Choi Ho-kwon, Yeongdeungpo District Mayor, Emphasizes "The Government Must Be a Dutiful Son" Even in Daily Life
Mayor Choi Completed Visits to a Total of 170 Senior Centers from January 16 to May 30
Burden Ratio for Apartment Senior Center Facility Improvements to be Drastically Reduced from 50% to 10%
Considering Floor Area Ratio Increase When Expanding Senior Center Facilities Related to Redevelopment and Reconstruction
On May 2, Introduced the Nation’s First ‘Caregiver Family Rest System’ to Solve the Problem of Sole Caregiving
Choi Ho-gwon, Mayor of Yeongdeungpo District, visited the Hanshin Apartment Senior Center in Mullae Park on the 30th of last month and posed with the elderly making the "I love you" gesture.
The senior citizen service efforts of Choi Ho-kwon, Mayor of Yeongdeungpo District, have become a hot topic.
Mayor Choi concluded the “Warm Journey with Seniors” by visiting a total of 170 senior centers, ending with the Hanshin Apartment Senior Center in Mullae Park on May 30. Starting on January 16, he completed a grand tour of all senior centers in the district over approximately five months.
During this time, Mayor Choi carefully inspected every corner inside and outside the senior centers and listened attentively to the seniors’ voices. Moving beyond mere formal visits to check on well-being and leave a face impression, he proposed rough solutions to the issues raised on-site. As a result, it was common for a visit to a single senior center to take anywhere from 30 minutes to over an hour.
Mayor Choi is known as a dutiful son who sincerely cares for his living mother.
The seniors mainly spoke about increasing senior center operating expenses, improving the environment, and local long-standing projects. Mayor Choi responded with explanations of district administration and concrete plans, saying, “Which issue should we resolve first?” and “Since these require budget, we will seek approval from the district council and resolve them sequentially.”
This approach aligns closely with Mayor Choi’s usual beliefs. He has often emphasized, “Seniors are the main contributors who brought South Korea into the ranks of advanced countries,” and “We should not just talk about preparing for a super-aged society; the government must become a dutiful son.”
Accordingly, the district has significantly strengthened support this year under the policy of fostering senior centers with good accessibility as welfare hubs for the elderly. First, senior center operating expenses were increased by about 20%. Along with the increase, a new lunch support fund of 100,000 to 300,000 KRW per center per month was established. Additionally, to accommodate seniors with joint problems, seated furniture is being replaced with standing furniture, and emotional programs for single-person households and digital gap reduction education are being promoted to create smart senior centers.
Support for apartment senior centers, which have been a blind spot in facility improvements, is also being actively pursued. Currently, apartment senior centers are common areas under the ‘Seoul Metropolitan Government Apartment Management Regulations.’ Therefore, when repairs are needed, at least 50% of the cost must be borne by the apartment complex. As a result, senior centers often rank lower in priority than parking lots, security lights, and children’s playgrounds, and many still use fluorescent lights instead of LED. To address this, the district is preparing a plan to drastically reduce the apartment’s burden ratio from 50% to 10% when improving senior center facilities.
Furthermore, the district is reviewing a plan to provide floor area ratio incentives when senior centers meet certain size and facility standards in connection with redevelopment and reconstruction projects. The plan is to present a ‘Yeongdeungpo-type Smart Silver Center model’ equipped with digital devices in preparation for a super-aged society.
Starting May 2, the district also launched a pilot project for the ‘Caregiver Family Rest System’ to address the increased care demand due to the growing elderly population, especially the problem of ‘sole caregiving.’ Yeongdeungpo District is the first in the nation to recruit volunteers to provide gap care. The project involves volunteers temporarily caring for those who require constant care due to dementia or other conditions, allowing families to take a break.
Choi Ho-gwon, Mayor of Yeongdeungpo District, is giving a greeting speech at the dementia elderly care family volunteer group inauguration ceremony on the 2nd of last month.
A total of 707 residents readily volunteered. After completing dementia response and basic volunteer training, volunteers provide temporary in-home services such as companionship and meal support, as well as accompaniment services including walks, outings, and transportation assistance.
Choi Ho-kwon, Mayor of Yeongdeungpo District, stated, “Our goal is to create a new senior welfare model through the comprehensive plan for senior center operation support and the caregiver family pilot project, and to expand it nationwide through evaluation. I believe this is true local autonomy and community autonomy.” He added, “We will do our best to ensure seniors can live safely and comfortably, just as if caring for our own parents.”
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