Hwaseong Special City Opens Country's First Warm 'Geunaedream On(溫) Lounge'

[Suwon Ilbo=Reporter Jung Jun-sung] On the 27th of last month, Narae-ul Comprehensive Social Welfare Center, located in Hwaseong Special City, held an opening ceremony for the 'Narae-ul Geunaedream On(溫) Lounge' on the B1 floor of the facility.

The 'Geunaedream On(溫) Lounge' is a space created by remodeling the existing Narae-ul Food Market (Geunaedream business location), with the aim of alleviating the psychological burden on users and providing an emotionally warm environment.

The opening ceremony proceeded with △'Geunaedream' progress report △welcome remarks and congratulatory speeches △donation of menstrual products △ribbon cutting ceremony △facility tour, and was attended by Mayor Jung Myung-geun, National Assembly member Kwon Chil-seung, Gyeonggi Province Councilor Park Jin-young, Park Jin-young, CEO Hwang Un-sung of Hwaseong City Social Welfare Foundation, CEO Song Hye-ja of Blue Works, Hwaseong branch manager Kim Yong-joo of NH Bank, and officials from Narae-ul Welfare Center.

In his remarks, Mayor Jung Myung-geun said, "The warm 'Geunaedream On(溫) Lounge' is a space completed by the gathering of hearts of Hwaseong Special City residents," and added, "I deeply thank all citizens, Narae-ul Welfare Center, agricultural cooperative staff, and those who participated in donations for their efforts to transform the somewhat cramped space into something new."

Mayor Jung also emphasized that "Geunaedream is not just a space that provides food, but a pathway connecting those left in welfare blind spots to institutional welfare systems." He further stated, "Beyond the current four operating locations, we plan to expand to two or more locations in each district," and added, "Through the installation of shared refrigerators, we will establish a virtuous cycle in which citizens help neighbors in need."

Furthermore, Mayor Jung Myung-geun stated, "Since we are opening the country's first 'Geunaedream On(溫) Lounge,' I will fulfill my responsibility to make Hwaseong Special City a leading 'Geunaedream' model city nationwide."

■ Sanitary Pads 'Just Provided'

At the opening ceremony, a women's hygiene product donation event drew attention.

'Sanitary Pad Geunaedream' is an initiative implemented rapidly at the local government level following President Yoon Suk Yeol's remarks in January about the burden of sanitary pad costs and the need to reduce prices and improve accessibility. It is significant in that the central government's issue was substantified as on-site policy, creating practical solutions.

The core of the 'Sanitary Pad Geunaedream' project is to provide sanitary pads to users of 'Geunaedream' as needed, alleviating their economic burden. This expands the existing project, which had focused on food support, to essential daily living areas, and is evaluated as a community-focused support model that supplements basic daily needs.

Song Hye-ja, CEO of Blue Works attending the event, is a business leader from Jeongnam, Hwaseong, who donated 5 million won to support women's hygiene products in response to the purpose of 'Geunaedream,' participating in the 'Sanitary Pad Geunaedream' sharing initiative.

Song, who was the first donor to 'Geunaedream,' said, "I have memories of experiencing inconvenience and hardship due to insufficient sanitary pads during my school years," and continued, "I hope that children and citizens of Hwaseong will grow their dreams in a more stable environment without the difficulties that previous generations experienced due to menstruation."

The city plans to use the donated funds to produce and pilot (tentative name) 'Koriyo Sanitary Pads' this year and stock them at 'Geunaedream' business locations. Through this, the policy's purpose will be connected to practical support and implemented as welfare felt on site.

■ Warm(溫) or Stable(穩)... Hwaseong City's Unique 'Geunaedream' Space Innovation

The 'Geunaedream On(溫) Lounge,' created with a total investment of 25 million won, is drawing attention as a new attempt that expands the existing goods provision space into a 'space to stay.' Experts note that the expandability and adaptability of 'Geunaedream' stand out, as it has been restructured from simple support into a space connecting stay, consultation, and connection.

The 'Geunaedream On(溫) Lounge' project began after setting implementation guidelines in December 2025, followed by task force meetings, design, and internal coordination, with construction starting in February.

Inside the space are wooden chairs manufactured through citizen participation, a 'Koriyo' 3D model created by the Hwaseong City Talent Development Foundation's Seoyeon Connection Center, and a 'Tree of Hope' created together by Narae-ul Welfare Center staff, embodying the dedication of the community.

Through remodeling, the space is now much brighter and organized in white tones, with significantly improved overall brightness and openness. Breaking away from the previous dark and cramped atmosphere, the now-brightened space has high visibility and catches the eye immediately upon visiting Narae-ul Welfare Center.

Additionally, a separate independent consultation space has been established so that users can receive counseling in a more stable atmosphere. This change focuses not only on environmental improvement but also on reducing the psychological burden on users and creating an environment where they feel respected.

A user met on site said, "The space is much brighter and organized than before, and I felt at ease the moment I entered," adding, "It's more noticeable and the atmosphere is softer, so I can use it without burden," showing a positive response.

Meanwhile, the 'On' in the name 'Geunaedream On(溫) Lounge' carries two meanings. One is 'On' (溫) meaning warm, signifying warm welfare that embraces not just material support but also the hearts of people. The other is 'On' (穩) meaning stable, representing a space where users can recover their daily lives without feeling discouraged and while being respected.

■ Dense Expansion of 'Social Safety Net' Beyond Regional Bases to Living Areas

As of March, the city is operating 'Geunaedream' with five hub locations by region, investing a total budget of 348.2 million won through national, provincial, and city funds.

Based on the operational results of three months, the city is fully implementing 'Hwaseong City Geunaedream (Shared Refrigerator)' to expand the existing regional hub-centered system into citizen living areas. 'Hwaseong City Geunaedream (Shared Refrigerator)' is a community-focused welfare model that installs and operates shared refrigerators in spaces with high citizen accessibility, such as eup, myeon, and dong administrative welfare centers and welfare facilities.

The city plans to install and operate a total of 32 shared refrigerators in phases. Starting from Ujeong-eup, Namyang-eup, Saesol-dong, Byeongjeom 1-dong, and Dongtan 9-dong where shared refrigerators are already installed, △8 locations at welfare centers in March 2026 △10 locations in eup, myeon, and dong areas in June 2026 △14 locations in eup, myeon, and dong areas in December 2026 are scheduled to be provided sequentially.