Neighbors Looking After Neighbors... Resident-Led Village Crisis Response Program Launched in Full

A village crisis response project where residents directly step forward to address safety issues that are difficult for government services to reach is being launched in full.

Gyeonggi Province and the Gyeonggi Province Community Support Center held a 'Resident-Led Village Crisis Response Project Results Sharing Meeting' at Seo Jung University on the 28th. The meeting addressed the results of projects implemented in three villages in Yangju City this year and future development plans.

The village crisis response project aims to supplement the limitations of public relief and establish a system of care among neighbors and resident-led crisis response. The project started in 2024 and has since been implemented in seven villages across five cities.

This year, residents from three villages in Yangju City—Namyeong-myeon, Gwangjok-myeon, and Hoecheon 1-dong—participated in the project, directly investigating risk factors and crisis types in each village and developing solutions.

In Namyeong-myeon and Hoecheon 1-dong, elderly residents and those with mobility challenges were connected with workers from village factories to establish a system for regular check-ins and preparedness for various accidents. In Gwangjok-myeon, foreign residents, resident autonomy councils, and merchant associations worked together to create a community safety net for responding to fires in traditional markets.

Song Eun-sil, Director of the Social Innovation and Economy Bureau of Gyeonggi Province, said, "This is a project that confirmed the potential of resident-led crisis response combining the voluntary solidarity of residents and the expertise of universities," and added, "We plan to continue providing support so that daily care among neighbors and village-level safety networks can be stably established."

Students from the nursing and emergency medical technology departments of Seo Jung University, along with the Gyeonggi Province Community Support Center, participated in supporting customized village crisis response activities.