Will the ‘Mapo-gu Hyodobapsang’ Praised by President Yoon Become a Senior Welfare Model?

Expected 10.51 Million Elderly in Korea by 2025...Urgent Need for Super-Aged Society Elderly Measures
Yoon Seok-yeol Government Considers Expanding 'Mapo-gu Hyodobapsang' Model to Enhance Elderly Welfare
Hyodobapsang, Nation's First One-Stop Elderly Welfare System...Provides Lunch, Welfare Checks, and Daily Care

Park Gang-su, Mayor of Mapo District, is visiting the Resident Participation Filial Piety Meal to encourage the elderly.

The era of 10 million elderly people is soon becoming a reality.

According to the Ministry of Health and Welfare, by 2025, the elderly population in South Korea is expected to reach 10.51 million, accounting for 20.3% of the total population, marking the country's entry into a super-aged society.

Despite the unprecedented rapid aging rate globally, societal awareness and preparation measures for a super-aged society remain insufficient.

In this context, Mapo-gu (Mayor Park Gang-su) is expected to see its preemptive one-stop elderly welfare system project, ‘Hyodobapsang’ (Filial Piety Meal), expanded into a government policy, raising hopes.

On March 21, President Yoon Suk-yeol held the 22nd public discussion on livelihood issues with citizens in Wonju, Gangwon Province. At this event, President Yoon announced plans to expand nationwide the ‘sale-type silver towns’ and ‘free meals at senior centers’ to ensure a comfortable and safe daily life for the elderly in preparation for a super-aged society. He also mentioned reviewing the spread of the ‘Hyodobapsang’ model from Mapo-gu, which jointly prepares and supplies side dishes needed at local meal centers.

This reflects the Yoon Suk-yeol administration’s commitment to focusing on healthy and happy aging policies.

Launched for the first time nationwide in 2023, Mapo-gu’s ‘Hyodobapsang’ project provides balanced lunch meals six days a week, daily check-ins, and health monitoring to seniors aged 75 and older in the district, protecting their health and safety and preventing isolation. It is a flagship welfare model of Mapo-gu.

It is not just about providing meals; it operates as an integrated service managing daily life, including legal, tax, and health consultations, gaining strong support not only from the elderly recipients but also from their families and local residents.

According to Mapo-gu, during the pilot operation in 2023, about 500 elderly individuals aged 75 and older living alone in the district received 62,130 balanced lunches and safe daily care.

The district is taking a step further by working to establish a hub-type mobile meal delivery system that can significantly expand the number of Hyodobapsang users without massive budget input.

To this end, the district has built a ‘side dish factory’ capable of preparing 1,000 meals at once and operates a total of 31 meal facilities by adding 15 new facilities to the existing 16.

The existing 16 meal facilities prepare and serve meals on-site, while the additional 15 facilities receive freshly made meals from the side dish factory delivered via the Hyodobap vehicle.

A district official stated, “To secure smooth meal locations, we plan to pilot the ‘Hyodobapsang Senior Center’ project in the first half of the year, allowing the use of Hyodobapsang at local senior centers. After addressing improvements through the pilot, we plan to expand it fully to local senior centers in the second half, providing Hyodobapsang to a total of 1,500 elderly people.”

In South Korea, where the aging speed is faster than any other country in the world, elderly issues could emerge as serious social problems.

Park Gang-su, mayor of Mapo District, stands in front of the Hyo-do Meal Truck delivering food made at a side dish factory.

As President Yoon Suk-yeol has also announced plans for healthy and happy aging policies, the nationwide expansion of Hyodobapsang, which provides a balanced lunch and daily care regardless of income, is anticipated.

Park Gang-su, Mayor of Mapo-gu and planner of Hyodobapsang, said, “I believe that the fact that South Korea ranks first among OECD countries in elderly suicide rates and elderly poverty rates should not be ignored by the nation or society.” He added, “The issues of the elderly are not someone else’s story but our own. Since the super-aged era has already begun, Mapo-gu is willing to play a pioneering role in establishing a universal elderly welfare system.”