Sjoelen Arrives at Senior Centers: Cheongsong's Elderly Find Joy Again

Strong Response to Visiting Delivery Classes at 29 Senior Centers
Promoting Health, Leisure, and Cognitive Training All at Once

‘Sjoelen’ delivered to senior centers in Cheongsong County is becoming established as both a daily life sports activity and a personalized lifelong learning program, bringing new energy to the lives of elderly residents. The “Visiting Sjoelen Delivery Class,” operated by the Cheongsong County Lifelong Education Leaders’ Association (Chairman: Jeong Taejong) for seniors in the region, is gaining positive response on site.

Photo by Byeonggeon Kwon, Cheongsong County Office

The program is drawing attention as a comprehensive educational content that goes beyond a simple leisure activity to encompass physical activity, cognitive training, and community communication. This class is being held from April 1 to June 15, targeting 29 senior centers in the area. For 25 general senior centers, there will be four intensive sessions, while four key senior centers will have ten in-depth sessions, providing differentiated programs tailored to the characteristics and needs of each group.

In particular, association members who are certified Sjoelen instructors are visiting local senior centers themselves to teach game rules and scoring methods, thereby enhancing the quality of the education. This field-centered, customized guidance is making it easier for seniors to adapt to the activity, while also naturally blending play, learning, and exercise for greater effectiveness.

Sjoelen is a traditional Dutch sport played by sliding pucks across a wooden board into narrow gates to score points. Although it does not require intense physical exertion, it calls for concentration, hand dexterity, and scoring skills, making it an ideal daily sport for older adults. Above all, its ability to stimulate cognitive functions through gentle physical activity is highly valued as a health promotion program for seniors.

One senior participant shared, “At first, I thought it was just an easy game, but once I tried it, it turned out to be quite a workout, enough to make me sweat. Calculating the scores myself also got me thinking, so it’s both enjoyable and rewarding.”

Jeong Taejong, Chairman of the Cheongsong County Lifelong Education Leaders’ Association, said, “We organized this program to promote healthy aging and spread a sound leisure culture among seniors. We are also preparing to host the first-ever Cheongsong County Sjoelen Competition this year and hope for much interest. We will continue to develop customized educational programs for seniors moving forward.”

Meanwhile, the Cheongsong County Lifelong Education Leaders’ Association is contributing to the revitalization of the local community by pursuing a variety of learning support initiatives, including this Sjoelen class and other visiting delivery classes designed to bridge lifelong learning gaps.

This program is particularly meaningful in that it has expanded senior centers from mere places of rest into platforms for learning, interaction, and health promotion. It stands as an example of how lifelong learning tailored for seniors can become another pillar of welfare in rapidly aging rural communities.

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