Naju City Launches Digital Innovation in Senior Welfare with 'Smart Senior Centers'

Pilot Operation of 20 Smart Senior Centers Begins
Bridging the Digital Divide and Improving Quality of Life Expected

Citizens and officials attending the opening ceremony of the Naju City Smart Senior Center are taking a group commemorative photo. Photo by Naju City

Naju City in South Jeolla Province has established a new turning point for advancing senior-tailored welfare services by holding the "Smart Senior Center Opening Ceremony," which digitally connects 20 senior centers within the city.

On September 12, Naju City connected 20 smart senior centers via a video conferencing system and held the opening ceremony together with over 200 citizens gathered in the city hall's main conference room.

This smart senior center project was launched after being selected for the Ministry of Science and ICT's "2025 Smart Senior Center Establishment Project."

A total project budget of 430 million won was invested to introduce digital equipment such as smart TVs and wireless internet, and major infrastructure was established by August.

The smart senior centers will operate as digital welfare spaces, offering health management, leisure, and cultural programs based on an emergency safety system and video platform.

In addition, digital device training for seniors will be provided, which is expected to help bridge the digital divide and expand social participation.

The Jungbu Senior Welfare Center has been set up as a smart studio, expanding offline education to online, and will operate pilot programs every week, including singing classes, gymnastics and meditation, yoga, and laughter therapy.

In particular, the new "Smart Senior Center Supporters" job program, assigned to each senior center and composed of local senior residents, will provide on-site support, thereby enhancing the effectiveness and sustainability of the project.

Building on this year's achievements, the city plans to accelerate the expansion of smart senior centers next year, having secured a budget of 744 million won after being selected for an additional project.

Yoon Byungtae, Mayor of Naju City, stated, "Smart senior centers will transform from simple resting places into 'smart cultural salons' where health management, lifelong education, and cultural activities are all possible," adding, "We will continue to pursue various policies to realize 'Naju, a senior-friendly and happy city fit for the era of 100-year lifespans.'"

Meanwhile, Naju City is implementing a variety of policies to enhance senior welfare, including providing over 4,000 jobs for seniors, supplying tables and chairs to all 621 senior centers, supporting kimchi refrigerators, operating dementia-safe senior centers, and offering various vaccination programs.