LH Launches 'Living Forest Healing Program' for Elderly Residents in Rental Housing

[Financial News] Korea Land and Housing Corporation (LH) is operating a forest-based healing program for elderly residents living in rental housing.
LH announced on the 28th that it would launch the “2026 Living Forest Healing Program” to promote emotional stability and better health among residents aged 65 and older living in rental housing.
The initiative is a joint project between LH and the Korea Forest Welfare Institute. It uses landscaping at rental housing complexes and specialized forest welfare facilities to provide residents with forest-based activities.
The program was introduced in 2023 as part of care for elderly residents and had been implemented at a cumulative total of 36 complexes by last year. An analysis of 561 participants last year found that the program had an average satisfaction score of 98 out of 100 and helped promote emotional stability by reducing loneliness and improving social networks.
This year’s program will run from today through November for approximately 1,000 residents at 50 complexes nationwide. It will consist of six sessions divided between activities inside and outside the housing complexes. The five on-site sessions will include making companion trees, planting herbs and taking herbal foot baths. For the off-site activities, residents will be invited to nearby forest welfare facilities for aromatherapy, tea ceremonies and forest meditation.
LH operates various care support systems for elderly residents, as 238,000, or 9.7%, of the 2,455,000 single-person households nationwide headed by people aged 65 or older lived in LH rental housing as of the end of last year. One of its key initiatives is the “AI Care Call” service. Using artificial intelligence, the service calls elderly people living alone once a week to check in, provide companionship and monitor their health and any unusual symptoms. After a pilot program last year, it began full-scale operations this year and is currently available to all 9,400 people who requested the service.
LH also operates a “Visiting Care” service for high-risk residents who need face-to-face assistance. This year, it hired 150 caregivers aged 60 or older to provide companionship, health and safety checks, and connections to welfare information for 1,500 people aged 80 or older who live alone. In addition, housing welfare specialists have been stationed at 111 permanent rental housing complexes with large elderly populations to provide resident care, mental health support and assistance with improving living conditions.
An LH official said, "We are operating a multifaceted daily-life support system to promote emotional stability and manage the health of elderly residents living in rental housing," adding, "We will continue expanding housing and daily-life services so that elderly residents in rental housing can live comfortably and healthily."

[email protected] Jung Kyung-soo Reporter