Bukdo-myeon Township (Chief Ko Su-yeong) of Ongjin-gun County (Governor Jang Jeong-min) visited senior citizens participating in the senior job program to hear their voices firsthand. Bukdo-myeon announced on the 14th that it held a series of 'Senior Job and Social Activity Support Program Participant Meetings' at village senior centers on Sinsimodo on the 8th and on Jangbongdo on the 11th.
 [The Korean Today] Bukdo-myeon Senior Job and Social Activity Support Program participant meeting © Reporter Kim Mi-hee |
Bukdo-myeon is an area made up of several islands, including Sindo, Sido, Modo and Jangbongdo, and given that travel between the islands requires ferry service, it is not easy to gather participants in one place. Holding the meetings separately on Sinsimodo and Jangbongdo at their respective senior centers is seen as a measure to allow the seniors to attend without burden in the living spaces they are familiar with.
The meetings served two purposes. One was to provide guidance on the program details and conduct safety training so that the program can proceed smoothly, and the other was to hear the difficulties and suggestions the seniors experience at their activity sites. The seniors in attendance freely shared their various experiences from their job activities and their opinions on areas in need of improvement.
Bukdo-myeon plans to actively reflect the suggestions gathered that day in future program operations. It also presented a plan to continue communicating with participants to raise satisfaction and to build a safe working environment. As most participants in the senior job program are elderly, safety management is cited as a factor that determines the program's success or failure.
Ko Su-yeong, chief of Bukdo-myeon, said, "I thank the seniors who actively participate in the activities, and above all, I ask that they carry out their activities with their health and safety as the top priority," adding, "We will carefully look into the difficulties experienced in the field and create an environment where they can work more safely and enjoyably."
The Senior Job and Social Activity Support Program operated by Bukdo-myeon this year consists of ▲Our Neighborhood Environment Keepers ▲Senior Center Keepers ▲Support for Public Institutions and Smart Senior Centers, with a total of 87 seniors currently participating. In island areas with a high proportion of elderly residents, the senior job program not only supplements income but also plays a role in maintaining community functions such as village environment management and senior center operations.
The meetings are significant in that they provided an opportunity for the administration to directly confirm the problems participants have experienced since the program's launch and set a direction for improvement. Whether the opinions collected will lead to actual operational improvements remains the key question going forward, and Bukdo-myeon says it will keep its channels of communication open to that end.
[ Reporter Kim Mi-hee: incheonsouth@thekoreantoday.com ]
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