From Two-Month Jobs to Senior Centers... Key Senior Welfare Issues in Busan Addressed in One Place

Sukbo Seo, Busan City Council Member, Holds Discussion with Korean Senior Citizens Association

Gathering On-Site Feedback on Senior Employment and Senior Center Improvements

Calls for Policies Covering Employment, Transportation, Sports, and Housing

There have been calls to prioritize well-prepared job opportunities for seniors starting next year, rather than hastily creating two-month short-term positions. On-site opinions have also been presented, suggesting that the scope of senior policies should be expanded to include improvements to outdated senior centers, as well as transportation, sports, and leisure.

On October 6, Sukbo Seo, member of the Busan City Council (People Power Party, Dongnae District 3), held a meeting with the Busan Metropolitan City Federation of the Korean Senior Citizens Association, Youngjin Oh, Dongnae District Council member, and others to discuss senior employment and the improvement of senior center environments, as well as other senior welfare issues in Busan.

During the meeting, the Busan municipal senior employment project—reduced by the Welfare and Environment Committee in the third supplementary budget review for fiscal year 2026—was discussed first.

Soo-Kukbo Seo, Busan City Council member (back row, right), is holding a meeting with the Busan Metropolitan City Federation of the Korea Senior Citizens Association and Youngjin Oh, Dongnae District Council member.

This project is a short-term job program running for about two months until the end of this year, mainly focused on promoting city administration. While the budget for dedicated staff was allocated, Sukbo Seo explained there was no budget provided for on-site safety personnel, meaning the program was insufficiently prepared.

Sukbo Seo emphasized that this budget cut was not intended to oppose the expansion of jobs for seniors. Instead, he explained that, given the limited budget, the focus should be on ensuring job safety, sustainability, and quality.

Sukbo Seo stated, "Rather than hastily creating two-month short-term jobs, it is more appropriate to thoroughly address shortcomings and implement next year's project as high-quality jobs that offer seniors greater stability and meaningful participation."

The Busan Metropolitan City Federation of the Korean Senior Citizens Association delivered on-site feedback concerning the city's overall senior welfare policies.

There was an opinion that senior welfare should be regarded not as simple support, but as a policy field that underpins the lives of citizens. It was also requested that senior policies should not be handled solely by welfare departments; instead, departments in charge of sports, leisure, transportation, and other areas should also participate in developing related projects together.

Another opinion was raised that, since financial matching from districts/wards sometimes makes it difficult to undertake necessary projects, Busan needs to diversify its project structures at the municipal level.

Although each department promotes senior-related projects, there was also a concern that blind spots where support does not reach may arise between policies and systems. It was proposed that the Welfare and Environment Committee should comprehensively review all senior-related projects in Busan to fill in gaps in relevant policies.

The issue of improving the environment of senior centers was also addressed as a major topic.

The Association explained that, although senior centers are legally welfare and leisure facilities for the elderly, there are places where the actual environment and level of support do not meet these standards. Some centers are in buildings more than 50 years old or are cramped, less than 33 square meters in size. Some are located above communal restrooms, while others lack restrooms entirely.

Accordingly, it was suggested that a survey of the actual state of each senior center should be conducted, and that the degree of facility aging and the usage environment should be examined comprehensively in order to pursue systematic improvement.

There was also a request for support for the National Senior Health Festival, a nationwide event scheduled to be held in Busan in 2027. As the event rotates nationwide, the City Council was asked to ensure that Busan’s budget for the event is properly secured to allow for smooth hosting.

Sukbo Seo stated, "The key message from today is that senior policy should not be viewed merely as welfare support, but should be approached as comprehensive policy encompassing employment, sports, transportation, housing, and leisure in seniors' daily lives."

He added, "Since senior centers are the closest spaces for local seniors’ daily and leisure activities, it is necessary to re-examine how outdated the facilities are and whether the support unit prices match reality. The Welfare and Environment Committee will closely examine the current situation and related budgets and actively consult with the city of Busan on necessary matters."

Sukbo Seo also said, "We will carefully review the budget planning to ensure that the National Senior Health Festival to be held in Busan in 2027 is conducted safely and satisfactorily."

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