Suwon City Receives Third WHO Age-Friendly City Certification

The city of Suwon in Gyeonggi Province has received its third certification as an Age-friendly City from the World Health Organization (WHO).

On the 5th, Suwon announced that it has been re-certified as a member of the WHO Global Network for Age-friendly Cities and Communities (GNAFCC), maintaining its status as an Age-friendly City until 2029.

A WHO Age-friendly City refers to a city where aging is not inconvenient, a city that is good to live in regardless of age, and a city where elderly people can actively participate in society to spend their later years vibrantly and healthily in the city they live in.

Suwon Mayor Lee Jae-jun is taking a commemorative photo after receiving the third age-friendly city certification from the World Health Organization on the 4th. Photo by Suwon City

Suwon was the third city in South Korea to be certified as a WHO Age-friendly City in June 2016. After implementing its action plan for three years, it received re-certification in 2019 based on the evaluation of the plan.

It applied for its third re-certification in 2024, and its "3rd Age-friendly City Operation Plan" received a favorable evaluation, resulting in re-certification. Suwon became the first city in Gyeonggi Province to receive a third re-certification as an Age-friendly City.

Suwon has set three major goals for creating an Age-friendly City: ▲ a comfortable and safe city ▲ a relaxed and vibrant city ▲ a healthy and respected city, and is promoting 16 projects across six areas.

A Suwon city official stated, "We will strive to create a happy city where not only the elderly but all citizens are respected without age discrimination."