Postal delivery workers at post offices in Seoul will deliver food to older people who need care and provide welfare services by checking their health and well-being.

The Seoul Regional Post Office said it will start a "side-dish delivery service for seniors needing care" with Gwangjin District Office from Aug. 4.

The service was set up to reduce gaps that occur during the existing process of delivering side dishes by district offices. Seoul Gwangjin Post Office last month signed a business agreement with Gwangjin District Office and the Post Office Public Interest Foundation and set directions for the project and the roles of each institution.

Side dishes sent by Gwangjin District Office for seniors needing care arrive at Seoul Gwangjin Post Office at about 6 a.m. Postal workers complete deliveries in the morning to keep food fresh in summer. The service is set to operate not only during heat waves but also in the cold season.

Postal workers will also check the seniors' living conditions, health and well-being. If they find abnormal signs or unusual matters, they plan to quickly share them with the district office and link recipients to needed welfare services.

Food delivery using the post office is the second such case nationwide, after Gangjin Post Office in South Jeolla Province started lunchbox deliveries with Gangjin County in June. In Seoul, Gwangjin District is the first case. The Seoul Regional Post Office plans to review results in Gwangjin District and then expand service areas through consultations with district offices in Seoul.

Kim Kyung-rok (김경록), director of the postal services bureau at the Seoul Regional Post Office, said it would continue to identify public welfare services closely linked to daily life that people can feel by using the post office network. He said the post office would serve as a reliable social safety net by not only delivering mail but also checking the health conditions of vulnerable groups.