Two Senior-Operated Shops Opened on Subway Line 5 in Gangseo-gu, Seoul

Gimpo Airport Station's Hoho Sil Sil Workshop and Wajangsan Station's Cafe Imak Operate... Supporting Seniors' Economic Independence and Active Retirement Life

[Asia Economy Reporter Park Jong-il] The subway stations have been transformed into happy workplaces for senior citizens.

Gangseo-gu, Seoul (District Mayor Noh Hyun-song) has created exclusive job spaces for seniors by utilizing the subway Line 5 station areas, and will begin full-scale operations starting from the 6th.

By utilizing the subway station spaces with high foot traffic, the aim is to provide seniors with practical jobs suited to market conditions while simultaneously helping generate income.

The job spaces have been established at two locations: Wajangsan Station and Gimpo Airport Station on subway Line 5. To secure the spaces, the district signed lease contracts for the target commercial spaces last December after consultations with Seoul Metro.

At these locations, the Seoul Gangseo Senior Club, an organization managing senior employment, hired seniors to run ‘Hoho Silsil Workshop’ and ‘Cafe Imak’ respectively. Prior to opening, on-site training was conducted for participating seniors.

‘Hoho Silsil Workshop’ opened at Gimpo Airport Station, unit 512-209. It sells Jeju specialty products such as chocolate, rice cakes, and snacks, along with handmade crochet crafts like scrubbers, pouches, and bags made by the seniors themselves.

‘Cafe Imak’, located at Wajangsan Station, unit 516-104, sells coffee, cup fruits, sandwiches, cookies, and more. The cafe also hosts ‘Hangeoreum Delivery’, a subway parcel office where customers can send packages.

Especially, until April 11, an opening event is underway where customers purchasing items at ‘Hoho Silsil Workshop’ receive a handmade crochet scrubber, and customers using ‘Cafe Imak’ enjoy half-price coffee discounts.

The senior stores operate from 7:30 AM to 8:00 PM, staffed by a total of 73 senior employees aged 60 and above.

Seniors work in shifts of 2 to 3 people per store, each working 4 hours in 3 shifts, handling overall store operations including sales, store management, and parcel reception, working about 40 hours per month over 2 to 3 days per week.

District Mayor Noh Hyun-song said, “I hope the opening of these senior stores will not only promote economic independence for seniors but also bring vitality to their lives. We will continue to do our best to support jobs that provide pride and satisfaction to seniors.”

This year, the district signed consignment contracts with 16 organizations including the Seoul Gangseo Senior Club, providing various senior jobs such as operating GS25 senior convenience stores, NoNoCare, and school zone traffic support.

For inquiries, contact the Senior Welfare Division of Gangseo District Office.

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