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Busan Metropolitan City Hosts Symposium on the Frailty Prevention Health-UP Project: Gaining Attention as a Busan-Style Health Management Model

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Busan Metropolitan City (Mayor Park Heong-joon) announced that it held the “2025 Health-UP Project Symposium” yesterday (July 16) at the International Conference Hall of City Hall to share the achievements and expansion strategies of the “Frailty Prevention Health-UP Project” aimed at building a healthier Busan and securing a healthy future for its citizens.

The symposium was attended by over 250 participants, including representatives from the Ministry of Health and Welfare, the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA), the City Council, district health centers, partner hospitals, community health center personnel, and citizens. It served as a platform to explore the direction of community-centered health management policies and the feasibility of expanding them nationwide.

During the symposium, participants agreed that the “Health-UP Project” is a community health model centered on neighborhoods and led by residents, and that it is being established as a sustainable structure with high potential for replication in other local governments.

The event featured presentations by Professor Jang Sook-rang of Chung-Ang University on “Frailty and Elderly Health and Case Studies from Other Regions,” and by Yoon Tae-ho, Director of the Health City Project Support Group, on “Frailty Prevention and Expectations for Busan’s Health Promotion Initiatives through the Health-UP Project.” A panel discussion followed, involving experts from the KDCA, public health centers, rehabilitation medicine, and local resident activists.

The “Health-UP Project” is a Busan-style, resident-led health management model operated through the Haha Community Health Center, in collaboration with local human resources including Haha Health Partners, community health activists, and community nurses. The project has demonstrated tangible improvements in participants' health and is recognized as a specialized health initiative unique to Busan.

Busan has proactively developed a response system tailored to a super-aged society. Since 2023, the city has officially launched the “Frailty Prevention Health-UP Project,” which integrates physical, mental, and social functioning management.

This initiative goes beyond conventional health promotion and constitutes a scientifically structured, prevention-oriented health management system unique to Busan, encompassing frailty assessments and customized intervention programs.

Key components of the project include:

• ●Physical assessments for frailty,

• ●A 10-week intensive intervention program for the pre-frail population,

• ●Partnerships with local health communities,

• ●Operation of the “Haha Health Partner” program.

Notably, the “Haha Health Partner” is the first social service model in the country to integrate health and senior employment, introduced this year (2025) by the city. Partners who have completed specialized training in frailty prevention are deployed to neighborhood health hubs, where they support physical activities, manage health groups, and visit isolated seniors, serving as active health leaders who promote healthy aging in their communities.

Cho Gyu-yul, Director General of the Citizens’ Health Bureau, stated, “The ‘Health-UP Project’ is evolving from a one-way administrative service into a structure where citizens take the lead in collaboration with their neighbors. We expect this project to become a representative example of Busan-style health policy and to spread to local communities across the country.” He added, “Busan will continue to strengthen the institutional foundation for neighborhood-based operations and expand prevention-oriented health management into everyday life, leading the realization of a sustainable healthy city.”