{"id":10860,"date":"2026-07-09T03:31:10","date_gmt":"2026-07-09T03:31:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.skhynix.com\/?p=10860"},"modified":"2026-07-16T07:08:34","modified_gmt":"2026-07-16T07:08:34","slug":"2026-chungbuk-sr-forum","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.skhynix.com\/en\/2026-chungbuk-sr-forum\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cAI Is Transforming Seniors\u2019 Daily Lives\u201d: SK hynix Explores AI Solutions for an Aging Society at the Chungbuk SR Forum"},"content":{"rendered":"

Kiosks are appearing in store after store, and smartphone apps have become more familiar than face-to-face service. As digital technology weaves its way into every corner of daily life, living has grown more convenient \u2014 yet it is also an undeniable reality that seniors unaccustomed to these changes are being left out of the benefits. Can AI open a door to new possibilities for them? SK hynix has set out to find the answers together with the local community.<\/p>\n

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On the 8th, SK hynix, together with the Chungbuk Institute for Lifelong Education and Human Resources Development, hosted the 2026 Chungbuk SR Forum \u2014 now in its third year \u2014 at the Chungcheongbuk-do C&V Center. Held under the theme \u201cEveryday Life Transformed by Artificial Intelligence (AI): Digital Adoption Among Older Adults in an Aging Society,\u201d the forum drew around 180 participants, including experts, officials, and local residents, to jointly explore ways to support the digital transition of the senior generation through AI.<\/p>\n

As part of its efforts to fulfill its Social Responsibility (SR), SK hynix has held the forum every year since 2024, working with the local community to address the various challenges facing society. This year\u2019s forum was designed to produce more practical solutions by strengthening its lineup of speakers, while also deepening collaboration with the diverse stakeholders connected to these social issues.<\/p>\n

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The Digital Transition for Seniors: A Shared Challenge for Us All<\/h3>\n
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\u25b2 SK hynix Vice President Hohyun Park, Head of Region CPR<\/p><\/div><\/a>

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The forum opened with the opening remarks of SK hynix Vice President Hohyun Park, Head of Region CPR. \u201cSocial problems are difficult to solve through the efforts of any single organization alone, and connection and collaboration matter above all,\u201d Park said. \u201cAt a time when AI is permeating every part of daily life, seniors\u2019 use of digital technology goes beyond simply acquiring new skills \u2014 it is an important foundation for improving quality of life and expanding social participation.\u201d Park went on, \u201cSK hynix is working to spread the benefits of technology to local communities through a range of social contribution activities, even as it builds the technology that makes the AI era possible,\u201d adding, \u201cI hope this forum, prepared in that spirit, becomes a meaningful occasion for AI experts and the local community to seek solutions together.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\u25b2 Taejong Yu, President of the Chungbuk Institute for Lifelong Education and Human Resources Development<\/p>\n

In his welcoming address, Taejong Yu, President of the Chungbuk Institute for Lifelong Education and Human Resources Development, said, \u201cOver the past two years, the Chungbuk SR Forum has been a venue for in-depth discussion of local issues, capturing voices from the field,\u201d adding, \u201cThis year, under the theme of digital adoption among seniors in an aging society, I hope it becomes an occasion for companies, universities, and public institutions to work together to find practical solutions that help underserved groups adapt to the digital age.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\u25b2 Insun Byun, Director-General of the AI Science and Talent Bureau, Chungcheongbuk-do<\/p><\/div><\/a>

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\u25b2 Byeongdae Shin, Vice Mayor of Cheongju<\/p><\/div><\/a>

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Delivering a congratulatory address, Insun Byun, Director-General of the AI Science and Talent Bureau at Chungcheongbuk-do, said, \u201cThe Chungbuk SR Forum is taking root as a platform for cooperation where the region and companies reflect on and put social responsibility into practice together,\u201d adding, \u201cWe will incorporate the diverse views raised in today\u2019s discussions into our future policymaking.\u201d Byeongdae Shin, Vice Mayor of Cheongju, said, \u201cAs aging and the digital transition intersect, digital care and support for vulnerable groups are becoming ever more important,\u201d noting, \u201cCheongju is expanding digital education for its residents and tailored support for vulnerable groups.\u201d He added, \u201cI hope this forum becomes an occasion to explore how we can grow together in the digital age.\u201d<\/p>\n

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The Role of AI in a Super-Aged Society: Possibilities and Challenges Identified by Experts<\/h3>\n
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\u25b2 Dongseon Jang, CEO of Curious Brain Lab, delivering the lecture<\/p><\/div><\/a>

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Dongseon Jang, CEO of Curious Brain Lab, then took the stage to deliver the opening lecture. Speaking on \u201cThe Future of AI Through a Neuroscientist\u2019s Eyes,\u201d Jang focused on how the human brain updates information and reshapes itself, explaining that human intelligence has expanded beyond individual ability through connection and collaboration with others, and that digital technology and AI are likewise tools for broadening those connections. \u201cIf AI is used merely as a tool of convenience, our ability to think and learn can weaken,\u201d Jang said. \u201cWe should use it in a way that helps us find and solve problems.\u201d Jang also stressed, \u201cSociety\u2019s overall capacity rises only when every group, including older adults, can make use of technology.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\u25b2 Professor Sangkyun Kim, chair of the Department of Convergence Management at Kyung Hee University\u2019s Graduate School of Business, delivering the lecture<\/p>\n

The \u201cKeynote\u201d session opened with Professor Sangkyun Kim of Kyung Hee University\u2019s Graduate School of Business, chair of the Department of Convergence Management. Having long studied how technologies such as AI, humanoids, and the metaverse are reshaping our lives and society, Kim spoke on the theme \u201cWhen a Life Well-Lived Meets AI, a Second Intelligence,\u201d turning the spotlight on seniors\u2019 \u201cexperience\u201d as an asset \u2014 one that can be reshaped into new value upon meeting AI.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs we age, our processing speed slows and our ability to learn new procedures may weaken somewhat, yet the judgment and situational awareness grounded in decades of experience actually grow stronger,\u201d Kim stressed. \u201cAI should serve as a \u2018second intelligence\u2019 that fills in where we have weakened and draws out our strengths, helping seniors share the life experience they have accumulated with more people.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\u25b2 Professor Jeonghwa Ha of the Department of Social Welfare at Seoul National University, delivering the lecture<\/p>\n

The second keynote was delivered by Professor Jeonghwa Ha of the Department of Social Welfare at Seoul National University. An expert in senior welfare in an aging society, social relationships in later life, and dementia, Ha spoke on \u201cThe Digital Transition of Elderly Care in the AI Era: Possibilities, Limits, and the Role of Local Communities,\u201d introducing the changes AI will bring to elderly care and highlighting the role local communities must play in the process.<\/p>\n

\u201cAI holds clear potential to fill the gaps in elderly care that our society too easily overlooks, but it cannot fully replace the emotional connection between people,\u201d Ha said firmly. \u201cSetting the right direction so that technology works as it should, and filling the gaps it will inevitably miss, is a responsibility that local communities must shoulder together.\u201d<\/p>\n

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AI Transforming Seniors\u2019 Daily Lives: Field-Proven Cases<\/h3>\n
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\u25b2 Professor Youngran Park of the Department of Senior Business at Kangnam University, giving the presentation<\/p>\n

In the \u201cCase Sharing\u201d session, Professor Youngran Park of the Department of Senior Business at Kangnam University was the first presenter. Long active in the fields of senior welfare and smart aging, Park spoke on \u201cLater Life Transformed by Technology: Field Cases and Changes from ICT Happy Aging*<\/span>.\u201d Drawing on research that analyzed five years of SK hynix\u2019s ICT Happy Aging program, Park offered wide-ranging insights into the digital transition in an aging society and the direction of community-based senior policy.<\/p>\n

* <\/span>CT Happy Aging: A social contribution program that SK hynix runs, drawing on its ICT capabilities, to help close the digital divide for local seniors. It has created \u201cICT Sarangbang\u201d \u2014 multipurpose cultural spaces for ICT education, hands-on experience, and health care \u2014 at five senior welfare centers in Cheongju, and has trained some 180 seniors as supporters to support ICT-based senior-to-senior care (\u8001\u8001CARE) activities and job connections.<\/div>\n

Park drew particular interest from the audience by presenting the research findings in concrete figures. Seniors who used ICT Sarangbang scored an average of 79.3 points in digital competency, well above the national average of 63 for older adults, while those serving as supporters reached an average of 95.8. In addition, 82.1% reported a reduced family caregiving burden after using ICT Sarangbang, and 96% said conversations with their families had increased \u2014 showing a significant impact on the quality of life not only of seniors but also of their families. Over the program period, it generated some 1.3 billion won in social value, about 2.5 times the amount invested.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe greatest strength of the ICT Happy Aging program is that it gives seniors an environment where they can encounter digital devices in daily life and grow comfortable with them over time,\u201d Park emphasized. \u201cThe true value of this program lies in the virtuous cycle in which seniors begin as learners, become teachers, and go on to grow into digital leaders in their local communities.\u201d<\/p>\n

The research Park presented was also delivered at the International Society for Gerontechnology conference held in Canada this past March, where global experts recognized it as a successful model for adopting the digital transition in an aging era.<\/p>\n

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\u25b2 Seonjin Jang, Team Leader at the Chungbuk Institute for Lifelong Education and Human Resources Development, giving the presentation<\/p>\n

Next, Seonjin Jang, Team Leader at the Chungbuk Institute for Lifelong Education and Human Resources Development, took the podium. Combining academic expertise with hands-on field experience in lifelong education and human resource development (HRD), Jang led the overall planning of the \u201cHangeul Sunshine Bus\u201d mobile digital literacy program, which was recently selected for the Ministry of Education\u2019s adult literacy support grant. The program has provided practical, everyday digital education and hands-on kiosk practice to some 3,700 people from digitally underserved groups, including seniors, people with disabilities, and farmers.<\/p>\n

\u201cDigital education only works when it is carried out continuously, right alongside seniors, until they grow comfortable with it in their everyday lives,\u201d Jang said. \u201cJust as the Sunshine Bus has reached thousands of seniors so far, I want to bring the warmth of digital technology to many more in the years ahead.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\u25b2 Jihee Kim, CEO of Hyodol Co., Ltd., giving the presentation<\/p>\n

Finally, Jihee Kim, CEO of Hyodol Co., Ltd., delivered a presentation titled \u201cApplications of AI Senior-Friendly Services and an Analysis of Their Effect on Easing Social Isolation.\u201d Hyodol \u2014 a senior care platform company with cumulative revenue of 14.3 billion won and a domestic market share of over 87% \u2014 has partnered with more than 187 local governments nationwide and distributed over 15,000 AI companion robots.<\/p>\n

Kim pointed to the loneliness and care gaps faced by seniors living alone, explaining that AI companion robots are playing a role in both emotional connection and daily-life management. Related research, Kim added, has confirmed benefits such as reduced feelings of depression and loneliness and improved medication adherence. \u201cTechnology should go beyond simply assisting with care to support seniors\u2019 everyday lives,\u201d Kim stressed. \u201cWe need service designs and policy support tailored to the characteristics of each region and the people it serves.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Listening to Experts and Voices from the Field: A Spirited \u201cInside Talk\u201d<\/h3>\n
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\u25b2 Announcer Yunhee Lee (first from the left) leading the \u201cInside Talk,\u201d with the panelists (from left: Professor Youngran Park of the Department of Senior Business at Kangnam University; Professor Jeonghwa Ha of the Department of Social Welfare at Seoul National University; Yanggyo Oh, an ICT Happy Aging Senior Supporter; and Yeongsuk Chae, an ICT Happy Aging Senior Supporter)<\/p><\/div><\/a>

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The forum concluded with an \u201cInside Talk\u201d that brought together an expert panel and ICT Happy Aging Senior Supporters. In the first part, the expert panel \u2014 Professor Jeonghwa Ha and Professor Youngran Park \u2014 joined two Supporters on stage to exchange views and share vivid voices from the field.<\/p>\n

Yanggyo Oh, a Senior Supporter, said, \u201cYou can only pass something on to others once you\u2019ve learned and mastered it yourself,\u201d adding, \u201cI keep learning and moving forward too \u2014 earning certifications, for example.\u201d Oh went on to say, \u201cDrawing on this experience, I want to help more seniors take part in learning.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ha said, \u201cParticipation and hands-on experience in the field play an important role in raising a person\u2019s life satisfaction,\u201d noting, \u201cthese activities also connect with the local community and bring about positive change.\u201d Ha added, \u201cI hope the voices from the field heard today will be meaningfully reflected in policy and research.\u201d<\/p>\n

In the second part that followed, the expert panel took time to hear and answer questions from the audience. Attendees, who had kept their seats and listened closely to the lectures and discussion throughout the event, raised a range of questions to share what they were curious about, and the panelists responded in earnest, reflecting together on the path forward for local communities in an aging era.<\/p>\n

Yeonhee Kim, a literacy instructor at the Jangseong County Lifelong Learning Center who attended the event, said, \u201cListening to today\u2019s lectures made me reflect on what seniors need in order to keep participating in society in the AI era,\u201d and asked, \u201cI\u2019d like to hear your thoughts on the role of seniors and how we can coexist amid technological change.\u201d<\/p>\n

In response, Professor Youngran Park said, \u201cSince AI and humans are bound to coexist, it is important to create an environment where technology can be used well,\u201d noting, \u201cwe need relationship-based local infrastructure and a range of learning opportunities so that older adults are not excluded from society and can keep taking part in it.\u201d Park added, \u201cPrograms that improve accessibility must go hand in hand with each individual\u2019s own willingness to participate.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\u25b2 Attendees focused on the lecture<\/p>\n

Bringing together a range of perspectives \u2014 from academia and local community stakeholders to voices from actual program sites \u2014 this forum reaffirmed for SK hynix that the digital transition for seniors goes beyond the simple distribution of technology and is a challenge society as a whole must solve together. Going forward, through the Chungbuk SR Forum, SK hynix will continue to work with local communities to find practical solutions to a range of social issues, drawing on its technological capabilities, including AI.
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