"112 Senior Centers Enjoy Leisure Together"... Gwangmyeong City Introduces Non-Face-to-Face Cultural Education

Expansion of "Smart Senior Centers" Using Remote Video System
Regular Programs Including Singing and Health Exercise Classes to Be Operated

Gwangmyeong City in Gyeonggi Province is operating real-time leisure programs by remotely connecting 112 senior centers within its jurisdiction.

Elderly residents are enjoying leisure activities using a remote video system at a senior center in Gwangmyeong City. Photo by Gwangmyeong City

On May 9, Gwangmyeong City announced that it will launch a smart senior center non-face-to-face leisure and cultural education program starting from May 15 to support a variety of leisure activities for elderly residents.

This initiative utilizes the "smart senior center" infrastructure, which connects all 112 local senior centers via a network using a remote video system and entertainment, educational, and exercise devices. This infrastructure was established in January this year, making Gwangmyeong the first city in the country to do so.

Until now, the city had used the system for one-off events such as singing contests and educational sessions. However, starting from May 15, it will be expanded to regular programs, including a singing class, a dementia prevention class, a health exercise class, and a digital literacy class.

With this system, instructors conduct lessons from a studio on the fourth floor of the Gwangmyeong Senior Welfare Center, and the sessions are broadcast in real time to each senior center. The programs are run by dividing the 112 senior centers into two groups, with each class lasting 50 minutes. This allows instructors to provide a variety of programs to elderly residents without having to visit each center individually.

To ensure smooth operation of the programs, the city will assign technical support staff for system operation and run a dedicated call center to assist with any device-related difficulties. For detailed schedules and additional information, residents can contact the Gwangmyeong branch of the Korean Senior Citizens Association.

The city also plans to use the smart senior center system to broadcast events and meetings organized by the Gwangmyeong branch of the Korean Senior Citizens Association, thereby improving cultural accessibility and participation in social activities for elderly residents.

Park Seungwon, Mayor of Gwangmyeong City, stated, "With the operation of smart senior centers, elderly residents will be able to enjoy a wider variety of leisure activities in a more convenient and safe environment. We will continue to provide full support so that seniors can lead richer and more vibrant lives."

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