"So I'm supposed to leave because I'm sick? This is my home" ... Senior welfare housing to lower entry barrier after residents were forced out

"You won't be forced out even if your health worsens"
Senior welfare housing enters an era of "aging in place"


Proposed amendment to the Enforcement Rules of the Welfare of Older Persons Act announced

Eligibility to remain substantially eased through links to long-term care benefits

As South Korea approaches becoming a super-aged society, a legal basis will be established to allow residents of senior welfare housing to remain in their homes even if their health deteriorates, rather than having to move out.

KB Pyeongchang County, the first senior living community introduced by KB Golden Life Care since its launch, is located in Pyeongchang-dong, Jongno-gu, Seoul. Photo by Kang Jinhyeong (aymsdream@)

The Ministry of Health and Welfare announced on October 12 that it would give advance notice of a proposed partial amendment to the Enforcement Rules of the Welfare of Older Persons Act from October 13 through November 23. Under current regulations, eligibility to move into senior welfare housing was strictly limited to people aged 60 or older who had no difficulty living independently, including preparing their own meals. Under the proposed amendment, however, eligibility will be substantially broadened so that residents can continue living in their existing homes if they can maintain an independent life with a certain level of assistance, such as in-home services under long-term care insurance. The measure is seen as bringing the goals of integrated care to senior housing by enabling people to spend their later years in the places where they have lived.

As of 2023, housing dedicated to older adults accounted for just 0.12% of South Korea's population aged 65 or older, far below the 2.0% in Japan and 4.8% in the United States. As of December 2025, the country had only 47 senior welfare housing facilities, with a total of 11,090 households. The measure is seen as removing regulatory barriers to proactively address the expected sharp rise in demand for senior residences and enable senior welfare housing to serve as key infrastructure that combines care with housing, rather than simply providing a place to live.

Along with measures to ensure housing stability, a formal channel will also be established for residents' voices to be directly reflected in facility operations. The proposed amendment would establish a legal basis for forming and operating a residents' representative council with the consent of a majority of residents. Although senior welfare housing has functioned as lifelong housing for older adults, it has been classified by law as a social welfare facility, leaving residents with limited ability to participate in its management. Going forward, when an operator delegates facility management to a specialized corporation or another entity, it will be required to report the selection or replacement of the delegated operator. Oversight will also be strengthened, including through requests for corrective action from delegated operators.

Safety measures have also been introduced to address cases in which operations are disrupted because the facility's founder or operator dies or the corporation is dissolved. If the operator is effectively absent, the residents' representative council will be authorized, within limits, to assume the operator's duties, including selecting or dismissing a delegated management company. This is expected to provide stronger protection for residents' housing rights and interests. The proposed amendment also includes a legal basis for short-term housing support services to help older patients returning from hospital resume life in their communities sooner, as well as relaxed qualification requirements for the head of the Comprehensive Support Center for Older Adults Living Alone.

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