Opening of 'Gangdong 50 Plus Center' for a Shining Second Act in Life

3-Minute Walk from Amsa Station, Creation of a Complex Cultural Space with 2 Basement and 6 Above-Ground Floors... Various Courses for 50+ Generation Begin with Poet Yong Hyewon's Opening Lecture on the 11th

[Asia Economy Reporter Jongil Park] Raising children and working tirelessly, I am already approaching 60 years old. The time has come to live alone without any preparation for retirement, but I feel completely lost about how to live.

Gangdong-gu (Mayor Jeonghoon Lee) has opened the 'Gangdong 50 Plus Center' with the vision of 'Happy Middle Age Life, Stable Preparation for Old Age' to support the lives of middle-aged people entering the second half of their lives.

At the opening ceremony on the 11th, which marked the official start of operations of the Gangdong 50 Plus Center, many people attended, and poet Hyewon Yong gave a commemorative lecture titled 'People Who Are Good to Be With'.

The Gangdong 50 Plus Center (752 Olympic-ro, Gangdong-gu) is the largest among the 11 Seoul 50 Plus Centers, with a total floor area of 2,783㎡, consisting of 2 basement floors and 6 above-ground floors, and is located within a 3-minute walk from Amsa Station, enhancing accessibility for residents.

The basement 1st floor consists of a large auditorium suitable for lectures and performances and a multipurpose room for various arts and physical activities. The 1st floor houses a counseling center where specialized consultations can be received by field and a senior caf?, serving as a multifunctional complex space. The 2nd floor includes a studio for video content production and a computer room for IT practice. The 4th floor consists of classrooms offering various courses ranging from leisure to employment. The 5th floor features shared offices supporting startups and creative activities for the 50+ generation, as well as community rooms for meetings and group activities.

Moreover, spaces that can embrace various generations within the building have also been created.

In particular, the 'Gangdong 50 Plus Center' is the only Seoul 50 Plus Center directly operated by the district to ensure consistent middle-aged policies in Gangdong-gu. This is because securing the public nature of policies targeting middle-aged people is an urgent task at a time when average life expectancy is increasing while retirement age is getting earlier.

At the opening ceremony, Jeonghoon Lee, Mayor of Gangdong-gu, said, “We will spare no support for the exciting second half of life for the 50+ generation in Gangdong-gu,” and added, “We will actively develop various programs for the 50+ generation.”

Since starting operations in October, the Gangdong 50 Plus Center has been running about 30 diverse programs, including the ‘Gangdong Pumasi’ activity group reflecting Gangdong-gu’s characteristics and writing autobiographies for the 50+ generation. All courses fill up as soon as recruitment opens, establishing the center as a complex cultural hub for the 50+ generation in Gangdong-gu.