Health ministry inspects age-tech centers as Korea eyes tech-linked senior housing

The health ministry said that Eun Seong-ho, who heads its population and social service policy office, inspected an age-tech demonstration center and a senior housing complex in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province.

Eun visited the Age-Tech Comprehensive Support Center at Kyung Hee University and Samsung Noble County, a senior welfare housing complex, the ministry said. The visit was aimed at finding ways to connect housing with technologies such as artificial intelligence and care robots so that older adults can age in place.

At the university's international campus, Eun reviewed facilities and equipment used to test digital care devices that support the physical function and cognitive health of older users. The center runs usability evaluations and living-lab demonstrations in which seniors try the devices themselves, checking convenience and safety.

Operated by the university's industry-academic cooperation foundation, the center occupies 3,008.83 square meters and houses 13 research laboratories, including an age-tech health care living lab, along with about 80 units of 18 kinds of equipment such as fixed infrared cameras and mobility testing devices.

Eun then visited Samsung Noble County, a partner of the center, to see cases where advanced age-friendly technology is being applied in daily life, and discussed with officials how such products can raise convenience and safety in residential settings.

Around 22 people took part in the visit, including officials from the health ministry, the Korea Health Industry Development Institute, the Gwangju and Daegu centers, Kyung Hee University and Samsung Noble Life, with the program running from 3 p.m. to 5:20 p.m.

"The core of welfare in a super-aged society is creating an environment where older adults can live on their own in the place they want to live, and that requires efforts to actively apply advanced age-friendly technologies such as AI and care robots to their daily lives," Eun said.

He added that the ministry will not spare policy support, including the development of AI care robots and the application of advanced age-friendly products to long-term care insurance benefits, so that verified technologies and services can become part of real living spaces such as senior welfare housing.