Seoul's Seongbuk-gu is recruiting participants for a fashion startup sewing program targeting middle-aged residents. The initiative is a joint effort between the Seongbuk Smart Fashion Industry Center — operated under contract by the Seoul Fashion Textile Sewing Association — and the Seongbuk 50 Plus Center, aimed at expanding social participation among the district's middle-aged population and boosting the local fashion industry.
The program was designed around a prior demand survey of 300 middle-aged residents, in which 92 percent of respondents said they were willing to participate. Of those, 78.2 percent were in their 50s or 60s, reflecting strong demand for practical support in starting businesses, finding employment and accessing online sales channels after completing the training.
The program covers fashion startup courses in clothing and accessories, and will select 10 middle-aged applicants who wish to launch a business or find work in those fields.
Selected trainees will complete 57 hours of instruction over roughly six weeks beginning Sept. 7, at venues including the Seongbuk Smart Fashion Industry Center, a youth startup incubator and the Seongbuk 50 Plus Center.
The curriculum covers the full garment production process — product planning, hand-pattern drafting, sewing practice using specialized equipment and computer-aided design software. After completing the course, graduates will receive one-stop support including AI-assisted content creation and retail and marketing consulting.
Yoo Ji-yong, chairman of the Seoul Fashion Textile Sewing Association, said the program was built on an MOU the association signed with the Seongbuk 50 Plus Center last year. "We hope this creates an ecosystem where middle-aged workers can continue to build careers in the fashion manufacturing industry," he said.
Seongbuk-gu District Mayor Lee Seung-ro called it "a meaningful project where the fashion and sewing sector — a core industry in Seongbuk-gu — meets the rich capabilities of the district's middle-aged generation to create a synergy." He added that the district would continue to strengthen its tailored support systems "so that middle-aged residents preparing for the next chapter of their lives can turn their efforts into real businesses and jobs."
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