-gu Mayor Kim Soo-young said, "I am very pleased that Yangcheon Park's '2021 Asia Urban Landscape Award' win recognizes the achievement of creating a healing space in the city," adding, "We will continue to strive to become a 'Garden City, Yangcheon' that provides high-quality green resting spaces and diverse cultural activities for residents."

Yeongdeungpo-gu (Mayor Chae Hyun-il) announced that it is working to reduce fine dust and overcome the climate crisis by creating an urban forest in Mullae Neighborhood Park in cooperation with HSBC Bank and the Life Forest Association.

The created urban forest is a lush ecological space located at 66 Mullae-dong 3-ga, Mullae Neighborhood Park, with a total area of 1,055㎡, planted with 2,187 trees including maple and Korean spice viburnum, and about 8,000 herbaceous plants.

The site had many bare lands due to severe trampling and aging facilities requiring maintenance. Also, it is near Mullae Station on Subway Line 2 with high foot traffic, and the site includes water features and resting shelters, making it a final target site for urban forest creation due to high facility utilization potential.

The urban forest includes not only trees and flowers but also a rain garden for effective rainwater management and an insect hotel as an eco-friendly insect habitat.

Additionally, tree species capable of filtering fine dust throughout the four seasons were planted at appropriate spacing to maximize fine dust reduction effects, and vegetation was arranged in a multi-layered structure to enhance carbon absorption and temperature reduction functions.

This urban forest creation is notable as a public-private partnership project where private companies handle construction orders, execution, financial support, and supervision, while the district provides the site and handles resident communication and administrative support.

In September, Yeongdeungpo-gu, HSBC Bank, and the Life Forest Association signed a business agreement for the creation and management of the urban forest in Mullae Neighborhood Park and agreed to actively cooperate for smooth progress.

HSBC Bank bore about 100 million KRW in project costs, the Life Forest Association took charge of overall construction execution, and the district was responsible for administrative support and aftercare during the construction process.

The district expects that this urban forest project will activate social contribution activities of private companies and public foundations and expand green resting spaces where residents can enjoy the vitality of nature in the middle of the city lacking green spaces.

Yeongdeungpo-gu Mayor Chae Hyun-il said, "I hope the urban forest in Mullae Neighborhood Park becomes a healing spot in the city where many residents can comfortably visit and rest," adding, "We will continue to strive to create a vibrant 'eco-friendly green city Yeongdeungpo' where local residents can enjoy various benefits of forests nearby."

On the 24th, Gwangjin-gu (Mayor Kim Seon-gap) held the 'Love Piggy Bank Sharing Event and Outstanding Childcare Staff Commendation Ceremony' at the district office auditorium.

The 'Love Piggy Bank Sharing Event,' hosted by the Gwangjin-gu Private Daycare Center Association, was designed to cultivate saving habits in children and teach the meaning of sharing by delivering coins collected by children to neighbors in need.

This year, children attending private daycare centers in Gwangjin-gu participated and filled their love piggy banks with their small hands over a year.

The total amount collected by the children was 9.31 million KRW, which will be donated to the Gwangjin Welfare Foundation and the Community Chest of Korea.

Also, despite difficult conditions due to the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic, the district presented certificates of appreciation to 20 daycare center directors and childcare teachers who have worked hard on-site to improve the quality of childcare, expressing gratitude and encouragement.

Gwangjin-gu Mayor Kim Seon-gap said, "I thank the Gwangjin-gu Private Daycare Center Association, childcare staff, and children who have participated in meaningful sharing every time," adding, "I hope this event helps children understand the meaning and importance of sharing and becomes a foundation for practicing the joy of donation and volunteering as adults."

Guro-gu (Mayor Lee Sung) is carrying out a crime prevention facility support project targeting crime-vulnerable groups.

On the 27th, Guro-gu announced, "Due to the recent increase in residential intrusion crimes against crime-vulnerable groups, we will support crime prevention facilities to alleviate psychological anxiety and create a safe residential environment."

The crime prevention facilities include security windows, double locks on front doors, window locks, and gas pipe protective covers. Up to 1 million KRW per household will be reimbursed, and overlapping installation within the support range is possible.

The support targets 80 households of basic livelihood security recipients, near-poverty groups, disabled persons, and elderly living alone aged 65 or older. Priority is given to residents in multi-family dense areas and crime-vulnerable areas; apartments are excluded.

Applicants should submit an application form and documents proving eligibility (basic livelihood security, near-poverty, disability certificates, resident registration) by email (songbora@guro.go.kr) or mail to the district's Architecture Department between January 1 and 31, 2022. Detailed information is available on the district website's news section.

Guro-gu plans to select beneficiaries through on-site surveys of housing types and safety vulnerability and review by the Urban Design Committee for Crime Prevention.

A district official said, "We expect the safety net for crime-vulnerable groups to become more solid through this support project," adding, "We will continue to do our best to make Guro safe."

Gangseo-gu, Seoul (Mayor Noh Hyun-song) will introduce a 'licensed street vendor' pilot zone, a coexistence model securing both the survival rights of street vendors and pedestrian rights of residents.

The district announced that it will create a licensed street vendor pilot zone along about 85 meters from 29 to 35 Deungchon-ro in the area around Hwagok Nambu Market.

The 'licensed street vendor system' officially grants road occupancy permits to street vendors meeting certain conditions that do not infringe on residents' pedestrian rights and urban aesthetics. Operators fulfill obligations such as paying occupancy fees and can operate stably.

It differs from physical pedestrian environment improvement projects that simply widen sidewalks and remove obstacles, as it pursues coexistence between residents and vendors.

Previously, the area around Deungchon-ro near Hwagok Nambu Market was congested due to many unauthorized street vendors occupying more than half of the sidewalk, causing inconvenience to residents' passage.

Therefore, the district decided to create and operate the area as a licensed street vendor pilot zone to secure pedestrian safety and protect livelihood-type street vendors.

To this end, since April, the district launched a street vendor coexistence policy council consisting of 15 members including street vendor operators, merchants, and resident representatives, and held meetings with related departments to facilitate smooth creation of the pilot zone.

As a result, the previously disorderly unauthorized street vendors were transformed into orderly, standardized street vendors resembling small shops.

Twelve new vendor stalls were produced and installed, some street trees and sidewalks occupying the middle of the sidewalk were renovated, improving the street's appearance and residents' walking convenience.

The district plans to complete the pilot zone by the end of this month and start full operation from January next year. It will also closely examine the pros and cons of the licensing system during the pilot operation to decide whether to expand the licensed street vendor system.

Mayor Noh Hyun-song said, "Through continuous communication and consultation, we have created a licensed street vendor pilot zone that both residents and street vendors can agree on," adding, "We will continue to develop the licensed street vendor system based on cooperation with street vendors, local merchants, and residents for coexistence and mutual growth."

Jongno-gu has prepared various programs for children and adolescents to grow with books and improve foreign language skills under native teacher guidance during the winter vacation.

First, from January 3 to 14, 2022, the '2021 Jongno-gu Winter Native English Camp' will be held. The target is elementary and middle school students residing in the area. Utilizing excellent educational resources from local universities, it was planned to provide experiences that can substitute for overseas training and instill confidence in foreign languages.

Before the official start of education, a pre-level test will be conducted to offer customized education tailored to each student. Also, to reduce parents' private education expenses, Jongno-gu will cover part to full tuition fees for children from multi-child or low-income families.

Next, at the Children's and Youth National Studies Library, from December 23 to February 25, 2022, four programs for elementary students will be sequentially operated: ▲Meeting with author Lee Seo-woo ▲Meeting with author Im Jeong-ja ▲Let's play with classic novels and debates! ▲History book art. All four programs will be conducted online non-face-to-face considering the spread of COVID-19.

From December 30 to February 24, 2022, 'Let's play with classic novels and debates!' will be held. Participants will read classic novels, learn about the historical and social background of the era when the works were written, and have discussions with friends on characters and events in the works.

From the 31st to February 25, 2022, 'History Book Art' will be conducted. It is a meaningful time to learn about major figures and events in ancient Korean society and organize them into book art.

The Children's and Youth National Studies Library also supported reading activities for lower and upper elementary students through meetings with authors on the 23rd and 24th.

On the 23rd, picture book author Lee Seo-woo read the themed book 'Jjeojeojeok' and learned about the process of making picture books. On the 24th, children's story author Im Jeong-ja taught the Baekdu Mountain myth through 'Princess Baekdu who defeated the Black Dragon and the Hundred Generals,' and participants made biological masks, receiving enthusiastic responses.

A district official said, "Although it is difficult to conduct face-to-face experiential activities or education as before COVID-19, we have prepared various programs so that students can spend a meaningful vacation and not miss learning opportunities," adding, "We will continue to strive to prepare quality programs utilizing local educational infrastructure and cultural and artistic resources."

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