Seodaemun-gu, Sustainable Senior Job Projects Promoted Despite COVID-19

Providing Various Market-Type Jobs Such as Side Dish Sales, Mobile Car Wash, and Childcare... Creating Eco-Friendly Senior Jobs Including 'Free Distribution After Ice Pack Collection'

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Seodaemun-gu (Mayor Moon Seok-jin) is providing various "market-type jobs" for senior generations aged 60 and over this year as well, including Yamiyami, Chwiikchwiik, Bodeumbodeum, Ddingdongddingdong, Senior Service Man, Eastern, and Pposongpposong.

"Yamiyami" is a job that involves making and selling side dishes, with delivery services available for regular customers.

"Chwiikchwiik" is a mobile steam car wash service that performs both exterior washing and interior disinfection, with demand so high that reservations are usually difficult to make.

"Bodeumbodeum" is a job that involves visiting applicant households to take care of children aged 5 to early elementary school students.

"Ddingdongddingdong" is a service that receives mail entrusted to kiosks (unmanned terminals) and submits it to nearby post offices or transports it via subway for delivery.

"Senior Service Man" is dispatched to drive-thru coffee shops to assist with pedestrian safety.

Last year, the number of participants in these market-type senior jobs implemented through the Seodaemun Senior Club ranged from an average of 5 to a maximum of 11 (Chwiikchwiik) per month by project. Participants worked about 15 hours per week and earned an average of 300,000 to 340,000 KRW per month.

In 2020, the highest income by project was from "Yamiyami" with 86.83 million KRW, while other projects earned between 10 million and 20 million KRW.

In addition to these projects, jobs such as "Eastern," where seniors work as baristas making and selling beverages at a cafe inside the Seodaemun Comprehensive Social Welfare Center, and "Pposongpposong," which collects laundry, washes and dries it, and then delivers it, are actively operated.

Also, new projects started this year include "Ice Pack Eco-Friendly Sharing," which collects ice packs from boxes installed at community service centers, cleans them, and delivers them free of charge to small business owners, and "Ansan Keeper Activities," which guide visitors on social distancing and mask-wearing on Ansan Jarak-gil.

Despite the COVID-19 situation last year, Seodaemun-gu provided senior jobs to a total of 4,550 people, exceeding the target of 4,400, and plans to expand participation to 5,000 this year.

Moon Seok-jin, Mayor of Seodaemun-gu, said, "We will continue to strive to discover various senior jobs to promote vitality through social activity participation and provide supplementary income support for the elderly."