Wanju-gun Promotes Designation as an 'Age-Friendly City'

Research Project Launched for Certification of Age-Friendly Cities

[Wanju=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Kim Han-ho] Wanju County is moving to designate itself as an age-friendly city.

On the 30th, Wanju County announced that it has launched a research project for certification as an age-friendly city by the World Health Organization (WHO).

The age-friendly city initiative is promoted by WHO to effectively respond to the global trends of aging and urbanization, with over 1,000 cities in 41 countries worldwide participating.

Once designated as an age-friendly city, it can secure an international network and discuss systematic and continuous elderly policy directions and implementation plans to prepare for rapid aging.

Accordingly, Wanju County plans to develop diagnostics and guidelines for creating an age-friendly city through the research project and prepare an implementation plan to obtain certification by the end of the year.

Considering that 24% of Wanju County’s total population is aged 65 or older, the county has set responding to a super-aged society as one of the 100 key tasks in the 7th local government administration.

Park Seong-il, the mayor of Wanju County, said, “Last July, we enacted the ‘Ordinance on the Creation of an Age-Friendly City in Wanju County’ and appointed 12 experts in related fields to form the Age-Friendly City Creation Committee. Having received UNICEF Child-Friendly City certification as the second in the country, we will accelerate efforts to create a livable urban environment for all generations in the region through designation as an age-friendly city.”

Wanju=Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Kim Han-ho stonepeak@asiae.co.kr