Dagam wellness lounge to open in Gwanak-gu

Free trial programs run for 4 weeks from Nov. 9

[Provided by Seoul Metropolitan Government]
[Provided by Seoul Metropolitan Government]

The Seoul Metropolitan Government is opening a lifelong-learning space called Dagam, designed to help residents care for their physical and mental health through multisensory experiences. Free trial programs open to all residents will run for four weeks after the opening.

The Seoul Lifelong Education Institute announced Thursday that Dagam — a wellness learning lounge — will open Nov. 9 at the Dasiganeun Campus of Seoul Citizens University in Gwanak-gu.

Dagam is designed to help visitors tune into their physical and mental states and build healthy habits by engaging all five senses — hearing, touch, sight and more. The name carries the meaning of "rediscovering life through the senses, and beyond."

The Dasiganeun Campus, which opened last year, is a specialized lifelong education facility for residents navigating major life transitions. Seoul plans to expand its existing lifelong education offerings — which focus on helping middle-aged and older adults redesign their lives and build social connections — to include experiential programs aimed at emotional recovery, physical health management and preventing social isolation.

Dagam will feature eight dedicated spaces: a welcome zone, an experience stage, a café area, a listening room, a salon, a wellness seminar room, a garden and a library. The curriculum is structured around four stages — sensory strolling, sensory exploration, sensory immersion and sensory integration.

In the sensory strolling stage, participants tour the space with a guide or sample seasonal teas with a tea specialist to awaken the senses. The sensory exploration stage lets visitors examine their own sensory responses and physical reactions through health monitoring devices, virtual immersive environments and vinyl record listening sessions.

The sensory immersion stage offers deeper experiences including opera humanities lectures, seasonal dining and gardening. A fourth stage — sensory integration, in which participants practice and document what they have learned in daily life — is planned for inclusion when the lounge begins full operations next year.

During the trial period running through Dec. 5, a total of 16 programs — 12 experiential sessions and four wellness speaker seminars — will be offered across 106 sessions.

Any Seoul resident or person whose daily life is based in Seoul may participate free of charge. Registration is currently open on the Dagam website on a first-come, first-served basis.

The city plans to review the lounge's spatial design and educational effectiveness based on the trial results before incorporating changes into the full launch next year.

Han Yong-jin, president of the Seoul Lifelong Education Institute, said the lounge would be developed into "a wellness learning hub for all generations, serving as a turning point for people to take care of their own health in everyday life."


ken@heraldcorp.com