Seogangseok, Songpa District Mayor, Establishes Nationwide First Allowance for Elderly Living Alone

Seok-Suk Seo, Mayor of Songpa District

Songpa-gu Establishes ‘Low-Income Elderly Living Assistance Allowance’ System Starting This Year, Providing 70,000 KRW Monthly

District Mayor Seo Gang-seok Leads Efforts to Expand Economic Support for Elderly Living Alone in Financial Hardship and Eliminate Welfare Blind Spots

Songpa-gu’s pioneering ‘Low-Income Elderly Living Assistance Allowance’ system, the first of its kind nationwide, is receiving great acclaim for providing tangible support to low-income elderly living alone within the district.

Songpa-gu (Mayor Seo Gang-seok) has been providing a monthly living assistance allowance of 70,000 KRW since January 2023 to legally designated low-income elderly living alone, aiming to realize comprehensive welfare support for socially vulnerable groups.

For example, Ms. A (80, female), an elderly living alone in Geoyeo 2-dong, relies mainly on the National Pension and Basic Pension, supplementing her income by working intermittently as a domestic helper for three hours a day through senior job programs. She has been struggling with medical expenses due to knee pain requiring hospital visits, but expressed gratitude as the monthly allowance greatly helps with her treatment costs.

Mr. B (72), residing in Jangji-dong, is not a recipient of the Basic Livelihood Security Program but has faced financial difficulties including overdue health insurance premiums and communication bills. After moving to Songpa-gu, he began receiving the ‘Elderly Living Alone Assistance Allowance’ from January this year and expressed appreciation for the significant help it provides to his living conditions.

Mr. C (80), a hearing-impaired resident of Wirye-dong, who is unable to work due to illness and old age, conveyed sincere thanks for the additional monthly allowance provided by the district office, which helps him live with less hardship.

Expanding support for socially vulnerable groups was Mayor Seo Gang-seok’s first directive after taking office. In September last year, Songpa-gu partially amended the ‘Ordinance on Supporting the Living Stability of Low-Income Residents in Songpa-gu, Seoul’ and secured a budget of approximately 260 million KRW for the 2023 low-income elderly living assistance allowance.

Accordingly, Songpa-gu established the nation’s first ‘Songpa-gu Low-Income Elderly Living Assistance Allowance’ system. The recipients are elderly living alone aged 65 or older who are classified as low-income but do not qualify for basic livelihood benefits, representing a welfare blind spot in urgent need of economic support. Currently, 70,000 KRW is paid monthly on the 20th to eligible residents.

Mayor Seo Gang-seok stated, “We will continue to expand economic and other support that provides practical help to low-income elderly living alone in financial difficulty,” adding, “We will do our utmost to implement seamless welfare policies to ensure no resident is left behind, thereby enhancing the stability and quality of life of our citizens.”

Seocho-gu Prevents Tragic Deaths of Single-Person Households in Goshiwons through Special Community Management

Public-Private Partnership Network Established with Dong Community Security Council to Prevent Solitary Deaths in Goshiwons with Many Single-Person Households

‘SNS Community Hubs’ Created to Build Trust between Goshiwon Managers and Residents through Project Announcements and Monitoring

‘Tailored Education’ Enhances Understanding of Welfare and Strengthens Response Capabilities through Safety Training

‘Book Sharing Dream Support Project’ Provides Donated Books to Residents to Aid Psychological Recovery

According to statistics from the Seoul Welfare Foundation, over 1,100 solitary death risk cases occurred in Seoul in 2021, with risks especially heightened in old housing and goshiwons.

Seocho-gu (Mayor Jeon Seong-su), specifically Seocho 1-dong, has established a dense safety net to prevent solitary deaths centered on goshiwons, where reclusive individuals, middle-aged single-person households, and youth reside. This initiative is called the ‘Seocho 1-dong Goshiwon No-Solitary Death Network’ (hereafter ‘GogoNet’).

‘GogoNet’ is a solitary death prevention safety net jointly operated by Seocho 1-dong Community Service Center and the Dong Community Security Council to ensure safe living environments and prompt welfare service support for welfare recipients residing in goshiwons.

Seocho 1-dong has 42 goshiwons, a higher number than other dongs in Seocho-gu, and a single-person household rate of 45%, prompting the need for special management of at-risk goshiwon residents.

The main projects of ‘GogoNet’ include ▲public-private cooperation network for goshiwons ▲solitary death prevention safety education and meetings for goshiwon managers ▲book delivery support for goshiwons ▲coloring psychological support and welfare check-in services, all aimed at alleviating welfare blind spots among goshiwon residents.

First, the ‘Goshiwon Public-Private Cooperation Network’ established a community hub for the 42 goshiwon managers and residents within the dong on the 17th. Using SNS platforms such as Naver Band and KakaoTalk, trust and bonds between managers and residents are fostered. Information on welfare services, single-person household support projects, job opportunities, and district news is also shared. Dong Community Service Center staff and welfare planners are members of this network, regularly monitoring goshiwon residents at risk of solitary death. Real-time chat enables swift identification of welfare blind spot households in crisis.

On the 22nd, Seocho 1-dong Community Service Center provided welfare guidance to goshiwon managers and residents. Using the ‘How to Find At-Risk Households’ guidebook, produced nationwide for the first time by the district last November, they introduced case types of neighbors requiring close attention in daily life. Other topics included ▲emergency welfare programs ▲single-person household support projects ▲fire extinguisher and emergency escape device training by Seocho Fire Station ▲and gathering opinions from goshiwon managers.

Since last month, a pilot ‘Book Sharing Dream Support Project’ has been operating in three goshiwons with many low-income residents. Books donated regularly by members of the Dong Community Security Council are delivered 2-3 times monthly by volunteers to bookshelves set up at goshiwon reception areas. The collection includes children’s books, essays, webtoon novels, and other uplifting titles, with residents’ book requests also accepted.

Mr. Ju (in his 50s), a resident of a Seocho 1-dong goshiwon, said, “Receiving books I wanted to read through the ‘Book Sharing Dream’ project has brought me comfort and hope,” adding, “I feel grateful for the support from not only the community center but also the goshiwon managers and many others.”

Lastly, since last month, a coloring psychological support project called ‘Checking In Through Art’ has been conducted for high-risk individuals in goshiwons. Welfare planners provide art kits including colored pencils and coloring papers to participants, with an exhibition of their works planned for June. This project aims to support hobbies, provide emotional support, and help prevent dementia, achieving triple benefits.

Seocho-gu Mayor Jeon Seong-su stated, “We hope welfare projects like ‘GogoNet’ that involve the community become small channels of comfort for those who feel lonely,” and added, “We will build even more comprehensive safety nets to prevent further tragedies among our neighbors.”