Table of Contents
- Aging Happily and Healthily Starts in Geumjeong
- Overview and Location of HAHA Campus (Busan Catholic University, Geumjeong-gu)
- Facility Size and Functions (Culture, Health, Education, Jobs, Housing)
- Roadmap and Funding (Sports Center expected to be completed in the second half of 2028)
- Why Now, Why Geumjeong (Solutions for the Super-Aging Society and Idle University Facilities)
- Expected Effects and Expansion Strategy (Expanding hubs by living zone)
- Busan's Active Senior Urban Innovation
- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Aging Happily and Healthily Starts in Geumjeong
The city of Busan has signed an agreement to establish the HAHA Campus, unveiling an innovative model for responding to the super-aging society.
Busan Catholic University, Korea Scholarship Foundation, and Geumjeong-gu have collaborated to launch a new project on September 16 at the international conference room of City Hall. This project holds significant meaning as it utilizes idle university facilities to create the first large-scale senior complex in the country.
The plan is to realize 'Senior Happiness City, Busan' by integrating culture, health, education, jobs, housing, and the silver industry, centered around a campus open to citizens. This concept is expected to have a positive impact on the local community.
Overview and Location of HAHA Campus (Busan Catholic University, Geumjeong-gu)
The HAHA Campus will be located at 56-7, Gichal-ro 102beon-gil, Geumjeong-gu, Busan. This project will be executed by remodeling nine buildings with a total floor area of 29,593.19㎡ on a site of 63,515.8㎡, along with a sports center and the new UBRC building in phases.
This project will be carried out with the collaboration of various organizations. The city will oversee the entire project, while Busan Catholic University will provide the site and buildings at no cost. Additionally, the Korea Scholarship Foundation will provide administrative and institutional support, and Geumjeong-gu will be responsible for the construction of the sports center. This cooperation focuses on building an effective model of public, university, and institutional collaboration.
Notably, the intent to return idle university assets to the local community and create a campus that can be used by various generations will serve as a critical factor in strengthening the bond with the community.
Facility Size and Functions (Culture, Health, Education, Jobs, Housing)
The campus is planned to be a life SOC hub that citizens and active seniors can use daily. Various cultural and leisure programs, lifelong education and re-employment, life redesign, digital and health-focused care services, and a silver industry testbed will be interconnected in a compound layout.
In the initial phase, six pilot projects will be launched, including opening a library, creating barrier-free walking paths, maintaining outdoor sports facilities, and establishing the HAHA Health Center, providing services that residents can feel. Subsequently, content will be further advanced through local-industry-academic cooperation.
In particular, the senior health playground and the National Sports Center will become key anchor facilities that strengthen ties with the local community, enabling residents to lead healthier and more vibrant lives.
Roadmap and Funding (Sports Center expected to be completed in the second half of 2028)
The city is concluding feasibility studies and basic plans from 2024 to 2025, followed by preliminary procedures such as local financial investment review and public offerings.
In the first phase, available buildings will be remodeled to start services early, while in the second phase, additional renovations and relocations will expand new buildings. Along with this, UBRC and the sports center will also be developed as separate projects.
The total project cost is expected to reach 60.637 billion won, with 24.030 billion won for the first phase, 12.807 billion won for the second phase, and 23.800 billion won for the sports center. The sports center aims to be completed in the second half of 2028, and will ensure stable operation and financial efficiency through phased openings, pilot operations, and regularization procedures.
Why Now, Why Geumjeong (Solutions for the Super-Aging Society and Idle University Facilities)
Busan is emerging as a representative aging society, expected to have more than 30% of its population over 65 years old by 2030. Additionally, the increase in idle university facilities due to the decrease in school-age population is an unavoidable situation. The HAHA Campus is receiving attention as a solution that can simultaneously address these two problems.
This campus aims to enhance the asset utilization of the university and contribute to the community, while the city seeks to provide a better living environment for citizens through rapid service delivery compared to investment in public infrastructure, thereby creating a virtuous cycle.
The proactive decision by Busan Catholic University to open its facilities can be seen as a symbol of the shared campus model created through collaboration between the community and the university. This case is expected to be an important milestone for the future development of Busan.
Expected Effects and Expansion Strategy (Expanding hubs by living zone)
The HAHA Campus will have a positive impact across various fields. It is expected to extend healthy life expectancy, promote active social participation, and create local jobs.
Additionally, it aims to build an ecosystem for the silver industry to foster economic revitalization. The complex demand combining healthcare, cultural tourism, sports, and education will play a significant role in developing local businesses and enhancing the city's image.
The city plans to start expanding the HAHA Campus from the Geumjeong area to all living zones in the city. To achieve this, it will establish a standard operating model that integrates policy, facilities, programs, and industry, aiming to quickly implement the concept of "Aging Happily and Healthily (HAHA)" into everyday life in Busan.
Busan's Active Senior Urban Innovation
The city of Busan has signed an agreement for the HAHA Campus, which is an important step in responding to the super-aging society. It has declared its intention to develop a platform that integrates living, industry, and education, moving away from a welfare-centered approach.
With the excellent accessibility of Geumjeong-gu, where Busan Catholic University is located, along with the scalability of facility size and the clear target of the sports center completion in the second half of 2028, Busan will evolve into a city that reconstructs the lives of the middle-aged and elderly, going beyond being a senior-friendly city.
The HAHA Campus is expected to set a new standard in Busan, bringing positive changes to local residents.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q. What is the Busan HAHA Campus and where is it located?
The HAHA Campus is a senior complex being established at Busan Catholic University in Geumjeong-gu, Busan.
The HAHA Campus is located at 56-7, Gichal-ro 102beon-gil, Geumjeong-gu, Busan, and it is the first large-scale senior complex being created utilizing idle facilities of Busan Catholic University. It is designed as a space that integrates various functions such as culture, health, education, jobs, and housing to realize a Senior Happiness City in Busan.
Q. What are the main functions and facility size of the HAHA Campus?
The campus integrates 9 buildings and a sports center, totaling 29,593㎡, covering culture, health, education, jobs, and housing.
The HAHA Campus consists of 9 remodeled buildings and a sports center along with a new UBRC building on a site of 63,515.8㎡ with a total floor area of 29,593.19㎡. It provides various amenities and services such as cultural facilities, a health center, lifelong education, and a silver industry testbed, serving as a living SOC hub for active seniors.
Q. What are the main organizations involved in this project and what are their roles?
Busan City oversees the project, Busan Catholic University provides the site, and the Korea Scholarship Foundation and Geumjeong-gu are responsible for administration and facilities.
Busan City oversees the project while Busan Catholic University provides the site and buildings at no charge. The Korea Scholarship Foundation is responsible for administrative and institutional support, and Geumjeong-gu is tasked with the construction of the sports center, focusing on building an effective project model through collaboration among public, university, and institutions.
Q. What is the main timeline and budget for the HAHA Campus development?
The project will proceed in stages following feasibility studies in 2024-2025, with a total budget of approximately 60.6 billion won.
Busan City will complete feasibility studies and basic plans in 2024-2025 and will proceed with preliminary procedures such as local financial investment reviews. The first phase will require 24 billion won, while the second phase will require 12.8 billion won, and 23.8 billion won will be needed for the sports center, totaling 60.637 billion won, with the sports center expected to be completed in the second half of 2028.
Q. Why is it important to develop the HAHA Campus now in Geumjeong-gu?
Geumjeong-gu plays a leading role in implementing an innovative model for responding to the super-aging society and utilizing idle university facilities.
Busan is entering a super-aging society, with a senior population exceeding 30% after 2030, and the issue of idle university facilities is also serious. Geumjeong-gu will take on a pioneering role by utilizing Busan Catholic University’s idle assets to address these two problems simultaneously. This is expected to become a symbolic model of collaboration between the local community and the university.
Q. What are the expected effects of developing the HAHA Campus?
It is expected to enhance health life expectancy, promote social participation, create jobs and stimulate the local economy.
The HAHA Campus will help seniors live healthy and vibrant lives, contributing to economic development through the establishment of a silver industry ecosystem. It will meet complex demands in cultural tourism, sports, and education and will also positively impact local businesses and the city’s image.
Q. How does Busan City plan to expand the HAHA Campus project?
There are plans to expand the hubs across the city starting from Geumjeong District.
Busan City is formulating a strategy to expand the HAHA Campus from Geumjeong District by establishing hubs by living zone. The aim is to rapidly implement the value of 'Aging Happily and Healthily' throughout Busan by building an integrated operational model that merges policies, facilities, programs, and industries.
