Mapo District's "Resident Participation Filial Piety Meal" Wins Excellence Policy Encouragement Award

One-Stop Welfare Services for Seniors Aged 75 and Older

KRW 2.69 Billion Raised Through Community Sponsorships

The Mapo District Office in Seoul announced on May 19 that its senior welfare policy, "Resident Participation Filial Piety Meal," received the Encouragement Award at the "2026 Excellent Administration and Policy Case Selection Contest" hosted by the Korea Public Policy Evaluation Association.

Mapo-gu won the Encouragement Award at the "2026 Excellent Administration and Policy Case Competition" for its "Resident Participation Filial Piety Meal" project. Provided by Mapo-gu.

The "Resident Participation Filial Piety Meal" is a one-stop welfare service that offers lunch, health care, and legal and tax counseling to seniors aged 75 and older, regardless of their income level. The project was launched to address a gap in existing meal support policies—which mainly target low-income seniors—amid rising demand for senior care due to an aging population and an increase in single-person households.

The project began with a pilot operation in April 2023, expanded its meal supply base with the completion of the First Side Dish Factory in 2024 and the Second Side Dish Factory in 2025, and currently operates a mobile meal delivery system that distributes freshly prepared soups and side dishes from the two factories to various meal service institutions.

The aspect that received high praise at the contest was the establishment of a community care system in which residents look after each other, with most ingredients sourced through sponsorships from residents, institutions, organizations, and companies—truly living up to the "resident participation" name.

As of the end of April, cumulative sponsorship funds amounted to approximately KRW 2.69 billion, while sponsored goods were valued at about KRW 510 million. For seniors who are unable to participate in the meals, the community ensures their well-being through phone calls or home visits, creating a structure in which daily life is supported collectively.

The "Filial Piety Meal" project was also recognized internationally for its policy excellence, being featured as a model case for promoting the rights of the elderly in Korea in the "ASEM Global Ageing Center (AGAC) 2025 Issue Focus Special Edition."

Mapo District is also actively promoting senior-friendly policies centered on the value of filial piety, including the intergenerational empathy education program "Filial Piety School," the nation’s first senior co-housing facility "Filial Piety Residence Senior Center," and services for senior civil affairs such as the "Filial Piety Window" and "Filial Piety Bell."

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