Gangwon Province: One in Five Seniors to Work as 79,459 Jobs Are Created

Gangwon Province Senior Jobs Hit Record High
Budget Increased by 56% to 329.8 Billion Won
Ranks in Top 10 of All Province-Funded Projects
Triple Benefits for Seniors: Social Participation, Income, and Health

Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province (Governor Kim Jintae) announced on the 23rd that the number of senior employment positions in 2026 will be expanded to a record-high 79,459.

Kim Jintae, Governor of Gangwon Special Self-Governing Province, announced on the 23rd that jobs for seniors in 2026 will be expanded to a record-high 79,459. Provided by Gangwon Province

This represents an increase of 17,641 positions (29%) compared with 61,818 in 2022, and the related budget has risen to 329.8 billion won, up 118.7 billion won (56%) from 211.1 billion won in 2022.

As a result, a foundation has been established for about 20% of the 404,489 senior citizens in the province to participate in the program, and the senior employment project will be implemented as the 10th-largest large-scale project among those funded by the provincial budget.

The senior employment project is being operated in various formats with the aim of supporting vulnerable groups and promoting the public interest in local communities.

The public-interest activity type focuses on activities that strengthen the local community safety net, such as senior-to-senior care and volunteering at public facilities. The competency-utilization type is operated in social service fields that make use of seniors' expertise and experience, such as providing after-school care for elementary school students and serving as facility safety management managers. Community project groups support income generation by providing senior-produced goods and services, such as operating silver cafes and delivering lunch boxes.

In addition, the province supports employment linkage and social contribution activities through private company employment (internship type), the provision of job-seeking and recruitment information and counseling, and job training.

In 2026, jobs for seniors will be expanded to a record-high 79,459 positions. Provided by Gangwon Province

In particular, whereas the program previously focused mainly on simple allowance-based public-interest activities such as environmental maintenance, in recent years there has been an expansion of social service-type jobs that utilize seniors' capabilities and experience, such as care services and forest interpreters.

This type has increased by about 20% compared with the previous year, and, together with the expansion of sustainable private-sector jobs such as community project groups and employment-type positions, it is strengthening the foundation for quality jobs.

In this way, senior jobs are becoming a representative welfare policy for the elderly, simultaneously achieving the threefold benefits of expanding social participation, guaranteeing income, and improving mental and physical health.

Going forward, the province plans to strengthen policy support so that a dignified old age can be guaranteed, by continuously discovering and expanding social service-type and private-sector jobs that make use of seniors' capabilities and experience.

To this end, it plans to build a stable and sustainable job base with the goal of creating 95,000 senior jobs by 2030 (an increase of 15,000 from the current level).

Kim Jintae, governor of Gangwon Province, announced on the 23rd that senior jobs for 2026 will be expanded to a record-high 79,459 positions. Provided by Gangwon Province

Governor Kim Jintae said, "The senior employment project is the best welfare program for senior citizens," adding, "It is a key initiative, ranking 10th in terms of the amount of provincial funds invested."

He continued, "This year, 80,000 people will benefit from senior employment opportunities, achieving the threefold effect of expanding social participation, guaranteeing income, and improving health," and explained the policy’s achievements by adding, "During last year's process of being designated as an age-friendly city by the WHO, the policy of expanding senior employment also served as an important factor in earning additional points."