Why Did Gwanak-gu Conduct a Complete Survey of the 'Single Baby Boomer Generation'?

Contributing to Resolving Welfare Blind Spots through In-Home Counseling and Various Supports for Single-Person Households... Preparing to Introduce IoT and Promote ICT-Based Care Services in the Era of the 4th Industrial Revolution

[Asia Economy Reporter Jongil Park] Gwanak-gu (Mayor Park Junhee) is gaining attention for proactively and preemptively addressing welfare blind spots through a comprehensive survey of the 'single-person baby boomer generation.'

The baby boomer generation refers to those born between 1955, after the Korean War, and 1963, when the family planning policy was implemented (ages 56 to 64). A full survey was conducted over a year from November last year to October this year targeting 12,125 single-person baby boomer households residing in Gwanak-gu.

Among them, visits and in-person consultations were conducted with 2,938 households. The results showed that over 60% of single-person baby boomer households reported economic difficulties due to unemployment, family breakdown, and bankruptcy. It was found that 57% of men and 49% of women were unable to find jobs, experiencing difficulties in maintaining their livelihoods.

In response, the district provided economic support worth a total of 226 million KRW to 1,437 single-person baby boomer households in the area, including warm winter funds, sponsored goods, medical expenses, and welfare benefits. Additionally, 2,472 cases of non-economic support were provided through linkage with job centers, private social welfare organizations, and the provision of various welfare system information, contributing to the resolution of welfare blind spots.

In particular, for 64 individuals with a desire to find employment, Gwanak-gu connected them to the Gwanak-gu Job Center, where job registration and counseling were conducted. By providing employment opportunities, the district pursued working welfare and implemented sustainable welfare policies.

Furthermore, depression screening (CES-D) was conducted during consultations, identifying 7.2% (212 people) as high-risk for depression. This revealed that family relationship breakdowns and mental health issues were occurring simultaneously, exposing them to serious social problems such as solitary death.

Accordingly, since 2020, the district has introduced smart plug IoT technology based on information and communication technology. When there is no change in the strategic usage of the target, the status is transmitted via a dedicated welfare planner application to conduct welfare checks, aiming to prevent solitary deaths in advance.

Moreover, this year, the district was selected for a total of four public projects: ▲Support project for building social networks for single-person households ▲Resident network formation project to prevent solitary deaths ▲Revitalization of single-person baby boomer households ▲Cleaning and organizing support project for socially isolated households. It secured 160 million KRW in national and city funds, focusing administrative efforts on preventing social isolation and solitary deaths among single-person households.

Mayor Park Junhee stated, “At this point where the household standard in our society is shifting to single-person households, we will respond flexibly and actively not only in welfare policies but in all administrative areas affecting residents’ lives, doing our best to create a happier Gwanak-gu together.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.