The organization announced on June 15 that it held a delivery ceremony for the AI robots on June 11 at a senior center in Sangri 2-dong, Daegu, where 70 seniors received the devices.
Following this, 70 robots will be distributed in Yecheon, North Gyeongsang Province, on June 16, and 60 more will be provided in Yeongdo, Busan, on June 24.
This initiative is a public-private partnership involving local governments, comprehensive support centers for lonely seniors, and elderly care institutions. Saemaul Geumgo is responsible for establishing a safety net for community care through the distribution of the companion robots, while local governments and support centers will handle the identification of recipients, follow-up care, and monitoring.
Saemaul Geumgo began its robot support program in 2024 with 200 units, followed by 230 units in 2025, and an additional 200 units this year, bringing the total to over 600 AI companion robots distributed over three years, with a budget of 650 million won.
The AI companion robots offer various support functions, including two-way conversation, medication reminders, movement detection, and emergency connections to emergency services. The information collected by the robots will be shared with caregivers to help check on the well-being of lonely seniors and prevent solitary deaths.
A representative from Saemaul Geumgo stated, "As the aging population and the rise of single-person households intensify the issue of social isolation among seniors, we will continue our social contribution activities to create a warm community without neglected neighbors."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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