Bupyeong District Councillor Lee Ik-sung: "Bupyeong District Enters an Ultra-Aging Society... We Must Discover Proactive Models Beyond Simple Care"

Lee Ik-sung, a member of the Administrative Welfare Committee of Bupyeong District Council (People Power Party, Bupyeong 2, 5, 6, Bugae 1, Ilshin-dong), urged for dynamic changes in administration and proactive response measures due to Bupyeong District's entry into an ultra-aging society.

During the fifth major work report of the 274th extraordinary session held on the 3rd, Councillor Lee highlighted the changes in the population structure of Bupyeong District and emphasised the qualitative leap in elderly and child welfare administration.

In a query regarding the elderly and disabled, Councillor Lee stated, "As of January 1, 2026, the population aged 65 and over in Bupyeong District will reach 20.3%, marking the official entry into an ultra-aging society." He pointed out, "We should not be complacent with basic projects such as basic pension payments or tailored care, but thoroughly analyse the cases of local governments that have reached an ultra-aging society before us, both domestically and internationally."

In particular, Councillor Lee stated, "Team leaders and above in similar local governments to Bupyeong District should actively look into what pioneering projects are being implemented," and urged, "We must not simply maintain the status quo, but discover unique elderly welfare projects specific to Bupyeong District that provide real hope to residents through 'active administration.'"

Regarding the Child Welfare Department, he emphasised the department's role in the legislative support process. Councillor Lee mentioned the ordinance on 'Creating Child-Friendly Urban Spaces' that was put on hold last September, stating, "Allowing the ordinance to remain on hold until the end of the term and automatically discarded is not respectful of the right to vote."

He criticised the passive attitude of the executive branch, saying, "If the ordinances proposed by councillors overlap with existing ordinances or require supplementation, the department should have first proposed a comprehensive amendment containing broad concepts or actively coordinated." He continued, "In the future, rather than just increasing the number of ordinances, I urge the executive branch to engage actively in communication to rationally revise the legislation."

In his closing remarks, Councillor Lee encouraged, "Although the welfare sector may be somewhat static, this year is the 'Year of the Red Horse,' so I hope we can move more dynamically," and expressed his hope that the efforts of our public officials would be a great hope for residents facing difficulties.