From discount taxis to cash, local governments offer new perks for older Koreans
Counties in South Chungcheong are introducing hospital taxi subsidies, paper vouchers and caregiving allowances to improve daily life for older adults and their families.
Park Jeong-joo, chief of Hongseong County of South ChungcheongJOONGANG ILBO
Local governments are rolling out programs tailored to residents aged 75 and over, including subsidized taxi rides to hospitals and cash allowances for adult children living with their parents.
Hongseong County in South Chungcheong plans to launch a “taxi service for filial piety” (translated) for residents aged 75 and older. Under the program, eligible older adults will pay a flat fare of 1,000 won (65 cents) for a taxi ride from their home to a hospital. The remaining cost will be covered by the county government.
The county plans to begin the service in October after securing funding through a supplementary budget in the second half of the year.
“Several local governments already operate low-cost taxi programs for residents in remote areas, but we haven't seen one specifically designed to take [older] residents to hospitals,” a Hongseong County official said. “We'll implement measures to prevent misuse, such as requiring users to submit proof of their hospital visit.”
The program aims to improve access to medical care among older populations who experience difficulty in accessing medical services for logistic reasons.
“Many older people in rural areas have limited access to transportation,” Hongseong County chief Park Jeong-joo said in a phone interview with the JoongAng Ilbo. “In this circumstance, getting out of the house is difficult, and traveling to the hospital would be even more challenging. We expect the taxi service to significantly improve their quality of life.”
The county also began issuing paper versions of its local gift certificates to residents aged 65 and older on July 1.
Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, left, waves to an older adult who is using a city-run taxi-ride request service for digitally marginalized populations in western Seoul on July 6.NEWS1
The measure is intended to help older adults who have difficulty using the mobile-based vouchers.
“It's true that many older people who shop or run businesses at traditional markets find mobile gift certificates inconvenient,” Park said. “Issuing paper vouchers should also help revitalize traditional markets, where many older residents shop.”
The monthly purchase limit for local gift certificates is 500,000 won, but only up to 300,000 won can be purchased in paper form.
Hence, residents aged 65 and older may purchase up to 300,000 won in paper vouchers, with the remaining 200,000 won loaded onto a mobile voucher.
Residents under 65 may purchase the full 500,000 won only through the mobile version.
Lee Yong-woo, chief of Buyeo County in South ChungcheongJOONGANG ILBO
Buyeo County in South Chungcheong is also mulling over a monthly “filial piety allowance” for households caring for older parents.
The proposal would provide 150,000 won per month — a total of 1.8 million won a year — to those who in their 30s to 50s living with parents aged 85 or older.
“People in their 30s to 50s carry the heaviest burden,” Buyeo County chief Lee Yong-woo said. “They support their older parents while raising their own children, yet their own lives are often the most financially strained. It is heartbreaking to see people leave a small-sized city like Buyeo because of economic hardship, so the local government wants to share some of that burden.”
“The county plans to finalize the implementation details this year and begin paying the allowance next year,” added a Buyeo County official.
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
