Seoul’s Gangseo-gu (Mayor Jin Kyo-hoon) is drawing on the ‘2026 Hope Ondol Warm Winter Relief Fund’ — which set a record for the largest amount raised by any autonomous district in Seoul — to help vulnerable seniors get through the summer. The initiative returns the warmth residents gathered in winter as summer welfare benefits ahead of Chobok, the first of the dog days, with health meals such as samgyetang (ginseng chicken soup) being shared across the district, starting in Hwagok 8-dong and continuing in Deungchon 2-dong, Ujangsan-dong and beyond. On the 15th at 1 p.m., the Hope Dream Team of Hwagok 8-dong (chief Yoon Mi-seon) will hold a ‘Health Kit Sharing Event,’ delivering samgyetang, summer bedding and more to 100 vulnerable seniors.
The Hwagok 8-dong event was funded by a combined 3.5 million won drawn from the Warm Winter Relief Fund and private sponsorship from Kkachisan Tapbon Clinic (48 Gangseo-ro) within the district. The health kits are practically assembled, pairing easy-to-prepare restorative dishes such as samgyetang and abalone porridge to help seniors regain their strength with summer bedding for a comfortable night’s sleep in the heat. As prolonged heat waves make the health management of households with poor cooling and seniors living alone an annual challenge for local welfare, the way winter fundraising has flowed naturally into summer demand is drawing attention.
Summer sharing funded by the relief drive is spreading across Gangseo-gu, filling gaps in the welfare safety net. Deungchon 2-dong is running a ‘Hearty Summer Table Sharing’ program that provides nutritious meals — including herbal galbitang, abalone samgyetang and beef bulgogi — to 60 seniors living alone, while also offering guidance on how to cope with heat waves during deliveries. On the 14th at 11 a.m., Ujangsan-dong will deliver samgyetang, fruit and fresh kimchi to 55 households of seniors living alone and low-income single middle-aged residents. The effort goes beyond simply providing food, placing emphasis on checking in on neighbors who live alone and easing their sense of social isolation.
 [코리안투데이] Supplies for the Hearty Summer Table Sharing event (Deungchon 2-dong Community Service Center) © 송정숙 기자 |
The ‘2026 Hope Ondol Warm Winter’ campaign that underpins this initiative was a fundraising drive the district ran over three months beginning last November, collecting 8.06 billion won — the largest amount ever recorded by an autonomous district in Seoul. Donated goods were distributed immediately during the winter, while the cash fund is being disbursed in step with seasonal welfare needs, as seen here. The focus falls not only on the scale of the fundraising but on the distribution process — ‘when and to whom it is delivered.’
Yoon Mi-seon, chief of Hwagok 8-dong, said, “I hope the samgyetang and bedding we prepared with care will offer at least a little help for seniors to spend a cool and healthy summer,” adding, “We will continue to do our best to care for marginalized neighbors in our community.” Mayor Jin Kyo-hoon said, “Increasing the amount raised matters, but so does the distribution process of delivering it to neighbors in need at the right time,” adding, “I hope residents’ warm support will be a great source of strength for seniors to overcome the heat, and we will continue to build a tightly knit care system.” For more details on the Hwagok 8-dong sharing event, contact the Hwagok 8-dong Community Service Center (☎02-2600-7706).
Photo captions (in order): Samgyetang sharing event (2025, Hwagok 8-dong Community Service Center) | Supplies for the Hearty Summer Table Sharing event (Deungchon 2-dong Community Service Center)
 [코리안투데이] Samgyetang sharing event (2025, Hwagok 8-dong Community Service Center) © 송정숙 기자 |
송정숙 기자 (gangseo@thekoreantoday.com)
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