"We Take Care of Welfare, Health, and Leisure"... Jongno District Launches Senior Center Counseling Service Tour

Pilot Project "Senior Happiness Companion" Underway

Jongno District in Seoul (Mayor Jung Moonhun) is implementing a pilot project called "Senior Happiness Companion: Welfare Counseling Room" until December this year, aiming to improve access to welfare information for elderly residents and address welfare blind spots.

Ahead of the Chuseok holidays last September, Jung Moonhun, Mayor of Jongno District, visited Ewha Senior Center. Provided by Jongno District Office.

This project provides a one-stop, customized welfare service by visiting senior centers in person to inform seniors about key policies and ensure they do not miss out on various welfare benefits. It also offers health checkups and counseling during these visits.

Until December this year, the program will tour senior centers across the district, providing tailored information on benefits, explaining major welfare programs, and offering individual counseling. Nurses, nutritionists, and exercise specialists from the Jongno District Health Center will participate to conduct health checkups and lifestyle counseling, aiming to increase satisfaction among the elderly.

The welfare information covers practical areas such as "care," "transportation and leisure," and "economic support." The care category includes Care SOS for emergency care, customized senior care services that support outings and home improvements, and a vulnerable senior safety management solution that uses Internet of Things (IoT) devices to monitor seniors' movements in real time.

Additionally, the program introduces the Senior Happiness Exercise Class, which teaches health exercises and how to use exercise equipment, as well as economic support systems such as the National Basic Livelihood Security System, the Basic Pension, and job programs for basic pension recipients. Jongno District plans to analyze the effectiveness of this year's pilot project and expand it to more senior centers next year.

Jung Moonhun, Mayor of Jongno District, said, "This is a meaningful project that offers practical solutions to the daily challenges faced by each senior and supports their health promotion. We will continue to implement comprehensive welfare measures that residents can truly feel, working toward a Jongno without welfare blind spots."