On September 4th the halls of Korea University’s Guro Hospital in Seoul were filled with the sweet sounds of old Korean pop songs. The melodies caught the attention of not only the elderly people in the hospital, but also younger hospital staff and patients.

The golden oldies were performed by the Guro District Senior Pop Orchestra. The average age of orchestra members is somewhere in the mid-60s, and some of their musical careers span up to 50 years. No wonder they sounded so wonderful.

- I’m so envious of their talent and health that allows them to have such active lives. They just let themselves flow with the rhythm and the music made me feel the passing of time.
- I learned a lot from these elderly people, playing in an orchestra even after retirement. They made staying in hospital more pleasant.

Although they are well into their 60s and 70s, these elderly musicians are just as passionate as their younger counterparts. They are fine examples of what we now call “active seniors,” who are definitely breaking the stereotype of “old people.” Here’s Director Cho Yeon-mi of 50Plus, a private research center for issues concerning senior citizens.

The biggest difference is that today’s elderly take charge of their post-retirement lives. In the past it was natural for grown children to support their aging parents, but now it has become nearly impossible. It is a big burden to take responsibility for your later years, but some take it as a new opportunity. Seniors have undergone many social changes in their lifetime. Their times were an age of industrial reconstruction and progress. They saw a population boom, the rise of apartments as a new residence type, and a surge in automobiles and personal transportation means. They were active economic participants, both producers and consumers, as well as creator of new cultures. Now they are called active seniors. I think this is the first generation in which the elderly are considered active and productive.

The elderly were thought of as passive, relying on the money given by their children or pensions. But today’s seniors are active and power consumers. They care about their appearance and health, and take active part in leisure and social activities. Here’s Director Cho Yeon-mi of 50Plus again.

Their lives changed dramatically in tandem with Korea’s industrialization. So their post-retirement lives are different from the ones in the past. They now start new businesses or launch second careers. They also actively participate in volunteer programs or social contribution projects. They have worked hard for their families all their lives, so now they want to do something for themselves and reach for their long-held dreams. The elderly are the generation that can take charge of the so-called creative economy.

Active seniors go wherever their passions take them. They learn new things, take part in meaningful programs, and just enjoy life in general.

Some twenty senior citizens take this woodcraft class. They are busy shaving wood and cutting it with an electric saw and sanding down the rough edges. They are working on a variety of items.

- I’m remodeling a cutting board. This wooden board is so old that it’s all twisted. What I’m doing is leveling it. Isn’t it great to reuse it? I’m doing it myself.
- It just needs waxing or oiling. It can be used as a dining table or a desk. I’ve been working on it for four days, spending about three hours a day. I’m a beginner, but this is simpler to make than it looks.

Once they start a project, they pour all their energy into it. It doesn’t matter that the project is recycling an old carving board or making a table. Sweat glistens on their foreheads and dimming vision and aching back may hamper their movements, but being able to focus on something gives them enough motivation to go on. It’s amazing that no one dropped out of the course since it was established. Here’s woodcraft instructor Choi Kwang-cheol to tell us more.

There are beginners, mid and high level classes. We have about twenty students. In other courses people drop out often. If they last more than three months, they’re considered model students. But in this course, which started out in April and has been running for six months now, nobody left. It’s amazing.

Woodcraft classes are held twice a week and attendance is always perfect. Woodcraft fills the void in their hearts, a vacuum left when they retired from their lifelong careers. So it’s not surprising that no one skips class.

- I’m 58-year-old and already retired. I was thinking about what to do for the rest of my life. I wanted to do something worthwhile and fun, and found out about a woodcraft course for senior citizens. I registered in April and have been coming for six months now. It’s better than I expected and I’m glad to have something meaningful to do. I have a friend who’s building a house in the country and it feels nice to give him household items I made here.



Woodcraft may sound like a man’s hobby, but elderly ladies are taken by it just as much as their male counterparts. Here’s 61-year-old Sung Hyun-sook who can make just about everything found at home. Her soon-to-be-married daughter asked her to make some furniture as her wedding gift.

I’m making a couch and a table. It feels so meaningful to make them myself. It’s been about five months since I started on them and I’ve had no problems so far. I make household items for myself as well. My children didn’t like this hobby at first, but now they ask me what I’m going to bring home from the shop. My eldest daughter is about to get married and she asked me to make something for her. That shows how they think of my hobby. I want to keep learning and doing things I like.

Some seniors learn more marketable skills. Mr. Yun Yun-geun dreams of starting a second career after finishing the barista course.

I’m taking barista classes for starting coffee shops. I just started taking classes a few days ago. It’s fun but not that easy. I joined the program because I wanted to start my own café. Knowledge is the key to starting a business. I’ve had a lot of coffee myself, but don’t know much about other people’s likes and dislikes. So I came here to learn it. I don’t want a café just to sell coffee and make profit, but a place where I can befriend people with similar dreams.

He’s just a beginner, so he’s still learning how to make espresso. It’s not easy as it looks to extract coffee exactly right, but spending a few hours in fragrant coffee aroma makes him already feel like a professional barista. He draws his dream on the white milk foam of cappuccino. Director Cho Yeon-mi of 50Plus says this is how active seniors make their lives more enjoyable and meaningful.

They say their peers from the groups they used to belong talked about the same thing every day, without any real progress in life. One senior said he left a group because he was tired of hearing the same thing for 30 years. Another senior stopped seeing some people, because all they did was drink and chat about meaningless things. These active seniors thought that life was too short to spend time on these trivial things. So they started changing and searching for a community where they can meet people with different ideas and find new stimulations. They say they found new energy to start a new chapter of their lives.

The sounds of the saxophones and trumpets mix with the screeching noise from the microphone. The rehearsal for the Guro District Senior Pop Orchestra seems somewhat chaotic, but definitely charged with energy and excitement. These orchestra members have devoted more than half a century to music and they are putting their musical skills to good use after retirement. Here’s trumpet player Cho Jun-gil.

I’ve been playing for 40 years. I graduated from Kyunghee University’s Department of Instrumental Music and this is just an extension of my career. I can play the trumpet even when I’m this old. The only difference is that I lack power. But it’s nice to meet fellow musicians. Besides I get bored when I stay home.

The Guro District Senior Pop Orchestra was founded just last February. The orchestra drew just about every accomplished musician in Guro District. Here’s Mr. Jang Yun-pyo, leader of the orchestra, to tell us more about the group.

Each one of the orchestra’s eighteen members used to play in a big band or an orchestra. So I believe our skills have been proven beyond doubt. We are musicians to the bone and I think we’ve gotten better with age. First of all, we work harder. The sounds we make are stronger and more mature than when we were young. We practice about once or twice a month. We are all professionals, so we come prepared. Right now we are practicing a new piece for an upcoming event.

Since they are all professional musicians, they only need to practice twice a month. Despite the infrequency of rehearsals, their performances seem more passionate than when they were young. No wonder they are invited to so many events. Their calendars for the next three months have been marked with a whopping 70 concerts. They happily grumble that they are busier now than ever. Here’s the orchestra’s operational director Hong Sun-chun for more.

They are all retired musicians between the ages of 65 and 73. They have banded together to form an orchestra. Their October schedule is filled with concerts in senior centers all over Guro District.

Retired baby boomers refuse to be shuttled off to a nursing home. They are still physically strong and mentally sharp to make valuable contributions to their communities. Sometimes they are even better than their younger counterparts, because they have the experience, insight and maturity to overcome various difficulties thrown in their way. Also, their active participation in life and ample financial means make them the most sought-after consumer group. Instead of the weak and socially dependent image of the elderly of the past, today’s seniors are demonstrating that life begins anew at sixty with their active lifestyle and passion for life.