Retirement complex offers comprehensive medical care and spa-like comfort

Samsung Noble County CEO Park Sung-hyun [SAMSUNG NOBLE COUNTY]

 
[Interview]
 
From on-site medical care to vibrant communities and upscale amenities, Korea’s retirement facilities offer much more than just a place to live. Among the roughly 40 facilities for older adults nationwide, Samsung Noble County is considered one of the most esteemed — and also one of the most expensive.
 
The facility, located in Yongin, Gyeonggi, leverages its status as a unit run by Samsung Life Public Welfare Foundation through its medical and cultural programs offered by the conglomerate’s affiliated hospitals and art centers, including Leeum Museum of Art.
 
The complex has a 24-hour emergency response and hospital transfer system, runs four medical clinics — spanning family medicine, neurology, rehabilitation medicine and internal medicine — and offers regular checkups as well as regular shuttle bus rides to Samsung Medical Center. Each unit is equipped with emergency call devices and motion detection sensors. Amenities include a 10-lane swimming pool, an indoor golf driving range, sauna and gym.  
 
Opened in 2001, the facility is situated on 220,000 square meters (54 acres) of land.  
 
“Due to Korea entering into a super-aged society and its status as one of the fastest-aging countries, the senior living business is expected to expand significantly, with health care service competitiveness set to be enhanced,” said Samsung Noble County CEO Park Sung-hyun.
 
For the services, Samsung Noble County charges a monthly fee ranging between 2.05 million won ($1,475) and 3.49 million won per individual, with a deposit amount of between 430 million won and a whopping 1.43 billion won.
 
Despite the cost, the occupancy rate is 97 percent, with 150 people on the waiting list to get into a specific type of unit.
 
While these upscale services are technically open to foreigners, eligibility largely depends on the length of stay, according to Park.
 
Below are edited excerpts from an interview with Park.  
 

An exterior of Samsung Noble County in Yongin, Gyeonggi [SAMSUNG NOBLE COUNTY]

 
Q. Are foreigners eligible to apply to live at Samsung Noble County?
A. In Korea, housing facilities for older adults are legally designated for individuals aged 60 or older who are capable of independent living, including cooking for themselves. Nationality is not a condition of eligibility, meaning there are no legal restrictions on foreigners. But those on short-term stays may find it difficult to sign a lease, as standard contracts typically span three years with renewal options.  
 
If a long-term foreign resident wishes to move in, they should consider a number of factors, like whether hansik [Korean food] suits their taste, potential communication difficulties with staff and how well they can fit into the community.
 
 
Who are the main targets of the facility?
Samsung Noble County provides services to individuals in good health and able to live independently, as well as those who require some assistance and also those who need 24-hour nursing and caregiving services due to chronic illnesses such as dementia or stroke.  
 
It is a community designed to provide integrated residential, medical, nursing, dining, cultural, sports and financial services throughout the full spectrum of aging — from individuals on independent living to assisted living and those in need of nursing care for chronic conditions.  
 
 
Who typically lives in the facility?
When the facility first opened 25 years ago, the average age of a resident was 72. Today, it has risen to 84. The current resident demographic is 36 percent male and 64 percent female, with 26 percent living as couples and 74 percent living alone.  
 
Demand is highest among individuals in their late 70s to early 80s, especially residents of the Seoul metropolitan area, who typically cover living expenses using a variety of personal financial assets.  
 

An indoor golf driving range at Samsung Noble County in Yongin, Gyeonggi [SAMSUNG NOBLE COUNTY]

 
As Korea has entered a super-aged society, major conglomerates are turning to housing facilities for older adults as a new growth engine. In the face of intensifying competition, how do you plan to differentiate your services?
We have evolved and innovated to offer integrated, one-stop services combining housing, health care, nursing care, culture, leisure and sports.  
 
We offer four specialized centers. The Medical Center focuses on infection prevention, telemedicine services and the development of smart hospital rooms. The Well-being Center offers functional recovery programs for frail elderly residents, while the Brain Health Center provides brain stimulation therapy using art and music. The Integrative Therapy Center combines smart equipment in the nursing home to deliver physical and cognitive therapy. We are also advancing smart health care technologies that integrate AI and ICT in accordance with the digital age.  
 
 
Does Samsung Noble County have plans to expand within or outside Korea?
In line with Korea’s rapidly aging population, the additional expansion of housing facilities for older adults within Korea is anticipated, and we expect that Samsung Noble County’s 25 years of operational expertise will be effectively applied in that process.
 
 
What are the biggest challenges in operating the facility?
For the housing of older adults, the long-term sustainability of operations is far more critical than simply expanding supply. For residents to enjoy a safe and comfortable life in the facility over the long term, institutional frameworks are needed — not just for physical infrastructure, but also to develop professional operational staff and reduce the financial burden on both residents and operators. There also must be active support for academic and field research, and a collaborative environment where public and private sectors can share knowledge and experience.
 
Rather than drawing a strict line between housing for healthy older adults and nursing facilities for those with chronic conditions like dementia or stroke, we believe a system should be in place that supports Aging in Place [AIP] to allow individuals, from the healthy through to frailty, without unnecessary relocation.

BY JIN MIN-JI [[email protected]]