Seoul City Launches 'Public Care Committee'... Oh Se-hoon: "We Will Create a Strengthened Care System" (Comprehensive)

After the Dissolution of Seoul Social Service Agency
Formation of Public Care Committee... First Meeting
'Care Enhancement Plan' to be Announced in August

The Seoul Metropolitan Government will announce the 'Seoul Public Care Enhancement Plan,' which emphasizes sustainability and highlights Seoul's unique characteristics, in August. The city formed the Public Care Committee, which will take over public care functions following the dissolution of the Seoul Social Service Institute (Seosa-won), and held its first meeting on this day.

On the afternoon of the 7th, Seoul held the '1st Seoul Public Care Committee' meeting at the main building conference room of City Hall with the Ministry of Health and Welfare, social service academics, and field experts. Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon attended the meeting and stated, "Seoul plans to create a more strengthened care system so that any citizen in need of care can receive sufficient care services at their desired time," adding, "While ensuring publicness, we will also actively lead and support the private sector to provide high-quality care services."

He also expressed determination to eliminate blind spots in care. Mayor Oh said, "There are many people who fall into care blind spots depending on user characteristics or personal circumstances, such as those with complex diseases or disabilities who do not receive adequate care, and those who need only intermittent and short-term services with low usage fees," adding, "Moreover, due to urbanization and polarization, care blind spots that were not considered in existing systems are growing, so responses to these are also necessary."

He explained the background of launching the Public Care Committee after the dissolution of Seosa-won. Mayor Oh said, "Contrary to its original establishment purpose, the Seoul Social Service Institute had to face internal and external criticism for failing to properly fulfill its role as a public social service provider," and added, "Seoul sincerely hoped that the Social Service Institute would succeed in innovation and truly serve as a public care institution, but after many twists and turns, it ultimately led to dissolution."

Earlier, Seoul approved the dissolution of Seosa-won, a Seoul-affiliated institution responsible for public care, last month. Seosa-won was a city-funded institution providing care services such as long-term care, support for disabled activities, and childcare, but it faced criticism for poor management and failure to fulfill its public functions. However, Seoul announced that even after Seosa-won's dissolution, the necessary public care functions would be maintained and strengthened by forming and operating the 'Seoul Public Care Enhancement Committee.'

The Public Care Enhancement Committee consists of 15 members from academia, public institutions, field experts, Seoul city government, Seoul Metropolitan Council, and the Ministry of Health and Welfare. Professor Seok Jae-eun of Hallym University’s Department of Social Welfare, who serves as co-head of the government’s 'Medical, Nursing, and Care Policy Planning Group,' a policy operation committee member of the Low Fertility and Aging Society Committee, and president of the Korean Social Welfare Association, was appointed as the committee chair.

Starting with the first meeting on this day, the committee will operate once a week until July 19. The Public Care Committee plans to focus discussions on five areas through 7 to 8 meetings: long-term care services, support for disabled activities, mental health, private sector development and emergency care, and treatment improvement. In particular, based on the discussion results, they plan to prepare a reestablishment plan that can provide flexible services according to users’ needs and situations regardless of severity, profitability, vulnerable times, and vulnerable spaces, and announce the 'Seoul Public Care Enhancement Plan.'

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