Four Silver Towns for Old to Be Build
By Kwon Mee-yoo
Staff Reporter
Seoul City will overhaul its welfare infrastructure for senior citizens.
Mayor Oh Se-hoon Tuesday announced the construction plan for a welfare center and four "silver towns."
"In an era of 1 million senior citizens, Seoul needs to offer an active welfare service to meet their needs in various classes, not just giving away benefits to the low-income bracket," Oh said. "The city will take a step forward as it will provide the finest facilities and specialized services for the elderly."
Seoul's senior population - those 65 or older - totaled 927,000 people last September, making up 9 percent of the population, and is expected to surpass 1 million in 2012.
The facilities will offer integrated services for retired senior citizens, including medical attention and activities, from morning to evening.
The "9988 Welfare Center," located in the Jongno District, will provide services, develop policies for the aging population and supervise the four silver towns.
The eight-story building with two underground floors accommodates a theater, swimming pool and fitness center as well as an information center, broadcasting station and medical consulting center.
Silver towns will be established in Dobong in the northeastern area of the city, Yangcheon in the southwest, Gangdong in the southeast area and Eunpyeong in the northwest.
Each town will have a leisure and cultural center with a gym and swimming pool; a social welfare center that aids in employment and sells supplies for seniors; and a health care center that will provide medical treatment and consultations as well as support for those with mobility problems.
The towns will combine advanced information technologies aiming to be a welfare center for all generations.
Currently, there are 30 multipurpose senior citizen welfare centers, 13 small welfare centers and 3,061 halls for the elderly in apartment complexes and local communities.
However, these facilities are mostly small and worn down and their programs focus on the lower income brackets, not encompassing a broad range of seniors of both genders and of varying economic strength and academic backgrounds, the city explained.
According to a city survey last year, Seoulites aged 50 or older want health activities the most, followed by hobbies and social volunteer work.
They also wanted the city to develop exercise programs for the aged and give them free admittance to fitness centers.
"The senior centers will satisfy the needs of the increasing elderly population and we will develop software to keep up with the facilities," a city official said.
The city will set aside a 624-billion-won ($529 million) budget for the project and plans to complete work by 2014.