Why Did Park Junhee, Gwanak-gu Mayor, Roll Up His Sleeves to Directly Improve Senior Centers' Environment?

Creating a Clean and Inviting Senior Center Environment by Removing Built-Up Dirt During Closure Periods

Park Jun-hee, head of Gwanak District Office, participated in wallpapering work at the Seowon Senior Center.

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] Park Jun-hee, Mayor of Gwanak-gu, has rolled up his sleeves to create a pleasant and welcoming environment in senior centers to ensure a healthy and stable old age for the elderly.

Senior centers, which are community-based spaces where most elderly spend their leisure time, face difficulties in facility and equipment management due to the high number of elderly users and frequent use.

Additionally, following the long-term COVID-19 pandemic and the suspension of operations since November last year, the centers reopened on April 15. This project was undertaken to ensure that seniors can return to clean and comfortable spaces.

The district commissioned professional cleaning companies to conduct thorough indoor and outdoor cleaning and disinfection of the senior centers, replacing severely contaminated wallpaper and flooring to prepare for reopening.

The large-scale cleaning project for senior centers, first implemented with the launch of the 7th local government administration, was carried out in line with the district’s policy direction of serving the elderly and practicing filial piety. Encouraged by the strong positive response from senior center users, the project has been expanded and promoted further this year.

So far, the district has completed deep cleaning at 42 locations and replaced wallpaper and flooring at 17 locations, planning to continuously expand the environmental improvement projects by increasing the number of target senior centers each year.

The head of a senior center in Bongcheon-dong, where the deep cleaning was conducted, said, “After leaving the center empty all winter, having the accumulated grime removed from every corner feels very refreshing. I was anxious due to COVID-19, but the district office’s thorough cleaning has lightened my heart and eased my worries. I am very grateful.”

On the 9th and 12th, Park Jun-hee, Mayor of Gwanak-gu, personally visited the Seowon Senior Center and Wondang Senior Center to participate in indoor and outdoor cleaning and wallpaper replacement work.

Mayor Park Jun-hee said, “Since the launch of the 7th local government administration, we have prioritized the health and welfare of the elderly in our governance. Moving forward, we will continue to strive to improve the quality of life for seniors and create a pleasant environment in senior centers so they can enjoy a healthy old age.”