Daegu Boosts Senior Employment with ₩200 Million Investment

Daegu Metropolitan City has announced a significant investment of ₩200 million (approximately $147,000 USD) into its ‘Senior Club Specialization Project’ to expand economic and social opportunities for seniors and provide stable livelihoods post-retirement. This initiative, a hallmark of Daegu’s senior employment strategy, aims to foster new businesses suitable for older adults and strengthen existing ones to generate stable income.

Following a competitive public tender, a total of seven projects across five senior employment support organizations were selected for the initial phase of funding. These projects fall into two categories: ‘Startup Support’ and ‘Facility Enhancement’. The selection process was overseen by a dedicated review committee, with ₩170 million already allocated to the chosen organizations. The remaining ₩30 million will be disbursed through an additional call for applications scheduled for April.

The ‘Startup Support’ category, providing up to ₩50 million per organization for initial investment costs, saw four new ventures selected:

• ‘Masill Dwaejijjigae’, a pork stew restaurant by Jung-gu Senior Club
• ‘Jeongjik Yubu Daegu Social Contribution Branch’, a tofu sushi establishment by Buk-gu Senior Club
• ‘Biseulaeppang’, a bakery by Dalseong Senior Club
• ‘Masill Gimbap Branch 4’ by Jung-gu Senior Club

For the ‘Facility Enhancement’ category, each selected organization received ₩10 million to upgrade aging equipment and facilities, aiming to prevent safety accidents and boost productivity. The recipients include:

• Seo-gu Senior Club for its ‘Senior Document Shredding’ and ‘Haengbok Tteokbang’ (rice cake shop) projects
• Nam-gu Senior Club for ‘Kkaega Ssoadajineun Gage’ (a sesame-focused store) and ‘Icheon Chueotang’ (loach soup restaurant)

This latest round of investment is expected to create 72 new jobs in the startup sector for seniors, while also improving working environments and increasing incomes for older adults participating in existing businesses through facility upgrades. Daegu City has consistently supported this program, investing approximately ₩2 billion since 2015. Over this period, the initiative has led to the creation of 517 senior jobs across 34 community-based business groups, successfully supporting the employment of 559 individuals.

Lee Jae-hong, Director-General of Daegu Metropolitan City’s Health and Welfare Bureau, reiterated the city’s commitment. “We will continue to provide support to expand social participation among seniors and establish stable income foundations through the creation of diverse job opportunities,” Lee stated.

Source: 대구광역시 — Original Notice (Korean)