Goyang City Supports 9,416 Senior Jobs... Tackling the Super-Aged Society Head-On with Market-Type Jobs

Goyang City Shifts the Paradigm for Senior Jobs
From Running Convenience Stores to Working as Baristas
Convenience Stores and Cafes Become Workplaces for Seniors
Transition from Public-Interest Roles to "Market-Type Jobs"

Goyang City in Gyeonggi Province is responding to the coming super-aged society by shifting its policy focus from senior jobs centered on public-interest activities to "market-type jobs" that generate income and support self-reliance.

In August last year, the memorandum of understanding signing ceremony for the "Silver Barista Training Program." Provided by Goyang Teukrye-si.

According to Goyang City on the 9th, the population aged 65 and older in the city reached 197,000 last year, accounting for 18.6% of the total population. As retirements among the baby-boom generation accelerate, it is now virtually certain that the city will soon enter a super-aged society in which the proportion of seniors exceeds 20%.

In response, the city is investing 38.2 billion won this year to operate a total of 9,416 senior jobs. By type, there are 6,667 public-interest jobs, 1,573 competency-based jobs, 906 market-type jobs, and 270 job-placement-type jobs, for a total of four categories.

Among these, market-type jobs are structured so that the more income they generate, the more participants can be added; the number of participants has increased from 328 in 2022 to 906 this year. The performance of Goyang City's market-type senior jobs is evident in its collaboration with private companies. The "GS25 Senior Companion Convenience Store," introduced for the first time in the country in partnership with GS Retail, is a case that has changed perceptions of senior employment.

Senior workers are in charge of overall store operations, including checkout, shelving, and customer service. Working conditions such as hourly wages and leave for family events have been aligned with those of regular employees. Following the Jungsan Sandeul branch, the Juyeop Hansarang branch, and the Juyeop main branch, one more store will be added this year, bringing the total to four stores employing 56 seniors.

Silver barista working at a silver cafe. Provided by Goyang Teukrye-si

Inside the stores, there are also sales counters for products made through senior job programs and clothing alteration services, establishing a self-reliant, integrated model that combines product sales with services.

The Silver Cafe project is also steadily expanding. In August last year, the city signed a memorandum of understanding with the local coffee franchise "Mirukku Coffee" and is operating a Silver Barista training program. For Goyang citizens aged 60 and over, the city provides practice-oriented training, support for obtaining the entry-level international barista certificate (SCA), and job placement, all in an integrated manner.

Currently, 30 people are working at four stores, and six Silver Baristas who completed the training last year are scheduled to be deployed to the field starting this year. The city plans to expand the Silver Cafe into a convergence program that combines bakery and culture and arts, developing it into a regional community hub where intergenerational communication can take place.

The city is also diversifying its senior job programs by supporting community-based project teams in the private sector that can generate income. At "Haengju Farm," a community project team that has obtained Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) certification, 10 seniors are participating in the production of safe food, thereby creating stable jobs.

Sesame oil and perilla oil produced by Haengju Farm recorded sales of approximately 230 million won last year, based on upgraded product design and thorough quality control. The project has also built sales channels through Nonghyup local food stores and online platforms, increasing trust in products made by seniors and securing stable routes to market.

Grandmothers and Sewing Machine Project Group. Provided by Goyang Special City

The "Grandmother and the Sewing Machine" project team, which draws on the skills of experienced sewers, is also being operated in a stable manner. Twelve seniors produce everyday items such as eco-bags, aprons, and insulated bags, as well as the "Dabok Package," a gift set presented by Goyang City to celebrate childbirth, and recorded sales of 180 million won last year.

The Grandmother and the Sewing Machine project team is a model case of a career-linked project in which seniors' skills and experience are not wasted but instead contribute to community welfare.

At the same time, the city is converting senior jobs in the public sector into market-type models to enhance efficiency and sustainability.

Since 2023, public-interest jobs that had been providing services to schools and hospitals have been converted into market-type jobs and are now being operated in that form. As of 2026, a total of 210 people are participating, including 79 in the School Safety Keeper program, 119 in the School Environment Management Support program, and 12 hospital helpers.

With the shift to market-type jobs, participants' working hours and pay have increased, while the financial burden on the city has been reduced as the institutions demanding the services now shoulder part of the wage costs.

By securing both public value and profitability, the city is establishing a virtuous cycle structure for senior jobs that makes it possible to create more employment opportunities.

A clerk working at the GS25 Senior Companion Convenience Store. Provided by Goyang Special City

Goyang Mayor Lee Donghwan said, "To respond to the super-aged society, it is important to create sustainable jobs and strengthen the foundation for seniors' self-reliance," adding, "We will work to revitalize both senior welfare and the local economy by expanding market-type models, including collaboration with the private sector."

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