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Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Kim Hyun-mee inspects a senior citizen welfare residence in Jangseong, South Jeolla Province, on Apr. 1. (provided by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport)

There are no doorway thresholds inside of the senior citizen welfare residence in Jangseong, South Jeolla Province, which completed its tenant admission in December 2018. This is to help the resident seniors as they travel by wheelchair. Safety handles have also been installed, while sink heights are adjustable. Seniors are provided with culture classes on topics such as calligraphy and sports dance in the complex’s social welfare center, and meals are provided there at lunchtime. The rent comes out to 40,000-100,000 won (US$32-81) for dedicated areas between 26 and 36 square meters, around 30% of the market rate. The South Korean government plans to increase the supply of senior citizen welfare residences in the future as a form of “apartments for seniors.”

From the design stage, the senior citizen welfare center was conceived as senior-friendly public rental apartment, with rental units provided over a base of social welfare facilities on the lower floors. The apartment’s interior is marked by its specialized design, which reflects painstaking consideration of the elderly residents’ safety. Slip-proof floors and safety guidance lights have been put in place to prevent accidents while residents are moving about. Emergency call buttons are provided to respond to emergency situations. The complex’s social service center offers support with health management and cultural activities.

A combination of residential and caregiving environment, senior citizen welfare residences are jointly operated by the central and local governments. The central government and the Korea Land and Housing Corporation (LH) provide the land and residence, while the respective local government is in charge of managing the welfare center. Over half of all units (100 or more) are provided to seniors as permanent rental housing; local governments that request to do so may provide national rental and Happy Housing units inside the same complex, allowing multiple generations to live together in the same environment. While some of the complexes in the provinces consist solely of senior citizen residents, examples of this “social mixing” are common at complexes in cities.

The first 164 units were provided at the Seongnam Wirye complex in June 2016, with a total of 1,116 supplied at eight locations nationwide as of late 2019. In addition to those meeting the current conditions for permanent rentals (including persons of national merit, disabled persons, and livelihood benefit recipients), all low-income seniors aged 65 and over and earning 50% or less of the average monthly income for an urban worker are eligible for tenancy.

The government plans to increase senior citizen welfare residence supplies by 1,000 to 2,000 units a year, with a target of 10,000 units by 2025. This year, residents are being recruited for a total of 6,682 units, including 150 at the Gwangyeong Chilseong complex in South Jeolla Province, 124 at the Yeongdeok Yeonghae complex in North Gyeongsang Province, and 120 at the Boryeong Myeongcheon complex in South Chungcheong Province.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT) explained, “The Yeongdeok Yeonghae complex has been designed to be a pleasant setting in terms of wind pathways, and with a range of amenities including public laundry rooms, we’re anticipating that it will be strongly preferred by senior citizens.”

In addition to the senior citizen welfare residences, the South Korean government is implementing senior citizen welfare policies based on a wide range of residential forms. To begin with, it plans to reflect the senior citizen welfare concept in its newly built public rental units and purchased rental units. As part of this, it will be working to ensure a supply of units for seniors by reflecting its “impediment-free design” in a portion of national rent and Happy Housing complex units (8% of all units in the Greater Seoul area, 5% outside of it).

Senior-friendly customized remodeling to reflect the specialized design is also to be implemented for purchased rental housing, for which deteriorating existing housing is purchased to be supplied as rental units. A total of 700 units of senior citizen welfare housing under the purchased rental format are to be provided this year in the Seoul and Incheon areas and elsewhere. The government’s target is to provide 70,000 units of senior citizen housing by 2025 through new public rental housing construction and purchased rentals. Adding the 10,000 senior citizen welfare residence units brings the total supplies up to 80,000.

Additionally, caregiving programs for senior citizens in existing public housing are to be stepped up. The South Korean government plans to place residence welfare workers in 20 complexes this year, including permanent rental complexes such as the Seoul Junggye 3, Gayang, and Incheon Samsan 1 complexes and purchased rental complexes in Seoul, Gyeonggi Province, and Incheon. Ongoing home repair support is also being provided to promote a pleasant living experience in the housing currently occupied by low-income seniors. Senior citizens earning 45% of the median income or less may receive up to 12.41 million won (US$10,075) in support for wallpaper, flooring, sink, climate control, and other repairs depending on the degree of deterioration in their housing. The government plans to provide housing repair support to 14,000 households this year.

Visiting a senior citizen welfare residence in Jangseong on Apr. 1, Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Kim Hyun-mee reviewed novel coronavirus prevention conditions and pledged to strengthen policy efforts for senior citizen residential welfare.

“We will continue expanding senior citizen welfare residences so that more people can enjoy warmth in their later years,” she said.

“In response to changing demographic structures as life expectancies increase, we plan to expand customized support for senior citizens, providing both residences and caregiving simultaneously,” she added.

By Kim Tae-gyu, staff reporter

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