Nowon-gu Mayor Oh Seung-rok Completes 'Minsheng Exploration Grand March' at 239 Senior Centers

124-Day Grand Journey of District Mayor Oh Seung-rok Visiting Local Senior Centers Completed
Third Full Visit to Senior Centers Since 2019, Building Consensus on District Changes and Seniors' Daily Lives
Over 700 Resident Suggestions... Thoroughly Addressed Until Resolved

Oh Seung-rok, Mayor of Nowon District (second from right in the front row), visits Woori Senior Center in Junggye 4-dong

Oh Seung-rok, Mayor of Nowon District in Seoul, announced that he has successfully completed a public welfare visit program, during which he visited 239 senior centers in the area to communicate directly with the elderly residents.

The grand journey lasted an impressive 124 days, starting on July 1, the first day of the second year of the 8th elected term, beginning at the Hyundai Senior Center in Wolgye 1-dong and concluding at the Suam Senior Center in Sanggye 3.4-dong on the same day.

The senior center public welfare visits are part of the district’s unique “field-centered communication administration,” where the mayor visits senior centers to listen to the voices of the elderly, inspect facility operations, and discuss local issues.

Mayor Oh actively explained the current status of district administration to resolve the seniors’ questions, while listening to and seeking solutions for various daily life problems.

In response to this year’s particularly long and hot summer heatwave, about 50 air conditioners and 80 fans were provided to senior centers with poor facilities. Kitchen appliances for meal preparation, indoor exercise equipment, and blood pressure monitors were also supplied as needed.

The most frequently mentioned inconvenience in daily life was illegal dumping of garbage in areas vulnerable to cleaning, and there was a flood of requests for the expansion of barefoot walking paths.

Accordingly, the district plans to immediately improve the cleaning issues in collaboration with the relevant departments and local community centers, and also expand the barefoot walking paths.

Compliments about the district’s “gardens and parks” were heard continuously at various senior centers. Many expressed gratitude, saying, “It’s nice to bask in the sun in parks full of flowers and trees,” or “Thanks to this, I enjoy daily walks and feel my health improving.” In particular, satisfaction was high for the newly created Hydrangea Hill in Wolgye-dong this year and the barrier-free circular walking trail on Suraksan Mountain in Sanggye-dong.

Visit to Wolgye 1-dong Hyundai Senior Center

The “public welfare visits,” now a hallmark of the district, began during Mayor Oh’s first term in 2019 with a full visit to all senior centers. Continuously visiting various sites such as childcare centers and welfare facilities under different themes, this has led to the third full visit to senior centers marking the second anniversary of the 8th elected term. Approximately 700 resident suggestions were collected during this senior center public welfare visit. The district will continuously monitor the progress of each suggestion and proposal through review by the relevant departments and consultation with related agencies, managing them until all measures are completed.

Mayor Oh Seung-rok said, “Now that seniors aged 65 and over account for 19.8% of Nowon District’s population, policies for the healthy daily lives of the elderly are very important,” adding, “We will continue to create opportunities to frequently meet with the seniors who are the direct beneficiaries of these policies and who have supported the current Nowon.”