One Year Since Establishment of Uijeongbu's Dedicated Senior Welfare Division
Field-Oriented, Comprehensive Welfare Network in Operation
Connecting Health, Care, and Counseling... Building a Customized Daily Safety Net
Policy Design Based on Citizen Participation... Creating a Field-Oriented Welfare System
Uijeongbu City in Gyeonggi Province (Mayor Donggeun Kim) announced that, as of June, the number of residents aged 65 or older had reached 90,153, accounting for 19.5% of the total population. As a result, the city expects to enter a super-aged society by the end of the year and will actively implement a comprehensive welfare plan for the elderly under the vision of creating a "city where seniors can live well."
The transition period for Uijeongbu City from an aging society (where those aged 65 or older make up at least 7% of the population) to a super-aged society (20% or more) is 20 years, which is faster than the national average of 24 years and the Gyeonggi Province average of 23 years.
Accordingly, the city has used the first anniversary of establishing the Elderly Welfare Division, a department dedicated to senior welfare, as an opportunity to develop a comprehensive plan based on the "Uijeongbu City Basic Ordinance on Elderly Welfare" and is working to create a city where seniors can enjoy a high quality of life.
To improve pedestrian safety for the elderly, Uijeongbu City has focused on enhancing the walking environment by removing unnecessary sidewalk posts and integrating signboards, renovating more than 1,300 locations last year. The city plans to renovate an additional 1,000 locations by next year. It is also expanding senior-friendly spaces by creating healing areas such as loess and barefoot trails in Nak-yang-dong and Minlak-dong, and by promoting the opening of the second branch of "Hoho-dang."
The city provides on-site disinfection services to 65 natural village senior centers and more than 7,500 households of seniors living alone. It is also working to create a safer living environment by offering free installation of air conditioners, distributing gas safety devices, and supporting indoor air quality improvements.
A variety of lifelong learning programs are also being offered. The Senior Welfare Center and Social Welfare Center provide 127 educational and leisure programs, while Gajaeul Library operates healing and experiential programs for seniors. The pilot "Smart Senior Center" project, launched this year, will be expanded to all 257 senior centers in the city starting in August.
The city is also expanding senior employment programs, increasing the number of participants by 13.7% from the previous year to 5,000. Systematic support is being strengthened through the opening of the second and third "Cafe Arts" locations and the establishment of an "Integrated Senior Employment Support Center." Emotional support and rights advocacy programs are also being implemented in parallel to promote social participation and psychological stability among seniors.
In terms of health management, the city operates prevention-focused programs such as oral examinations, bone density tests, vaccinations, smart exercise classes, and early dementia screenings. For seniors in need of care, the city is expanding personalized care and emergency safety services, as well as distributing smartwatches to establish a 24-hour health safety network.
Mayor Donggeun Kim stated, "As we approach the transition to a super-aged society, it is a very important time to develop and implement policies to improve senior welfare and quality of life. We will do our utmost to ensure that seniors can live safer and happier lives in the community through tailored welfare policies."
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