Gyeonggi Province in 'All-Out Effort' to Prevent Tragedy Like 'Kimpo Family Deaths'

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Park No-hun] Gyeonggi Province has decided to make an all-out effort to prevent a recurrence of tragedy like the 'Kimpo family deaths' through strengthened discovery and support for those in welfare blind spots during winter.

According to the province on the 8th, the intensive discovery and support for welfare blind spots will be implemented across four areas—▲discovery ▲management ▲support ▲policy development—through the end of next month.

First, the province plans to conduct a comprehensive survey on apartment residents in the province regarding delinquency in apartment maintenance fees, rent, and other payments.
Unlike single-family homes where delinquency information can be easily grasped, apartments have been difficult to monitor for individual households because utilities are included in maintenance fees and paid collectively. The province plans to strengthen monitoring of apartments to supplement weaknesses in the existing welfare blind spot discovery system.
The province explained that it is conducting this comprehensive survey in consideration of the fact that apartment residents often face difficulties in becoming eligible for government assistance such as basic livelihood security and may not even attempt to seek welfare counseling or applications.
The province plans to link the survey with the resident registration fact-checking implemented from the 7th to enhance efficiency, while mobilizing the 'community human safety network' including social welfare officials from 31 cities and counties and eup and myeon in the province, approximately 34,000 honorary social welfare officials, and approximately 9,400 members of regional community welfare councils to ensure thorough investigation.

Second, the province plans to strengthen management of implementation in all 31 cities and counties to ensure even discovery and support across municipalities without discrepancy.
To this end, the province has decided to organize and operate an inspection team consisting of 17 members from five departments with the Provincial Welfare Director as team leader. The inspection team will check the status of discovery and support initiatives across the province and listen to field difficulties, enabling an active discovery system suited to local conditions.

Third, the province has decided to strengthen support for households in crisis through flexible operation of 'Gyeonggi-type Emergency Welfare' support standards and active utilization of 'Infinite Care Fund' and the like.
First, the support standards for 'Gyeonggi-type Emergency Welfare' will be substantially relaxed and support amounts will be expanded.
▲Income standard: 80% of median household income or less → 90% of median household income or less ▲Asset standard: 150 million won → 242 million won ▲Financial standard: 5 million won → 10 million won, etc., allowing more at-risk households in the province to receive support.
In addition, nursing care allowances will be increased from 2 million won to 3 million won, and housing allowances from 250,000 won to 290,000 won respectively. Support for unpaid electricity bills (up to 500,000 won) will also be provided. Support for crisis households through private resources such as the 'Infinite Care Fund' will also be expanded. The province plans to use the 'Infinite Care Fund' created through the Love Harvest campaign and the provincial government employees' donation movement to support at-risk households in the province that are facing economic difficulties but are not eligible for public assistance.

Finally, a TF team will be operated to develop policies to discover and support residents facing crisis.
The province plans to establish a 'Task Force Team for Discovering and Supporting Residents in Crisis' this month, including not only welfare-related government departments such as the Welfare Bureau, Public Health and Welfare Bureau, and Women and Family Bureau, but also the Planning and Coordination Bureau, Autonomous Administration Bureau, and Gyeonggi Welfare Foundation. The 'Task Force Team for Discovering and Supporting Residents in Crisis' will develop and implement policies to prevent extreme choices by residents in crisis through reexamination of existing support policies.

A province official stated, "We plan to focus all our capabilities so that residents facing crisis do not make unfortunate choices without seeking help," and added, "We ask that you pay more attention to the difficulties of your neighbors and do not hesitate to report any issues."