Yongin City announced on the 4th that it will officially launch its "Senior Citizen Escort Service," which was piloted last year.
The service provides professional managers who accompany seniors aged 70 and older—who find it difficult to visit hospitals alone—throughout the entire medical visit process, including registration, payment, and prescription pickup. For transportation, the city utilizes a dedicated vehicle platform that received the nation's first demonstration special approval from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.
The city piloted this service last year, with 99% of users reporting satisfaction in surveys. The program was also selected as an "Excellent Proactive Administration Case" by Yongin Special City in recognition of its innovative value in welfare services.
Building on this success, the city has converted the "Senior Citizen Escort Service" into an official program and enhanced its completeness by adding a "one-stop care" system tailored to the entire hospital visit process starting this year.
The service is available to residents of Yongin aged 70 and older, regardless of income level.
To reduce the financial burden on users, the city subsidizes escort manager labor costs. Seniors pay only 20,000 won (based on 2 hours of vehicle expenses)—approximately 20% of comparable private services.
The service operates on an advance reservation system to ensure stable vehicle dispatch and customized manager matching. Seniors or their guardians wishing to use the service can make immediate reservations through a dedicated call center. Online reservations through the website will be available starting the 9th.
Mayor Lee Sang-il said, "The 'Senior Citizen Hospital Escort Service' has established itself as a leading model in elderly welfare by creating an environment where seniors can safely receive medical care without family assistance. We will continue to support improved medical accessibility for seniors and help ease the caregiving burden on families."