Seongdong-gu to Establish Seoul's First 'Integrated Care Bureau'... Expanding Dedicated Care Organization

Seongdong-gu to Integrate Dispersed Care Functions into a Single Organization
First Among Seoul Districts to Launch an Independent Integrated Care Bureau
Aiming for a Comprehensive Community-Based Care Model for All Residents

Seongdong-gu, Seoul (Mayor Jung Wonoh), announced on August 31 that it will establish the 'Integrated Care Bureau,' a bureau-level organization dedicated to integrated care policies, for the first time among Seoul's autonomous districts, starting October 1 of this year.

Seongdong-gu has established the 'Integrated Care Bureau,' a bureau-level dedicated organization for integrated care that is differentiated from the existing Welfare Bureau. On the left is Jung Wonoh, Mayor of Seongdong-gu, checking on the elderly at the 'Songjeong Smart Healthcare Center.' Provided by Seongdong-gu.

This organizational restructuring is a measure to concretely realize the government's national agenda of "integrated care enjoyed where you live now." It also serves as a proactive step in preparation for the "Act on the Integrated Support of Local Care such as Medical and Nursing Services," which is scheduled to be implemented in March next year.

Unlike the existing approach of adding or integrating care-related work into the Welfare Bureau, Seongdong-gu is the first among Seoul's autonomous districts to establish a separate organization solely dedicated to care policies. The 'Integrated Care Bureau' will consist of the Integrated Care Division, Senior Welfare Division, Disability Welfare Division, and Hope Welfare Division. By integrating care functions that were previously dispersed across welfare, health, and housing, the district will establish a foundation for comprehensive and coordinated policies tailored to a diverse range of recipients, including the elderly, people with disabilities, and isolated households.

Seongdong-gu also plans to build a community-based care model in which medical, nursing, care, and housing services are organically linked. Through this, the district aims to create an environment where all residents can live safely and healthily in their own neighborhoods.

In fact, after being selected in December of last year as a pilot area for the Ministry of Health and Welfare's "Integrated Medical and Care Support," Seongdong-gu has been focusing on the "Seongdong-type Integrated Care Support Project" to respond to a super-aged society. In addition, Smart Healthcare Centers were established in Sageun-dong last year and Songjeong-dong this year for residents aged 60 and older and the middle-aged population, with additional centers scheduled to open in Wangsimni 2-dong and Geumho 1-ga-dong in September.

Mayor Jung Wonoh stated, "The establishment of the 'Integrated Care Bureau' is not simply an expansion of the organization, but a meaningful attempt to actively implement the government's national agenda at the district level." He added, "We will create a pioneering model tailored to the unique characteristics of Seongdong-gu so that residents can enjoy peace of mind and receive care where they currently live."