Naju City Expands Senior Employment by 35% in Two Years... Largest Scale Ever

Public Interest Activities, Competency Utilization, Community Projects, and Employment Support Fields

Naju City is recruiting 4,710 participants for 66 project groups from the 10th to the 19th as part of the "2026 Senior Employment and Social Activity Support Project" to promote an active old age for local seniors. Photo shows activities of the senior employment project. Provided by Naju City

Naju City in South Jeolla Province announced that from December 10 to December 19, it will recruit 4,710 participants for 66 project groups as part of the "2026 Senior Employment and Social Activity Support Project," aimed at promoting an active old age for local seniors.

This is the largest recruitment scale to date, with an increase of 1,625 participants over two years. Applications for participation in four types of senior employment projects will be accepted at each town, township, and neighborhood office, as well as at project implementation agencies, until December 19.

For next year, the number of positions has increased by 685 compared to the previous year, and the project budget has risen by 3.68 billion won, bringing the total to 4,710 positions and a budget of 20.7 billion won (50% from the national government, 15% from the provincial government, and 35% from the city government).

The project will be operated through 16 directly managed project groups led by town and neighborhood offices, the Eastern Senior Welfare Center, and the Central Senior Welfare Center, as well as 50 project groups operated by Naju Senior Club, Naju Senior Welfare Center, the Naju Branch of the Korean Senior Citizens Association, and the Dowoolin Welfare Association.

The recruitment categories are as follows: senior public interest activities (3,560 participants), such as community environment improvement and public facility management support; senior competency utilization projects (823 participants), such as services for vulnerable groups and support for childcare facilities; community project groups (212 participants), such as cafes and side dish/tofu production; and employment support (115 participants), such as security management and cafe-linked jobs, totaling four categories.

For each category, public interest activities offer a monthly activity allowance of 290,000 won for 30 hours of work, and applicants must be Naju residents aged 65 or older who are eligible for the basic pension.

Senior competency utilization projects provide a monthly activity allowance of 761,000 won, including weekly holiday pay, for 60 hours of work per month, based on the participants' skills and expertise. Naju citizens aged 65 or older (some positions available to those 60 or older) are eligible to participate.

Community project groups are popular because, in addition to wages, participants share profits generated through production and sales.

Employment support participants will receive an activity allowance based on next year's minimum hourly wage (10,320 won) according to the terms of the employment contract, and Naju residents aged 60 or older are eligible to participate.

Notably, Naju City plans to launch new projects next year, including six new public interest activities (Senior Arts Group, Senior Safety Patrol, Our Neighborhood Resource Circulation Guardians, Moksagol Traditional Guardians, Safe Pathways for Pedestrians with Mobility Challenges, and Park Golf Course Running Mates), three new senior competency utilization projects (In & Out Care Supporters, Early Childhood Language Development Project, Senior Financial Support Team), and the expansion of the "Mom's Youth Store No. 1" (side dish production and sales) to a second location as a community project.

Those wishing to participate should bring their ID card and a copy of their resident registration to apply in person at the town or neighborhood administrative welfare center, Central Senior Welfare Center, Eastern Senior Welfare Center, Naju Senior Club, Naju Branch of the Korean Senior Citizens Association, Dowoolin Welfare Association, or Naju Senior Welfare Center.

Participants will be selected according to the Ministry of Health and Welfare's senior employment project selection criteria, based on income level, activity capability, and work experience, with final selections made in order of highest scores by January 16 of next year.

Those finally selected will complete accident and liability insurance enrollment, as well as safety and job training, starting January 19 of next year, before officially participating in the employment project.

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