How the ‘Working Bobber’ Project is Revolutionizing Elderly Welfare and Suicide Prevention in Chungbuk

Lee Yong-min | 2026.03.10

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[Inews24 reporter Lee Yong-min] Chungbuk Province announced on the 10th that the interagency Suicide Prevention Promotion Headquarters under the Prime Minister’s Office selected the \"Working Bapper\" project — launched in 2024 as a senior-community coexistence initiative — as a leading example in suicide-prevention policy for older adults.

Chungbuk’s Working Bapper program offers people aged 60 and older and other socially vulnerable groups opportunities to assist at farms, small businesses, and companies facing labor shortages.

The task force evaluated the program as an exemplary policy for reducing social isolation among seniors and improving their overall quality of life.

  Scene from the \\
  Scene from the \"Working Bapper Participants' Happy Day\" event held on Nov. 7, 2025, at Chungbuk Provincial Government Cultural Plaza 815. [Photo=Chungbuk Province]

Seo Dong‑gyeong, director of Chungbuk Province’s Health and Welfare Bureau, said, “Suicide is a serious problem that requires ongoing attention and participation from the whole community,” and added, “The Working Bapper program is an elderly-welfare model that addresses isolation and suicide risk by expanding seniors’ social participation.”

Program participants support local production activities by performing tasks such as pre-processing agricultural products, simple assembly of manufactured goods, and packaging at senior centers, traditional markets, welfare centers, and public institutions.

After just one year and seven months, cumulative participation reached 400,000 people, and daily participation expanded to about 4,000. The program has done more than provide jobs — it has helped participants build social connections and regain a sense of purpose and vitality.

  Site of Chungbuk Province’s Working Bapper program. [Photo=Inews24 DB]
  Site of Chungbuk Province’s Working Bapper program. [Photo=Inews24 DB]

Chungbuk’s suicide rate for people aged 65 and older stood at 40.0 per 100,000 in 2024, continuing a decline from 54.9 per 100,000 in 2021.

If you are struggling with depression or other issues you cannot handle alone, call the suicide prevention hotline (☎109), the mental health crisis line (☎1577-0199), or contact one of the province’s 15 mental health welfare centers for help.