Busan is good

Busan Metropolitan City Holds Inauguration Ceremony for Honorary Social Welfare Officers from the Busan Volunteer Fire Department Association

내용

Busan Metropolitan City (Mayor Park Heong-joon) announced that it will hold the “Inauguration Ceremony for Honorary Social Welfare Officers from the Busan Volunteer Fire Department Association (Chairman for Men: Yoo Seong-jae; Chairwoman for Women: Lee Hyun-joo, hereinafter ‘the Association’)” at 4:00 p.m. today (July 3) in the Grand Auditorium at City Hall.

This ceremony marks the official launch of 1,878 honorary social welfare officers, appointed through an agreement between the city and the Association, as they begin their activities in the field of welfare. The event aims to instill a sense of pride and motivation in the newly appointed officers.

On March 28, Busan Metropolitan City became the first metropolitan government to sign a “Memorandum of Understanding for the Discovery and Support of Households in Welfare Crisis” with the Association. Based on this agreement, a total of 1,878 members from various districts have been appointed as honorary social welfare officers.

Approximately 700 of these officers are expected to attend the inauguration ceremony, along with Mayor Park Heong-joon.

During the event, honorary social welfare officer appointment certificates will be awarded to the two association chairs. Following the ceremony, training will be provided on operational guidelines and precautions to effectively support the discovery of households in crisis and address welfare blind spots.

The newly appointed honorary officers will engage in:

• ●Discovering and reporting households in need,

• ●Identifying and linking local welfare resources,

• ●Participating in specialized welfare programs at the township level.

The Volunteer Fire Department is a frontline organization in disaster response and citizen safety, typically assisting with fire-related operations, providing safety support at events such as rallies and performances, and conducting patrols and recovery efforts for disaster prevention. The city anticipates that the department’s organizational strength and field experience will also contribute significantly to the welfare sector.

Meanwhile, an "Honorary Social Welfare Officer" refers to a local resident serving voluntarily and without compensation as part of a human network that identifies households in welfare crisis within the community.

These officers are comprised of:

• ●Members of district and township Community Welfare Councils,

• ●Welfare liaison officers,

• ●Local civic group members,

• ●Volunteers,

• ●People working in everyday service industries.

As of the end of June 2025, a total of 25,781 honorary social welfare officers are active throughout Busan.

Mayor Park Heong-joon remarked, “With this inauguration ceremony, the human safety net in our communities will become warmer and more comprehensive, allowing more citizens to be protected under the umbrella of our local welfare services,” and added, “We will continue to expand the foundation for public-private cooperation to build a happy and inclusive community, 'Safe and Well Busan,' where no one is left behind. Furthermore, we will strengthen our preemptive response system for crises to deliver welfare services that citizens can truly feel close to them.”