370,000 Mapo Residents Become 'Sikgu' with 6 to 38 Filial Piety Meals... 1,200 Users Currently

Residents Gather Sincerity and Care to Provide Meals for Seniors, Seniors Support Each Other and Share Hearts
Five Seniors Met at Hapjeong 2-dong Kim Elderly Care Table Take Turns Nursing Daily for Two Weeks

The ‘Elders’ Meal Program for Residents Aged 75 and Over’ in Mapo-gu, Seoul (Mayor Park Gang-su) is bringing warm changes to the local community.

Launched nationwide for the first time in April 2023 by Park Gang-su, Mayor of Mapo-gu, the ‘Elders’ Meal Program’ is more than just providing meals; it is a one-stop, customized elderly welfare policy that carefully takes care of health and daily life overall.

Starting with six meal service institutions, the Elders’ Meal Program has expanded to 38 institutions in just one year and five months, currently serving about 1,200 seniors daily.

Now, the Elders’ Meal Program has established itself as a precious space where seniors share warm affection within the local community beyond just having meals. They ask about each other’s well-being while sharing food, give and receive help, and regain vitality in their daily lives.

Mr. Kim, a senior at the Hapjeong-dong Branch No. 2, was hospitalized after falling while walking. Living alone, Mr. Kim was very worried as there was no one to care for him, but five seniors he met through the Elders’ Meal Program took turns nursing him daily for two weeks.

Mr. Kim expressed his gratitude, saying, “If it weren’t for the connections made through the Elders’ Meal Program, I would have been lonely and struggling in the hospital.”

Park Gang-su, Mayor of Mapo District, is engaging in volunteer activities and communicating with the elderly at the Hyo-do Bapsang.

Also, a senior in Yonggang-dong used the Elders’ Meal Program daily during their lifetime and often spoke to their children about the program’s benefits. After the senior passed away, their children, recalling their mother’s words, donated 1 million won collected as condolence money to the Elders’ Meal Program.

Both the senior and their children expressed deep gratitude toward the Elders’ Meal Program.

‘Sikgu (食口)’ means people who share a meal together. Residents gather their sincerity and care to provide food to seniors, and the seniors ask about each other’s well-being, rely on one another, and share their hearts in that space.

In this way, all 370,000 residents of Mapo-gu are becoming true ‘Sikgu (食口).’

The district plans to build additional side dish factories and expand the service scope so that more seniors can enjoy the Elders’ Meal Program.

Park Gang-su, Mayor of Mapo-gu, said, “In Mapo-gu, the local community is being restored, and a living community where people care for each other is sprouting. Warm solidarity will be a great force in solving the aging problem of our society.”