CHANGWON — South Gyeongsang Province has drawn up measures to protect vulnerable residents during the Chuseok holiday, aiming to close gaps in care and welfare coverage. Under Hope Support Payments, the province's own emergency welfare program, living expenses range from 780,000 won a month for single-person households to 1.99 million won a month for four-person households, with medical costs covered up to 3 million won.
The province said on the 17th that it will work with cities and counties so that applications filed before the Chuseok holiday can be paid out, following on-site verification, as much as possible before the holiday begins.
Efforts to identify households in welfare crisis will also be strengthened. The province will use big data covering 47 types of crisis indicators, including electricity, water and gas cutoffs, along with a system designed to respond to the risk of people dying alone. Local welfare networks, including community social security committees and honorary social welfare officials, will check on the well-being and safety of vulnerable residents.
Tailored care will be provided for each group. Older adults spending the holiday alone without visits from family or relatives, as well as those who need care, will receive check-in calls and visits before and after the holiday. Care workers under the customized care program for older adults and staff of the emergency safety service will visit in person to review living conditions and safety.
About 28,000 children at risk of going without meals will be given advance information on affiliated restaurants they can use during the holiday. The province will work with local groups, including women's associations, to prevent gaps in meal support, and some cities and counties will also support online, contact-free meal services through delivery apps.
Care for people with disabilities will continue through the holiday. Personal assistants will visit their homes to help with daily life, including physical activity, housework and mobility. If an emergency arises for a caregiver of a person with a developmental disability, such as hospitalization or a family emergency (e.g., a bereavement), temporary care will be provided through an emergency care support center for people with developmental disabilities.
To protect homeless people, the province will step up field patrols focused on areas where street homeless people gather and provide food in cooperation with food banks. For homeless people living in shelters, it will strengthen safety management while running holiday programs.
Through the 23rd, the province will carry out visits to social welfare facilities, isolated residents and bereaved families of independence activists. Senior officials will visit welfare facilities and isolated residents to deliver gifts and hear their views. One-on-one 'buddy' visits (paired support relationships) will be made to 196 bereaved family members of independence activists.
"We will look carefully at everything from emergency aid to care and identifying households in crisis, so that no resident is left out during the Chuseok holiday," said Kim Young-sun, director general of the province's welfare and women's bureau. "We will attend closely to the safety and care of vulnerable groups so that all residents can spend a warm and comfortable holiday."
