By Park Jong-il, The Herald Business Geumcheon-gu announced that the Geumcheon Senior Club (director Kim Seon-ung) has been named an outstanding implementing organization in the community business unit category in the "2026 Elderly Employment and Social Activity Support Project Evaluation," conducted by the Ministry of Health and Welfare and the Korea Employment Agency for the Elderly.
The evaluation covered 1,194 elderly employment implementing organizations across metropolitan and local governments nationwide, assessing 2025 project performance, management and operations, new project initiatives and competitive grant selections.
As a result, the Geumcheon Senior Club was named one of 13 outstanding organizations in the community business unit category.
The club, which opened in June 2019, was recognized as a top-performing organization just two years later in 2021. It then earned outstanding status in the skills-utilization project category for four consecutive years from 2022 through 2025, and this year extended that recognition to the community business unit category as well — marking six consecutive years of outstanding evaluations in elderly employment.
The recognition reflects Geumcheon-gu's sustained effort to go beyond simply increasing the number of elderly jobs, instead cultivating programs that draw on seniors' expertise and experience through its "elderly skills-utilization project" and building self-sustaining employment through its "community business units."
The district operates a range of employment ventures through the Geumcheon Senior Club — established in 2019 — aimed at promoting seniors' social participation and economic independence.
Since Hamkke Green Cafe, a coffee shop run by senior baristas, opened in September 2019, additional elderly employment businesses have followed, most recently Chakan Pizza earlier this year. The Geumcheon Senior Club now operates 20 projects — including Chakan Sanghoe, Chakan Dosirak and Chakan Laundry — providing around 1,900 jobs for seniors.
"This achievement is the result of the dedication of the seniors who faithfully participated in their work and the hard work of our staff," director Kim said. "We will do our best not only to help seniors enjoy a happy retirement, but also to return a portion of our business proceeds to the community and build a sustainable, mutually beneficial community business model."
Geumcheon-gu District Mayor Choi Gi-chan said the recognition "is a meaningful achievement that demonstrates nationwide acknowledgment of Geumcheon-gu's ongoing policy to expand high-quality elderly employment." He added that the district would "work to invigorate seniors' later years and boost the local economy through diverse elderly employment opportunities that connect seniors' experience and capabilities with the community."
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