Cases feature district mascots 'Dongjaki and Gukwhassi,' with practical storage and overseas safety information — offered free once per resident on passport pickup

District also runs mobile passport delivery, late-night passport counter and other resident-centered services

The front of a passport
The front of a passport

Dongjak-gu said it has produced passport cases to protect the electronic chips in next-generation e-passports and improve convenience for users, with distribution to residents beginning Oct. 1.

The cases are made of transparent PVC so the passport cover remains visible, and feature a cut-out design for easy insertion and removal.

The front bears the district's mascots, "Dongjaki and Gukwhassi," giving the case a distinctly Dongjak-gu identity. The back lists the Ministry of Foreign Affairs consular call center number and the overseas safe travel website address, so residents can access emergency assistance or safety information while abroad.

An interior pocket accommodates boarding passes, cards and other items, adding to the case's practicality.

A total of 12,000 cases were produced. They are available free of charge — one per person — to residents who visit Dongjak-gu Office to collect a passport after applying for one.

The district also provides a range of tailored resident services: a mobile passport delivery service for senior citizens and people with disabilities, a mobile marriage registration service for residents with severe disabilities, and extended evening hours at the passport counter every Friday from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

On Tuesday, the district was recognized as an outstanding institution in the Ministry of Interior and Safety's "2026 Happy Civil Service Office Certification" program, an acknowledgment of its resident-centered approach to public services.

The district said it will continue to improve its civil service operations and raise service quality going forward.

"We are pursuing a range of administrative services so that residents can ease the inconveniences of daily life and get the help they need close to home," Dongjak-gu District Mayor Ryu Sam-young said. "We will keep listening to residents' voices and consistently developing practical policies that bring real change to their everyday lives."


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