Half of Seniors Live in Apartments: "Apartments with 'Nochiwon' Facilities Are Rising in Value" [Turning My Home into a Senior House]

Daycare Centers Recommended for Large Apartment Complexes in Seoul
Public Contributions Encouraged for Social Welfare Facilities
Some Residents Express Reluctance and Strong Opposition
One Out of Every Two Urban Seniors Lives in an Apartment
Urgent Need for Senior Welfare Facilities in Apartment Complexes

On December 6 last year, at the Gileum Daycare Center in Seongbuk-gu, Seoul. The daycare center, commonly called 'Nochiwon' (Senior + Kindergarten), is a facility that cares for the elderly who are not yet in need of nursing homes but have difficulty living independently due to early dementia or other age-related diseases (long-term care grades 1 to 5). Photo by Kang Jinhyung

"What if we created a daycare center in an apartment complex where seniors could stay during the day and receive care?"

This idea first emerged about ten years ago during a meeting of the Seoul City Urban Planning Committee. An official in charge of reconstruction in Seoul said, "Many of the professors participating in the committee were in their 50s and 60s, so they were highly interested in the issue of aging."

During the meeting, opinions were raised such as, "People are getting older, but while we are told to build more daycare centers for children, why aren't we considering daycare centers for the elderly?" and "What could be better than spending your later years being cared for within your own apartment complex?" These ideas came together and led to a policy that included daycare centers in reconstruction and redevelopment apartment complexes.

Daycare centers provide half-day care for seniors who have difficulty with daily life due to early-stage dementia or other age-related illnesses. They are also referred to as "Nochiwon" (Senior+Kindergarten), likening them to kindergartens where children commute from home every day.

Daycare Centers Recommended for Reconstruction Projects with 1,000 or More Households

On December 6 last year, elderly people were engaged in crafting activities at the Gireum Daycare Center in Seongbuk-gu, Seoul. The daycare center, commonly called "Nochiwon" (Senior+Kindergarten), is a facility that cares for the elderly who are not in need of nursing home care but have difficulty performing daily activities alone due to early dementia or other age-related illnesses (long-term care grades 1 to 5). Photo by Kang Jinhyung

Since then, senior welfare facilities have gradually appeared near reconstruction and redevelopment apartment complexes in Seoul. In 2019, the Cheonho New Town District 2 association provided a 51㎡ (about 15 pyeong) space to open a visiting bath and nursing facility. In 2020, the Gireum District 1 association supported 2,600㎡ (about 800 pyeong) to establish a comprehensive social welfare center with a daycare center. In 2023, a five-story nursing home was built in a new apartment complex near Susaek Station, created by the Susaek District 13 redevelopment association donating 2,800㎡ (about 850 pyeong).

The Seoul Metropolitan Government recommends daycare centers to associations when large complexes with more than 1,000 households are newly built. They encourage associations that pledge to use their public contributions for social welfare facilities. Nam Jeonghyun, head of Seoul's Apartment Housing Support Division, explained, "While kindergartens are required by housing construction standards, there are no such mandatory standards for senior facilities like daycare centers," adding, "There is also some resistance among residents, making it difficult to build them easily."

Therefore, associations receive benefits for including senior welfare facilities in redevelopment projects. Nam said, "We recognize public contributions for senior welfare facilities at 1.4 times the rate of general facilities of the same size." Last year, Yeouido Daegyo, Sibeom, and Seocho Jinhung Apartments, all undergoing reconstruction, decided to include daycare centers.

One Out of Every Two Urban Seniors Lives in an Apartment

On December 6 last year, elderly people were engaging in leisure activities at the Gireum Daycare Center in Seongbuk-gu, Seoul. Known as "Nochiwon" (a combination of elderly and kindergarten), the daycare center is a facility that cares for the elderly who have difficulty living independently due to early-stage dementia or other geriatric diseases but do not require nursing home care (long-term care levels 1 to 5). Photo by Kang Jin-hyung

One out of every two seniors living in cities resides in an apartment. According to the "2023 Survey on the Living Conditions of the Elderly," 55% of seniors living in "dong" districts live in apartments. The figures for single-family homes and multi-family housing are 25% and 20%, respectively. Kang Eun-na, a research fellow at the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs, said, "The baby boomer generation has a higher rate of apartment living than previous generations," and predicted, "The number of seniors living in apartments will surge in the future."

The main users of daycare centers within apartment complexes are late elderly (aged 75 and older) who begin to experience chronic illnesses. According to Statistics Korea's population projections, the second wave of baby boomers will all be over 75 years old by 2050. That year, late elderly will account for 23% of Seoul's population, totaling 1.83 million people.

These indicators make one thing clear: "Welfare facilities to care for seniors in apartment complexes must be built as soon as possible." However, there is still a long way to go. As of October last year, there were about 480 daycare centers across Seoul's 25 districts, with a total capacity of 15,600 people. This can accommodate only about 2% of Seoul's late elderly population (736,000 people).

As the city ages but senior welfare facilities remain severely lacking, it is expected that the popularity of "Nochiwon apartments" will continue to rise. Kim Hyoseon, Chief Real Estate Specialist at NH Nonghyup Bank, said, "Having facilities in your apartment that provide both nursing care and leisure for seniors is a huge advantage," adding, "The preference for apartments with daycare centers will increase, and this will have a positive effect on housing prices."