Seoul District Mayors' Association Promises Active Support for 'Seoul Care SOS Center'

Seoul Care SOS Center Expands from 5 Districts in 2019 to All Districts by August 2020

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] The Seoul Metropolitan Council of District Mayors (Chairman Lee Dong-jin, Dobong District Mayor) attended the ‘Launch Ceremony for the Expansion of Care SOS Centers to All Autonomous Districts’ held on the 8th floor multipurpose hall of Seoul City Hall on the 4th, aimed at creating a ‘Seoul without Care Worries.’

The ‘Care SOS Center’ is a new care policy of Seoul City, serving as a one-stop customized integrated service window where care managers (public officials) promptly connect residents’ urgent care needs with care services from contracted institutions, enabling them to ‘live healthily and continuously in their own communities.’

This year, to address the care gap worsened by COVID-19, the target group was expanded from seniors aged 65 and older and persons with disabilities to middle-aged adults aged 50 and above.

Financial support was also expanded from basic livelihood security recipients and lower-income groups to those with median income at or below 100%, strengthening care services.

The event was attended by members of the Care SOS Center Promotion Executive Committee, representatives from the Seoul Welfare Foundation, and about 100 care managers.

The launch ceremony proceeded with the screening of the Care SOS Center promotional CF video, introduction of the project and its significance through an art story performance, introduction of guests, congratulatory speeches, presentation of case studies from the 2019 Care SOS Center project, awarding of activity kits to care managers, and the proclamation of the slogan.

Kim Woo-young, Deputy Mayor for Political Affairs, stated, “Seoul started the Care SOS Center in 2019 as a policy to create a Seoul without care worries ahead of others. Based on the high public response and achievements during the pilot project period, we will do our best to fully expand the Care SOS Center to all autonomous districts by August 2020 and establish it as a community-based integrated care hub.”

Guests attending the launch ceremony awarded activity kits to care managers promoting the Care SOS Center project and personally helped them put on vests, encouraging the participants.

The Care SOS Center project, marking the beginning of universal care in Seoul, is expected to play a significant role in solving important social issues such as the rapid increase of elderly single-person households and unexpected care gaps caused by COVID-19.

Chairman Lee Dong-jin said, “Following the representative welfare delivery system ‘Chat-dong’ in Seoul, we have now launched the Care SOS Center. Alongside the globally leading K-quarantine response to COVID-19, I ask that the Care SOS Center become a representative welfare policy of Korea as K-welfare.”

He also stated, “I, along with district mayors and city officials, will spare no effort in providing active support.”

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