Goyang City Sees 2.7-Fold Increase in Market-Oriented Senior Jobs, Expanding as a National Model
From Convenience Stores to Baristas: Emerging as a Leading City in Senior Employment
Leading Senior Job Innovation in Partnership with GS25 and Coffee Brands
Goyang Special City in Gyeonggi Province (Mayor Lee Donghwan) is achieving notable results with its market-oriented senior employment policy, which is being implemented in preparation for a super-aged society.
Lee Donghwan, mayor of Goyang Special City, is giving a greeting at the Senior Job Expert Forum. Provided by Goyang Special City
According to Goyang Special City on July 30, the number of participants in market-oriented jobs increased from 328 in 2022 to 906 this year, a 2.7-fold rise, establishing itself as a sustainable employment model that supports the independence of seniors.
Market-oriented jobs are designed not as simple public work but as a structure that generates revenue, focusing on practical economic activities such as operating convenience stores, selling coffee, and providing assistance in schools and hospitals.
This year, Goyang City is operating a total of 9,416 senior jobs through 11 implementing agencies including the Goyang Senior Club: 6,667 public interest jobs, 1,573 competency-based jobs, 906 market-oriented jobs, and 270 job placement-type jobs.
Among these, market-oriented jobs include the "School Safety Keeper Project," which helps prevent violence and maintain order in schools; the "School Environment Management Support Project," which provides cleaning services such as managing school gardens and sorting recyclables; the "School Meal Assistant Project," which supports meal preparation and serving; the "Public Kindergarten Assistant Project," which assists with meal service and organizing teaching materials for kindergarteners; and the "Hospital Assistant Project," which handles reception and guidance at hospitals.
Community Project Group (Market Type) School Environment Management Support Project. Provided by Goyang Special City
Since 2023, the city has converted existing public interest school-related job projects into market-oriented jobs, resulting in 102 school safety keepers and 105 school environment managers, totaling 207 jobs. With this transition, working hours and wages have increased, and 50% of participants' wages are now covered by schools, which are both the clients and beneficiaries, thus reducing the city's financial burden and enabling the creation of more jobs.
Meanwhile, on July 16, an expert forum titled "Sustainable Senior Jobs: Finding Answers in Professionalism" was held at Deogyang District Office, hosted by the Goyang Silver Workforce Bank. Experts in employment, education, and welfare gathered to share practical measures to enhance the quality of senior social participation, agreeing on the need to shift from simply providing jobs to building a sustainable structure based on professionalism and education.
A representative success story of Goyang City's market-oriented jobs is the "Senior Together Convenience Store," which is being promoted in partnership with GS Retail. This project, which began in Goyang City as the first of its kind in the country and has since spread nationwide, saw its third location, Juyeop Main Branch, open on June 25.
This third branch was selected for the 2025 Gyeonggi Province Senior Job Creation Support Project and opened with partial provincial funding.
Across three locations?Jungsan Sandeul Branch (first branch), Juyeop Hansarang Branch (second branch), and the newly opened Juyeop Main Branch?a total of 42 people are employed. With high hourly wages and various welfare benefits such as leave for family events, these jobs contribute to the economic independence and improved quality of life for workers.
GS25 Senior Companion Convenience Store 3rd Branch (Juyeop Main Branch) Exterior. Provided by Goyang Special City
These stores feature dedicated shelves for products made through senior employment programs, such as sesame oil produced by the Haengju Farm Cooperative and household sewn goods made by the Grandmothers and Sewing Machines Cooperative. Clothing repair services are also offered, developing the stores into collaborative models.
Goyang City has been recognized as an excellent institution by winning awards for seven consecutive years in the Ministry of Health and Welfare's senior employment evaluation. Last year, the city received the grand prize at the Best Pledge Case Competition for Basic Local Government Heads for presenting a virtuous cycle model of senior jobs that generate revenue through market-oriented approaches.
The city is also expanding its Silver Cafe project. Currently, 30 people are employed across four locations, and this project is attracting attention as a comprehensive market-oriented job that goes beyond reemployment for seniors to include intergenerational communication, revitalization of the local community, and lifelong learning.
Starting this year, the city is collaborating with "Mirukku Coffee," a franchise headquartered on Bamridan-gil, to launch a "Silver Barista Training Program." This program targets Goyang residents aged 60 and over, providing practical barista training, support for obtaining the international barista beginner certificate (SCA), and actual job placement. The goal is to have 24 participants complete the program annually, with full-scale implementation beginning in August following an agreement with Mirukku Coffee.
In the future, the city plans to develop convergent programs in areas such as bakery and culture and arts, along with expanding Silver Cafes, to support the senior generation in exploring diverse career paths.
Mayor Lee Donghwan of Goyang Special City stated, "Now that the era of 100-year lifespans has become a reality, senior employment is not just about income supplementation but is a driving force for community vitality," adding, "We will continue to discover and expand quality jobs to meet the social participation needs of the senior generation."
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