About 1,000 residents across 50 complexes nationwide to receive forest-based care

Program shown to reduce loneliness and improve emotional well-being

The headquarters of Korea Land and Housing Corporation. [Yonhap]
The headquarters of Korea Land and Housing Corporation. [Yonhap]

Korea Land and Housing Corporation said Monday it will run the "2026 Saenghwal Forest Healing Program," a forest-based wellness initiative for elderly residents, through November in partnership with the Korea Forest Welfare Institute, targeting residents aged 65 and older in public rental housing.

The program uses landscaped spaces within rental housing complexes and dedicated forest welfare facilities — including healing centers and forest experience centers — to offer nature-based activities to residents. It will be held across 50 complexes nationwide, reaching about 1,000 residents.

Since its introduction in 2023, the program has operated in a total of 36 complexes through last year. Surveys of participants showed high satisfaction, averaging 98 out of 100 points, with notable improvements in loneliness reduction and social connectivity.

This year's program consists of six sessions: five held within the complex — including planting companion trees and herbs, and herbal foot baths — and one visit to an external forest welfare facility featuring aromatherapy, tea ceremonies and forest meditation. A second-year curriculum has also been newly developed for complexes participating in consecutive years.

LH said about 9.7 percent of the 2.455 million single-person households aged 65 and older nationwide — as of end-2025 — live in LH rental housing, amounting to 238,000 households, and the corporation has built a multi-layered care system for its aging residents.

Among its key services, LH this year fully rolled out an AI-assisted care call service that checks on residents' health and flags any concerns through weekly phone calls, now reaching all 9,400 applicants. For 1,500 residents aged 80 and older living alone who need in-person care, LH has hired 150 caregivers aged 60 and older to provide companionship and safety checks through a home-visit care service. In addition, residential welfare officers are stationed at 111 permanent rental housing complexes with high concentrations of elderly residents to support mental health management and improve living conditions.

"We are operating a comprehensive lifestyle support system to help elderly residents in rental housing maintain emotional stability and good health," an LH official said. "We will continue to expand tailored residential services so that elderly residents can live comfortably and healthily."

Meanwhile, LH began recruiting 235 new employees at the Grade 5 and Grade 6 levels for the second half of this year on Aug. 22. The positions comprise 211 Grade 5 and 24 Grade 6 employees, with 74 administrative and 161 technical roles.


hwshin@heraldcorp.com