Seocho-gu Senior Citizens' Complex Cultural Healing Space 'Bangbae Neutinamu Shelter' Opens

Reborn as a One-Stop Senior Culture and Leisure Complex Facility Covering Culture, Leisure, and Welfare... Creating a Healing Space for Health Management, Dementia Prevention, and the Latest IT Experience Programs

[Asia Economy Reporter Jongil Park] Seocho-gu (Mayor Eunhee Jo) has officially started operating the one-stop healing space for seniors, ‘Bangbae Neutinamu Shelter,’ beginning with its online opening on the 7th.

Neutinamu Shelter is a special customized cultural and leisure facility by Seocho-gu that supports vibrant retirement lives for the new middle-aged seniors. Following Naegok, Seocho, and Yangjae, the fourth ‘Bangbae Neutinamu Shelter’ has opened.

The newly rebuilt ‘Bangbae Neutinamu Shelter’ was constructed on the site of the old Bangbae 3-dong senior center and consists of one basement floor and four above-ground floors. The basement floor is designed to allow natural light to reach underground and ensure smooth ventilation. It houses the Eoultimter (Health Tech), a space for senior health management programs such as yoga and Pilates.

The first floor features a caf? for rest and communication, the second floor serves as a senior community room, and the third floor is set up as a learning center where various cultural lectures will be held.

The fourth floor includes an IT playground offering hands-on IT education useful for daily life, a sharing space for seniors’ community activities, a book caf?, and an outdoor terrace called the Shelter. The rooftop is designed as a Sky Shelter, providing healing spaces for seniors throughout the facility.

Since registration began on May 7, 72 seniors have joined as members, and the trial programs have been so popular that all classes were fully booked within two weeks, showing strong enthusiasm from seniors in the Bangbae area.

Currently, various opening commemorative programs are underway at Bangbae Neutinamu Shelter. These include pencil sketching and calligraphy classes that create healing moments using simple materials, smartphone usage lectures, a senior creator course communicating with the world via SNS, and online programs such as healing muscle exercises and silver yoga. A total of six experiential programs will run for four weeks starting May 17.

Starting in July, regular programs will include a Kalimba instrument class effective for hobbies and dementia prevention, a Mid English conversation class to get familiar with foreign languages, art and craft classes such as rattan craft and French embroidery, as well as special courses unique to Bangbae Neutinamu Shelter like kiosk usage, AI, IoT, and drone experience IT convergence classes. Registration opens on June 14.

The district also operates certification courses beyond leisure and cultural programs to serve as stepping stones for Seocho-gu’s new middle-aged seniors preparing for their second act in life to re-enter society. In cooperation with the Korea Beverage Vocational Education Development Institute, barista training and tea sommelier training courses will be offered.

Meanwhile, face-to-face programs are conducted in small groups of fewer than 10 people due to social distancing measures, and non-face-to-face programs can be accessed through Seocho-gu seniors’ integrated YouTube channel, ‘Seocho Halmahalppai Story,’ offering a variety of content.

Seocho-gu Mayor Eunhee Jo said, “Like the Neutinamu tree that lives for a thousand years, we have carefully prepared this space so that seniors can create a joyful and vibrant second act in life,” adding, “We expect it to be a place that breathes new energy into seniors exhausted by COVID-19.”

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