District mayor attends 50 Plus policy forum to discuss support measures for middle-aged residents
Gangseo-gu District Mayor Jin Kyo-hoon attended a policy forum Thursday at COEX Magok themed "The Present and Future of 50 Plus, and the 50 Plus of Tomorrow."
The forum drew about 200 participants, including Jin, staff from 50 Plus centers across Seoul's autonomous districts, and public, private and academic experts in middle-aged support policy.
In his opening remarks, Jin called the forum "a deeply meaningful occasion to look back on the footsteps and achievements of the 50 Plus centers over the past decade and chart the direction for the future." He added that he hoped the centers would "become a new door of hope for middle-aged residents, using this forum as a springboard."
He said that while a "second act" in life once meant rest for middle-aged people, the times now call for creating new value grounded in years of experience and accumulated social knowledge. "We will do our utmost not only to increase the number of jobs but to create quality employment that draws on each individual's strengths," he said.
The forum also featured an in-depth review of the Seoul Metropolitan Government's 50 Plus policy achievements and substantive discussions on the future direction of support measures for middle-aged residents.
The event opened with a keynote address by Jeong Geon-hwa, professor emeritus of economics at Hanshin University, followed by presentations from field experts. A panel discussion was also held on the theme of "Ten Years of the 50 Plus Program: Tasks for a New Middle-Aged Policy and Ecosystem."
seouldream01@heraldcorp.com
