Chuncheon City to Significantly Expand 'Digital Welfare Model' Smart Senior Centers Starting Next Year

Chuncheon City Accelerates Smart Senior Centers
Transforming Senior Centers into Hubs for Education, Health, and Communication
Goal to Complete 143 Centers by 2029

Chuncheon City in Gangwon Province (Mayor Yuk Donghan) will actively expand the "Smart Senior Centers Construction Project," which is being promoted to improve welfare for the elderly and bridge the digital divide, starting next year.

Chuncheon City (Mayor Yuk Donghan) will actively expand the "Smart Senior Centers Establishment Project," which is being promoted to improve welfare for the elderly and bridge the digital divide, starting next year. Provided by Chuncheon City

The city was selected for the Ministry of Science and ICT's "Smart Village Dissemination and Expansion Project" and will invest a total of 4.48 billion won, including national funds, over five years from 2025 to 2029. This investment will be used to gradually establish advanced ICT-based smart senior centers in 143 locations throughout the region.

The smart senior centers serve as a digital welfare model to address the challenges of a super-aged society. They aim to enhance digital accessibility for seniors and integrate leisure, health, and communication functions within the centers. Through this initiative, the centers will go beyond simply providing leisure activities, helping to alleviate social isolation and create new opportunities for communication. This year, the city completed the first phase by installing remote education equipment such as smart TVs, cameras, and wireless microphones in 30 centers and piloting leisure programs like online singing classes. A dedicated studio was also established at the Chuncheon branch of the Korean Senior Citizens Association to support the production and broadcasting of digital content.

Starting in January next year, one of the core functions of the smart senior centers, the "health management platform," will be fully operational. Each center will be equipped with health measurement devices such as InBody analyzers, blood pressure monitors, grip strength meters, and physical activity trackers. These will be linked to facial recognition-based kiosks to automatically collect and manage basic health information for seniors. The collected data will be shared with the Chuncheon City Public Health Center to detect early signs of health issues and will be utilized for formulating senior-friendly policies and providing tailored welfare services.

Additionally, from March next year, 30 "smart managers" will be assigned to the centers to support on-site operations, including equipment management, assistance with health measurements, and guidance on using digital devices. With strengthened one-on-one support for seniors who have difficulty using digital devices, the utilization and stability of the smart senior centers are expected to improve further.

Leisure programs will also be gradually expanded. Starting in March next year, the Chuncheon branch of the Korean Senior Citizens Association will operate leisure programs once a week. The city plans to expand these programs step by step, beginning with singing classes and then adding health, exercise, and cultural content. Through this, the centers are expected to become spaces that support not only relaxation but also leisure, communication, and health management for seniors.

By July next year, the city plans to convert an additional 29 centers into smart senior centers, expanding the total to 59. Through annual expansion, all 143 centers are scheduled to be completed by 2029. The city aims to establish digital welfare as a sustainable policy by not only installing equipment but also strengthening content and advancing a data-driven operational system.

Shin Kwansub, Director of Digital Policy, stated, "Smart senior centers are not just about introducing equipment; they are a policy that naturally connects digital technology and welfare in the daily lives of seniors. We will continue to provide systematic support to improve the quality of life for seniors and realize a digitally inclusive society."

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