South Korea aims to save seniors lost in digital age

Elderly people attend a class on how to navigate AI-powered applications in Seoul on July 16. | AFP-JIJI

AFP-JIJI

Sep 14, 2026

Suwon, South Korea – A little cheer rose for 79-year-old Hwang Sun-hee after she managed to place an online order at a training session in South Korea, which has one of the world’s starkest digital divides for seniors.

Age gaps in digital literacy are a global concern, yet the gulf has widened massively in the hyperconnected and fast-aging country, prompting national campaigns to bridge it.

“You can’t do anything without smartphone apps or a kiosk machine. ... It’s too much for old folks,” Hwang said at a senior community center in Suwon, south of Seoul, during government-organized digital survival training.

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