Wanju-gun Certified as WHO Age-friendly City

Emerging as One of the '3 Major Friendly Cities' Including Child-Friendly and Social Economy-Friendly Cities

[Wanju=Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Kim Han-ho] Wanju County announced on the 15th that it has received the World Health Organization (WHO) 'Age-Friendly City Certification.'

An 'age-friendly city' is a policy promoted by WHO since 2009 to effectively respond to the global trends of urbanization and aging.

As of 2021, over 1,000 cities in 46 countries worldwide have joined the 'age-friendly city' initiative, which requires meeting WHO's standards across 8 domains and 84 detailed criteria, including transportation, housing, leisure, and social participation, to receive certification.

Wanju County, with a senior population ratio of 24.4% aged 65 and over, has entered a 'super-aged society,' and as this ratio is expected to steadily increase, the county has recognized the need for proactive responses to an aging society through international information sharing. Accordingly, it has steadily prepared by conducting age-friendly city surveys, establishing implementation plans, and applying for membership in international networks.

In particular, Wanju County has led the vision of the age-friendly city with the slogan "Complete Life in Wanju! Age-Friendly City Wanju!" and has made a final all-out effort through close collaboration processes, including three meetings with public-private experts, to select implementation projects.

Through this certification, Wanju County will classify the eight domains proposed by WHO into four categories: 'Top Safety' for safe and pleasant environments, 'Top Welfare' for happiness across all ages and genders, 'Top Health' for healthy living, and 'Top Leisure' for enjoyment accessible to everyone. Over the next three years, a total of 69 projects will be implemented.

For Top Safety, 23 projects will be promoted in areas such as outdoor spaces, buildings, transportation, and housing, including streetlight installation and maintenance, crime prevention CCTV installation, renovation of old houses for low-income groups, and energy home doctor projects for vulnerable groups.

For Top Welfare, 17 projects will be carried out, including operating mobile welfare centers, lifelong learning hope learning centers, support for senior jobs and social activities, and regional service job projects utilizing the careers of middle-aged individuals. Additionally, 16 projects for Top Health and 13 projects for Top Leisure will be implemented respectively.

Previously, Wanju County achieved UNICEF's 'Child-Friendly City Certification' (May 2016) and the Ministry of Employment and Labor and Korea Social Enterprise Promotion Agency's 'Social Economy Friendly City Certification' (December 2019).

With this WHO 'Age-Friendly City' certification, Wanju County has opened a new horizon in the domestic 'three major friendly city certifications.'

Through this, the county can promote tailored welfare policies for each life cycle from children to the elderly, as well as activate the social economy, enabling the entire population to enjoy warm welfare.

Park Seong-il, Wanju County Governor, said, "Following the Child-Friendly City certification, the Age-Friendly City certification has laid the foundation for 'Top Welfare Wanju,' where everyone from children to the elderly can be happy. We will now strive to make Wanju a top welfare city with welfare policies that all residents can feel in their daily lives."

Wanju=Honam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Kim Han-ho stonepeak@asiae.co.kr

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