Gangdong-gu (mayor Lee Jung-hun) revealed the establishment of ‘plans to promote prevention of abuse of the elderly and protection of human rights’ to take the lead in protecting the human rights of senior citizens. 

 According to the Seoul South Side Elder Protection Agency, the number of reports of elder abuse in Gangdong-gu has been continuously rising with 23 reports in 2015, 51 reports in 2016, and 60 reports in 2017, and with the enactment of the ‘Ordinance for protection and prevention of elderly abuse in Gangdong-gu, Seoul’ last December, support for protection of senior citizen rights has become more desperate.

 Gangdong-gu has thus established the ‘plans to promote prevention of abuse of the elderly and protection of human rights’, and plans to actively perform its projects this year for the protection of senior citizen rights.

 For the professional and systematic protection of senior citizens, Gangdong-gu has concluded a business agreement with the Gangdong Police Station and other related organizations, and plans to designate and operate dong community service centers (17) and senior citizen welfare facilities (4) that residents can easily approach as ‘elder abuse reporting centers’.

 An elderly abuse prevention training course will be enforced for persons with duties to report abuse, which include community service center welfare planners, senior citizen welfare facility workers, and others, and leaflets will be produced and distributed with information on how to prevent elder abuse and ways to take action.

Not only that, but there will be film screening and prevention relay training regarding senior citizen rights for the improvement of local citizens’ awareness of human rights. There will be a senior citizen rights campaign booth at the Social Welfare Show in October, with the setup of a social safety net and improved awareness of senior citizens.

 Mayor Lee Jung-hun stated, “We need as much interest as possible for the promotion of projects for senior citizens’ rights,” and “Gangdong-gu will actively strive to prevent elder abuse and to protect the rights of senior citizens.”