Mapo-gu Expands Filial Piety Meal Service to All 16 Neighborhoods (Dong)

10 Additional Institutions Providing Filial Piety Meals... A Total of 17 Institutions Serving Filial Piety Meals to 421 Elderly Living Alone

High User Satisfaction Leads to Flood of Requests for Filial Piety Meals... Plans to Expand Through Efficient Operations Including Establishment of Cooking Centers

Park Gang-su, Mayor of Mapo District, visited the first branch of Hyodo Bapsang in Dohwa-dong, which opened on the 9th, and had a conversation with the elderly.

Mapo-gu (Mayor Park Gang-su) has added 10 institutions participating in the resident-participation filial piety meal program and began operations on the 9th. This means the resident-participation filial piety meal project is now operating in 17 institutions across all 16 neighborhoods (dong).

The resident-participation filial piety meal program is Mapo-gu’s flagship project, the first of its kind among local governments, aimed at preventing malnutrition and loneliness among the elderly by providing free lunch six days a week to seniors aged 75 and older. The pilot project started in April at 7 meal service institutions in 6 neighborhoods, and over approximately four months, about 221 seniors received roughly 16,000 meals.

Going beyond just providing a meal, the district recruited about 300 volunteers to assist with meal distribution and companionship. They also monitor seniors who do not come during meal times by checking in via phone or visits. Visiting nurses conduct basic health checks and provide counseling for chronic diseases such as diabetes and hypertension.

A district official stated, “Not only the seniors but also their children living apart have expressed great satisfaction and gratitude,” adding, “There has been an overwhelming demand from residents to add more filial piety meal institutions.”

This time, focusing on neighborhoods without filial piety meal institutions, the district expanded by 10 institutions: ‘Songgane Gamjatang’ in Yeonnam-dong, ‘Pungnyeon Hansik Buffet’ in Seogyo-dong, ‘Haedeun Hansik Buffet’ in Ahyeon-dong, ‘Hyewon Restaurant’ in Dohwa-dong, ‘Cheongju Restaurant’ in Hapjeong-dong, ‘Mapo Naru’ in Mangwon 1-dong, ‘Strunken’ in Mangwon 2-dong, ‘Chiyu Sobahn’ in Seongsan 1-dong, ‘Ttukbaegi Butcher Restaurant’ in Seongsan 2-dong, and ‘Konggoeul’ in Sangam-dong were selected as filial piety meal institutions.

With the addition of these 10 institutions, more than 200 additional elderly living alone can now use the service, bringing the total number of filial piety meal recipients to over 421.

Mayor Park Gang-su said, “As the ultra-aged society has already begun, the introduction of a universal elderly welfare system is absolutely necessary,” and added, “Improving seniors’ nutrition and managing health issues such as depression and loneliness will enhance community health levels and, on a macro scale, reduce social costs caused by elderly poverty and health problems.” He continued, “Going forward, the district will continue to recruit institutions and recipients to ensure the filial piety meal program becomes Mapo-gu’s representative elderly welfare project and a model case for local governments nationwide.”

On the 9th, Park Gang-su, Mayor of Mapo District, visited the newly opened Hyodo Bapsang Yeonnam-dong Branch No. 1 and took a commemorative photo with the volunteers.

On the morning of the 9th, the district held a plaque ceremony with Mapo-gu residents to announce the opening of the 10 filial piety meal institutions. They also stated plans to expand the project by establishing cooking centers for more efficient operation and budget savings.

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