GOYANG — The city of Goyang in Gyeonggi Province is expanding a locally tailored version of the integrated care system now in place nationwide, adding its own services in a push to build a welfare safety net closer to residents. The plan is to diversify public-private partnerships to close gaps in welfare coverage and to complete a preemptive care system by introducing advanced smart care services, including artificial intelligence care robots and escorts for hospital visits.
The city said on the 12th that it has begun full operation of "Goyang Ondol," a city-specific brand that bundles welfare services previously fragmented across areas such as health care, health management and housing. An estimated 42,000 residents in the city are believed to need multiple forms of support.
The city has already laid a foundation for public-private cooperation spanning health and welfare by enacting an ordinance, creating a dedicated organization and signing agreements with 19 related institutions. Building on three core programs offered since the first half of the year — Goyang Ondol Living Link, which provides help with housework, meals and transportation; Space Link, which improves housing conditions; and Medication Link, which manages multiple prescriptions — the city has sharply strengthened its ability to respond on the ground.
In the second half, the city plans to focus on identifying people who fall outside the welfare net by working with medical institutions. It has signed agreements with eight major local hospitals to refer discharged patients, and it is running a pilot program with the Korea Land & Housing Corporation (LH) for "Goyang Ondol House," a short-term recuperation facility where patients stay briefly and receive intensive care before returning home, in order to prevent unnecessary readmissions.
The Goyang Ondol Link Counseling Center, jointly run by the public health center and Ilsan Hospital of the National Health Insurance Service, will also visit communities to offer one-stop health and care counseling.
New services using smart technology are also drawing attention. Goyang Ondol Mutual Link uses AI care robots to detect falls and screen for signs of dementia, while a new service called Companion Link will provide specially equipped vehicles that take bedridden and wheelchair-using patients from their homes to medical appointments and back.
"Integrated care is the surest pillar of welfare, helping residents enjoy healthy lives in the places where they have always lived," Goyang Mayor Min Kyung-sun said. "We will establish a care system unique to Goyang that combines on-the-ground work with advanced technology, and protect residents' daily lives without any gaps."