South Korea to ease residency rules for senior housing facilities

Seniors living in welfare housing facilities will be allowed to remain in their homes even if their health declines, as long as they can manage daily life with some assistance, under a proposed regulatory change announced Monday.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare said it will accept public comments on a proposed partial amendment to the enforcement rules of the Welfare of Older Persons Act from Tuesday through Nov. 23.

The government said it is pursuing the amendment to address operational and management shortcomings raised in the field, and to help senior welfare housing serve as integrated care infrastructure combining residential living with caregiving services — a shift it expects to become increasingly necessary as South Korea enters a super-aged society.

The amendment would ease residency eligibility requirements so that current residents can remain in senior welfare housing even if their health deteriorates somewhat.

Under current law, eligibility for senior welfare housing is limited to people aged 60 or older who have no difficulty living independently, including cooking for themselves.

The amendment establishes a legal basis for residents to stay on if they can maintain independent living with a certain level of support — such as at-home services under the long-term care insurance program — in line with the integrated care principle of "aging in place."

The amendment also includes a provision allowing residents to form a residents' council with the consent of a majority of occupants, giving them a formal channel to provide input on how their facility is run.

Senior welfare housing is intended as a permanent home for older adults, but because it is classified as a social welfare facility, residents have had limited means of voicing their opinions.

The amendment spells out obligations for those who establish and operate senior welfare housing, strengthening oversight of contracted management, and makes it mandatory to report the selection or replacement of a contracted operator.

If an operator is absent or in effect unable to carry out its duties, the residents' council would be permitted to step in and perform those functions on a limited basis.

Comments may be submitted through Nov. 23 to the Ministry of Health and Welfare's elderly policy division or through the public legislative participation center. The ministry said it will finalize the amendment after gathering feedback during the public comment period.