By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo
The Korean-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KGCCI), led by President & CEO Marie Antonia von Schönburg, hosted a high-level German delegation focused on smart welfare, senior housing, and healthcare from June 15 to 18, 2025.
The visit aimed at fostering cooperation and technology exchange in smart welfare, senior housing, and healthcare, key sectors addressing the challenges of aging populations in both Korea and Germany.
Organized by Germany’s Smart Living & Health Center e.V., the delegation included 22 leading experts and executives from Germany’s healthcare, real estate, smart living, and senior housing industries. Among the notable participants were Mario Czaja, President of the German Red Cross and former Berlin Senator for Health and Social Affairs; and Christian Graeff, Managing Director of the Smart Living & Health Center.
Over the course of the visit, the delegation engaged in a comprehensive program designed to offer first-hand insights into Korea’s cutting-edge digital welfare systems and advanced senior care solutions.
On June 16, the delegation visited Seoul TOPIS (Transport Operation and Information Service) and the Seoul Senior Welfare Center to witness Seoul’s integrated digital welfare services for the elderly, showcasing the city’s commitment to smart welfare administration.
June 17 featured a visit to CareDoc Care Home in Siheung, where Korea’s leading smart care company CareDoc demonstrated its ICT-based platform integrating caregiver matching, real-time health monitoring, and lifestyle support services. Later that day, the group toured KB Pyeongchang Golden Life Care, a premium senior living complex, and engaged in a roundtable discussion with Korean experts including Professor Deok-Ki Kim from Graduate School of Law at Dongguk University; Yong-Ho Shin, Executive Director of Haeahn Architecture; and Young-Hak Choi, Executive Director of IGIS Asset Management. This dialogue deepened mutual understanding of Korea’s senior housing and urban renewal models—offering valuable insights to German industry leaders.
On June 18, the delegation explored cutting-edge rehabilitation technologies at Remo’s Gangnam showroom, experiencing advanced rehabilitation training and cognitive support systems firsthand. The visit culminated at the National Rehabilitation Center (NRC), where Korea’s next-generation healthcare innovations, such as age-friendly fitness equipment and sophisticated gait analysis technologies, were showcased.
These engagements set the stage for future collaboration between Korean and German companies, institutions, and policymakers dedicated to smart living solutions that address demographic shifts and improve quality of life for aging populations.
“South Korea impresses with its deep social appreciation for older people – and with innovative, mobile solutions that enable them to live safely and independently at home,” said Mario Czaja, President of the German Red Cross. As the German Red Cross (DRK) in Berlin, we are taking these impulses with us to further develop the potential of smart technologies in the spirit of a humane and dignified aging policy.”
Marie Antonia von Schönburg, President and CEO of KGCCI, emphasized, “This visit exemplifies the strong potential for Korean-German cooperation in addressing one of the most critical challenges of our time—aging societies. Korea’s pioneering digital and smart care solutions are of great interest to German stakeholders. As KGCCI, we are proud to serve as a bridge for knowledge exchange and future partnerships in these vital sectors.”
