Busan is good

The Busan Metropolitan City and Korea Tourism Organization to Create 445 Senior Jobs by Training "ESG Travel Docents"

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The Busan Metropolitan City (Mayor Park Heong-joon) announced that it will sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) today (May 8) at 2:00 p.m. with the Korea Tourism Organization to implement the "ESG Travel Docent Senior Job Creation Program."

○ This MOU was established under the shared understanding that "employment is the best form of welfare." It aims to empower the senior population economically and promote active aging through sustainable and quality job creation via close collaboration between the two institutions.

○ The signing ceremony will be attended by the Director General of the City’s Social Welfare Bureau, the Director of the Tourism Talent Development Office of Korea Tourism Organization, and representatives from senior clubs in Buk-gu, Haeundae-gu, and Geumjeong-gu.

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< MOU Signing Ceremony Overview >

• ●Date/Time & Venue: May 8, 2025 (Thu), 14:00–14:20 / Medium Conference Room, 2nd Floor, Busan Metropolitan Council

• ●Participants: Busan Metropolitan City (Social Welfare Bureau Director), Korea Tourism Organization (Division Head), Senior Clubs from Buk-gu, Haeundae-gu, Geumjeong-gu

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The "ESG Travel Docent" is a Busan-style senior job model jointly developed to provide job opportunities suitable for the older generation.

○ These docents will provide personalized stories about the history and legends of Busan’s tourist attractions, while also introducing eco-friendly perspectives on how to preserve these sites – creating a new type of tour guide.

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Under this agreement:

• ●The City will oversee the management and operation of the senior job program.

• ●The Korea Tourism Organization will fund over KRW 100 million to conduct competency training for Busan citizens aged 60 and older.

○ To train the first batch of docents, the Korea Tourism Organization will provide a three-week course in May for 45 Busan citizens aged 60 and above.
The training will cover four integrated modules:
▲ General Tourism ▲ History ▲ Environment ▲ Teaching and Learning Theory

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Graduates of the program will begin working as instructors for the “Environmental and Historical Tours of Busan” starting in June.

They will be dispatched to kindergartens, preschools, elementary schools, and parenting support centers.

○ Programs will include ESG education that integrates tourism and history, as well as intergenerational experiences for both parents and children.

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Starting from this MOU, the City and Korea Tourism Organization aim to create 445 senior jobs by 2027 under the ESG Travel Docent program.

○ The City expects that this initiative will not only generate new “Busan-style senior jobs,”
but also offer new eco-tourism services to citizens and contribute to revitalizing the local economy.

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Jeong Tae-gi, Director General of the Social Welfare Bureau of the City, stated:
“This agreement is a meaningful step toward achieving threefold social value – creating new local jobs, boosting the economy, and protecting the environment.
In preparation for the era of 120-year life expectancy,
we will do our best to create and support more sustainable and high-quality jobs that bring vitality to citizens’ lives and help us build ‘a happy and healthy Busan.’”

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Appendix: Program Overview

□ Program Summary

• ●Content: Train senior ESG travel docents to offer eco-conscious historical tours of Busan’s tourist attractions

• ●Target: Citizens aged 60 or older

• ●Workplace: Kindergartens, preschools, elementary schools, and parenting support centers

• ●Working Hours: 60 hours per month (within 3 hours per day)
  ※ Monthly wage: KRW 761,040 (including holiday allowance)

• ●Implementing Agencies: 3 Senior Clubs (Buk-gu, Haeundae-gu, Geumjeong-gu)

• ●Expected Impact: Senior job creation, local economic revitalization, and environmental protection – achieving triple social value

※ Cumulative number of jobs over three years: 445
(45 in 2025, 150 in 2026, 250 in 2027)

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□ Competency Training Overview

• ●Training Period: May 12 (Mon) – May 30 (Fri), 3 weeks (5 days/week, 5 hours/day)

• ●Location: Lecture Room 304, Busan Welfare Center

• ●Participants: 45 persons

• ●Curriculum: Integrated program with 4 modules:

• ○[Tourism] Overview of the tourism industry and customer service

• ○[History] Learn about the past and significance of Busan landmarks and how they became tourism products

• ○[Environment] Learn about environmental impacts and eco-friendly alternatives

• ○[Teaching Theory] Develop skills in content design, delivery, and demonstration for educational settings

Program Timeline
① Preparation (~early April)
② Recruitment & selection (Apr–May)
③ Training & placement (May–June)

• ●Develop curriculum, secure instructors
  → Promote program, finalize participant selection (by Apr 25)
  → Conduct training (May), identify placement sites, support job matching (from June onward)