Older Koreans master the digital ropes at Seoul's 'smart senior centers'

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Older Koreans master the digital ropes at Seoul's 'smart senior centers'

Published: 12 Nov. 2025, 07:00

CHO JUNG-WOO
[email protected]

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

Lee Geum-ok, 74, practices using a digital kiosk at a smart senior center in Yangcheon District, western Seoul, on Nov. 4. [CHO JUNG-WOO]

Lee Geum-ok, a 74-year-old resident of western Seoul, confidently orders an iced Americano through a kiosk screen on a Tuesday afternoon. It isn’t at a cafe or restaurant. Instead, it’s a senior center in Sinwol-3-dong, Yangcheon District, in western Seoul.

“We all need to learn how to use these machines since almost everywhere has them now, even restaurants,” Lee said.

“Old people like us tend to forget how to use them, so we keep practicing,” she added with a laugh.

For older people today, digital literacy is no longer optional. As public services, transportation systems and even basic dining increasingly rely on smartphones and automated kiosks, older people who are not familiar with such technology risk being left behind.

Like Lee and many other older Yangcheon residents, the first place they learned to use digital kiosks was at the center, at what the government calls a “smart senior center.” These centers are equipped with digital devices and technologies that offer both educational programs and entertainment.

The Sinwol-dong center is one of 24 smart senior centers in Yangcheon District. In 2023, 10 were opened, and 20 more were added this year. Of them, six are still under construction but are expected to open by the end of the year, according to a district official.

As Korea officially entered a super-aging society this year — meaning that more than 20 percent of its population is 65 or older — and as digitization continues to accelerate, such centers are expanding not only in Seoul but nationwide.

Kang Gil-ja, a Yangcheon resident, uses a walking exercise machine at a smart senior center in western Seoul on Nov. 4, as a staff member assists her in selecting a program. [CHO JUNG-WOO]

Bridging the digital divide

In 2021, the Ministry of Science and ICT launched a project to convert senior centers into digital learning spaces. Since then, more than 2,000 such centers across the country have been equipped with digital devices.

The initiative comes as nearly 2.9 million out of Korea’s 10 million older adults are registered members of senior centers, according to ruling Democratic Party Rep. Park Hee-seong, citing data from the Ministry of Health and Welfare. As of last year, there were 69,260 senior centers nationwide.

Yet, a gap remains. The National Information Society Agency reported last year that the digital capability index for those aged 55 and older stands at 55.4, compared to 100 for the general population.

A 2023 survey by the Ministry of Science and ICT found that nearly one in three older adults felt anxious using digital tools without help. Some have skipped meals or avoided errands because they could not navigate touch-screen menus or mobile payment systems.

In response, public institutions and private companies have launched training programs in recent years. S1, a security company under the Samsung Group, opened a digital academy for older adults in 2023.

Participants take part in a senior digital program, a training program run by Hyundai Capital for its older customers. [HYUNDAI CAPITAL]

At the Sinwol-dong center, Lee said the practice has already made a difference.

“I can confidently order a cup of coffee at a cafe now, thanks to the practice I had here,” she said with a smile, tapping through menus on the kiosk. The machine includes simulations for applying for certificates at government centers, booking train tickets and ordering food.

“But ordering hamburgers and such, I’m still not used to that, since I don’t usually eat them,” she said.

However, as centers expand nationwide, some advocates say the programs need to go further.

During a National Assembly audit last month, the Korea Senior Citizens Association called for broader upgrades to the smart senior center model.

“Too much focus has been placed on simply installing the equipment,” said Choi Woon, policy committee chair for smart senior centers at the Korea Senior Citizens Association, who appeared as a witness at the audit.

“We need a fundamental shift to expand AI caregiving and offer more diverse and meaningful content.”

Elderly participants practice placing orders using a self-service kiosk during a training session at a fast-food restaurant in the greater Seoul area. [NATIONAL INSTITUTE FOR LIFELONG EDUCATION]

Maintaining health, digitally

When the center’s doors opened the afternoon of Nov. 4, some 20 older adults were chatting and spending time at the center as they waited for their sing-along class.

Some checked their blood pressure, while others played games on a smart board with their friends.

One of the participants, Kang Gil-ja, sat by a digital blood pressure monitor. The machine automatically saves her results and alerts her family if an alarming number appears. Since she’s already registered in the system, she only needs facial recognition to log in.

Kang Gil-ja, a Yangcheon resident, checks her blood pressure at a smart senior center in western Seoul on Nov. 4. [CHO JUNG-WOO]

At first, she struggled to get the camera to recognize her face, but a center worker helped her adjust her position.

Two staff members were on duty that afternoon, assisting older adults with digital equipment and helping them navigate the new technology.

Next to the health-check area stood a walking exercise machine that tracks the number of steps taken, while a large screen shows a virtual walk through Sinwol-dong.

The floor beneath the machine is cushioned to reduce strain on older knees.

“I usually walk around a nearby park for two hours every day,” Kang said. “But I use this machine when the weather’s bad, like when it rains.”

On the other side of the room stood a “smart board” — a digital gaming table that looked like a pool table. Once logged in, older adults could choose from various games, including one where players popped balloons and fruits.

Seniors play games on a digital tabletop device at a smart senior center in Yangcheon District, western Seoul, on Nov. 4. [CHO JUNG-WOO]

“That’s mine, not yours!” one woman shouted playfully as she tapped at the screen.

“We’ve all gotten so good at these games,” Kang said as she recruited more players to join.

According to a district official, these games are designed to help prevent dementia and keep older adults mentally active.

This center was designated as a “smart senior center” in part because the area is among the oldest in Yangcheon District, and because the district office directly manages the facility. It also met the program’s requirement of having at least 90 square meters (978 square feet) of space, the district official said.

The median age in Sinwol-3-dong is 52.1, placing it among the three oldest areas in the district — a demographic profile that made it a natural site for a pilot program aimed at helping older residents adapt to an increasingly digital daily life.

Exercising and singing together, virtually

At 1 p.m., the staff switched the TV to a live broadcast connecting ten senior centers across the district. On-screen, a sing-along instructor appeared from a studio, leading a session of trot, Korea’s old-style pop music.

Instead of traveling between sites, instructors now teach virtually, enabling multiple centers to participate simultaneously.

Seniors take part in a livestreamed sing-along class broadcast to 10 senior centers at a smart center in Yangcheon District, western Seoul, on Nov. 4. [CHO JUNG-WOO]

As the music began, the older adults in the class clapped and sang along, smiling widely. Other virtual programs, such as stretching and fitness classes, are also conducted this way, letting older people see their peers from different centers in real time.

The district plans to expand the transformation project further, citing strong demand and positive feedback from participants.

“Other senior centers have reached out to ask if they could install the same facilities,” a district official said.

For many older adults who spend much of their free time at the center, the chance to practice using digital devices has become an extra advantage. Other senior centers offer comparable programs, but most rely solely on in-person instruction, without equipment that allows repeated, hands-on use.

For Lee Geum-ok, visiting the center has become part of her weekly routine — a place to learn, socialize and adapt to a changing world.

“Older adults like me all need to learn,” she said firmly. “We can’t use any of these digital devices unless we’re taught.”

BY CHO JUNG-WOO [[email protected]]