Older adults step up to help elderly neighbors in Ulsan

The Ulsan Senior Dongbaek Volunteer Corps, made up of residents in their 50s through 70s, is drawing attention for cleaning homes and organizing living spaces for vulnerable households.

Ninety-five graduates of the third cohort of Ulsan Senior Elementary School formed the corps and held an inaugural ceremony Monday at the grand banquet hall of the Ulsan Family Culture Center, formally launching the group's third home-cleaning and organization unit.

Members plan to visit low-income households in need of better living conditions, providing cleaning and organization services to create more comfortable home environments. The senior volunteers also see the work as a way to stay socially engaged and maintain a healthy, active lifestyle in their later years.

Earlier cohorts have already made an impact: the first unit served 13 elderly low-income households in 2023, while the second expanded its reach to 40 households in 2024.

Park Seon-gu, head of the Ulsan Senior Dongbaek Volunteer Corps, said the work goes beyond tidying up homes. "Even as we get older, we share warmth with our neighbors not just through cleaning but through genuine conversation," he said. "Our members feel a real sense of fulfillment knowing they are helping build a community where everyone looks out for one another."