Gyeonggi Province has designated the period from the 12th to the 18th as "Elder Abuse Prevention Week" ahead of the upcoming "Elder Abuse Prevention Day" on the 15th, and will hold commemorative events and a human rights promotion photo exhibition.
On the 13th, Gyeonggi Province will host an event at Dasan Hall in the Suwon Gyeonggi Cultural Foundation attended by about 100 people including heads of elderly-related organizations and workers at elderly welfare facilities. The event will include awards for meritorious persons, prize presentations for winners of the Elderly Human Rights Photo Contest, and an elder abuse prevention performance to commemorate Elder Abuse Prevention Day.
Additionally, on the 15th and 16th, a promotional booth for elder abuse prevention and a photo exhibition themed "The World I (as an Elderly Person) Wish For" will be held on the first floor of the Gyeonggi Provincial Government building. The exhibited works mainly express the need to improve awareness about the elderly.
Gyeonggi Province will also promote the elder abuse reporting and counseling hotline through various media such as its website, bus information systems, and G-Bus TV.
Han Kyung-su, Director of the Elderly Welfare Division of Gyeonggi Province, stated, "Everyone's attention is needed to prevent and eradicate elder abuse so that seniors can enjoy a happy old age." He added, "We will strengthen cooperation systems with cities and counties for elder abuse response, expand specialized elderly protection agencies to eliminate blind spots in elder protection, and ensure the prompt separation and protection of abuse victims and their return to daily life."
As of the end of May this year, the elderly population aged 65 and over in Gyeonggi Province stands at approximately 2,048,000, accounting for 15% of the total population in the province. This is an increase of 0.8 percentage points from 14.2% (about 1,929,000 people) as of the end of May last year.
With the increase in the elderly population, the number of elder abuse reports in the province has also risen annually: 2,592 cases in 2020, 2,881 cases in 2021, and 3,116 cases in 2022.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
