Construction of 'Seocho-type Complex Welfare Town' Begins in 225 Sinwon-dong, Seocho-gu Area

On the 15th, Seoul City Urban Planning Committee approved two proposals as originally planned: changes to the Greenbelt Management Plan and urban planning facility modifications... Introduction of an advanced elderly care system for a super-aged society ▲ Elderly care facility (capacity 400) ▲ Installation of health centers, etc., providing medical services including dementia-specialized programs

[Asia Economy Reporter Jong-il Park] Seocho-gu is expected to accelerate the advanced-type complex welfare town project it has been promoting.

Seocho-gu (Mayor Eunhee Cho) announced on the 16th that the proposed changes to the management plan for the greenbelt area and the proposed changes to urban planning facilities (abolition of parking lots) for the construction of the ‘Seocho-type Complex Welfare Town’ have all passed the 12th Seoul Urban Planning Committee review.

As South Korea is expected to enter a super-aged society by 2025, the elderly population is rapidly increasing, but nursing facilities are concentrated in provincial areas, making the elderly care environment in Seoul very vulnerable in comparison.

In particular, Seocho-gu has a waiting list ratio of 427% compared to the capacity of elderly nursing facilities, and the elderly population is also increasing at a very fast pace, which could lead to social problems by increasing social and economic burdens such as unnecessary hospitalization in nursing hospitals and family caregiving.

To solve these problems, the district is actively promoting the construction of the Seocho-type Complex Welfare Town with the goal of realizing ‘Aging in Place’ by establishing sustainable elderly welfare facilities in the local community.

The Seocho-type Complex Welfare Town will serve as elderly welfare infrastructure in preparation for a super-aged society, including ▲ elderly nursing facilities (20,200㎡) ▲ health centers (900㎡) ▲ and resident convenience facilities (cultural and sports facilities) (1,060㎡).

First, the complex welfare town will introduce an advanced nursing system and establish the nation’s largest nursing facility with a capacity of 400 people. It plans to overcome the closed limitations of existing nursing facilities, create a healing environment with a home-like atmosphere, and become a leading model of next-generation elderly nursing facilities that can respond quickly to infectious diseases such as COVID-19.

In particular, by having nursing facilities within Seocho-gu, elderly residents can spend their later years in familiar places, and caregivers can take care of their parents nearby, which is expected to reduce the burden of care.

Additionally, a health center will be established to provide medical services and operate dementia-specialized programs, becoming a reliable guardian responsible for health in the community.

Through dementia-specialized programs, preventive education will be provided to the pre-elderly population, and families caring for dementia patients will receive dementia education and mentoring, thereby reducing the caregiving burden on families of dementia patients.

Moreover, cultural and sports facilities that local residents can use will also be installed.

So far, the district began a feasibility study in 2019 to promote the complex welfare town, considering the introduction of advanced elderly welfare infrastructure in the area around 225 Sinwon-dong, which was used as a parking lot but not fully utilized. This was promoted through a wide range of resident opinion collection processes, including a symposium on creating an elderly care environment in 2019 and resident briefings.

Going forward, the district plans to submit the overlapping designation of urban planning facilities for social welfare facilities and public offices by October, submit the proposed changes to the greenbelt management plan to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport by the end of the year, and finalize the development scale through architectural design by 2022.

Seocho-gu Mayor Eunhee Cho said, “I am pleased and proud that passing the Seoul Urban Planning Committee review has laid the foundation for establishing a community welfare hub,” and added, “We will accelerate the construction of the Seocho-type Complex Welfare Town so that residents can enjoy an advanced nursing system close to where they live.”

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