‘Active senior’ refers to the healthy and active demographic in their 50s and 60s, representing a new generation distinct from the traditional passive and static elderly population. According to Statistics Korea, by 2025, the population aged 65 and over in Korea is expected to exceed 20% of the total population, and as the country approaches a super-aged society, the service market targeting these active seniors is rapidly growing.

The startup Roche Korea, which operates the senior lifestyle brand ‘Onew House,’ is focusing on this active senior market. The cultural space Onew House, located in Bukchon, Seoul, receives 9,000 senior visitors monthly, and their online classes have 20,000 monthly participants. Roche Korea, aspiring to be the ‘MUSINSA of the senior industry,’ shares insights with CEO Hyun Jun-yeop.

Established in 2021, Roche Korea operates a lifestyle platform for seniors that combines online and offline services. CEO Hyun Jun-yeop began by stating, “Today’s seniors in their 50s and 60s are healthy enough to run marathons and show a high level of enthusiasm for learning, as evidenced by their interest in docent activities.”


IT Donga: What kind of company is Roche Korea?

CEO Hyun Jun-yeop: Roche Korea is a startup operating the senior lifestyle brand ‘Onew House.’ It is an integrated online and offline platform that helps seniors in their 50s to 70s lead proactive and vibrant lives. Key terms that describe us include ‘data-driven personalized programs,’ ‘active senior exclusive community,’ ‘online-offline connection,’ and ‘senior lifestyle curation.’

IT Donga: It is known that you come from a financial background. What led you to venture into the senior business?

CEO Hyun Jun-yeop: I started my career in the FICC (Fixed Income, Currencies, and Commodities) trading department of a securities firm, then moved to an investment company where I was involved in startup investments, gaining experience in the startup market. A personal experience became the decisive factor for my entrepreneurship.

Observing my mother living alone, who is still healthy and active, I realized there was a lack of services or programs for such seniors. Although there is some public infrastructure and related content for seniors, it mainly focuses on social welfare recipients, and active seniors like my mother do not fall into this category. Apart from some reemployment programs, there is a lack of suitable opportunities for healthy and active seniors to maintain an active life. This inspired me to do something meaningful for them, leading me to leave the investment company and start my business in 2021.

IT Donga: Did you launch the current ‘Onew House’ platform from the beginning of your startup?

CEO Hyun: No, we experienced considerable trial and error initially. Our first service, ‘Bucket List,’ was limited to one-time participation and failed to encourage continuous social participation. The subsequent digital education service also faced difficulties as seniors struggled to apply and utilize what they learned in real life.

We reached a turning point when we started the ‘Life Assistance Service.’ We handled various errands for seniors, offering a service where any request was resolved the next day (e.g., disposing of old furniture/appliances, buying medicine from a pharmacy, replacing faucets/showerheads, organizing/cleaning homes). Through this, we gained two important insights.

First, seniors generally have an average of 12 hours of free time daily, and many find it challenging to spend that time meaningfully. Second, even those with limited financial means are willing to pay for services that meet their needs and desires. We realized that instead of assuming senior services must be cheap, it is appropriate to create a business that those with economic means are willing to spend on.


We then redefined and refined our services to complete the current Onew House model. Initially, small senior gatherings started in Eunpyeong-gu, not Bukchon, began attracting participants from nearby areas, confirming the significant unmet demand for senior-centric content. We relocated to the current Bukchon location two years ago.

IT Donga: Why did you choose Bukchon (Samcheong-dong) in Seoul among various regions?

CEO Hyun: We wanted a neighborhood that people of all ages would like to visit at least once a week, a place with a human touch, and Bukchon came to mind as a place that evokes nostalgia and memories for seniors. It is a place frequented by younger generations and has nearby museums, galleries, and libraries, combining both traditional and modern images. There are also many good restaurants.


IT Donga: How do Onew House’s senior programs differ from those at community centers or cultural centers?

CEO Hyun: While the program names or content might seem similar, we gather many ‘active seniors genuinely seeking a proactive life.’ We focus on seniors who want to find a proactive and active role while living their second act of life.

The key differentiation is our data-driven program development and planning approach. Instead of typical one-way lecture programs like ‘ChatGPT education’ or ‘smartphone photography,’ we offer over 200 lecture/class programs where seniors can directly participate and engage, such as ‘Reading Introduction/Practical Class,’ ‘Traditional Liquor, Wine, Whiskey Tasting Class, Vocal Training Class, Hobby Art Class, Travel Drawing Class, Docent Class, Play Reading Class.’

We conduct surveys of our senior customer base to collect data, which forms the foundation for planning new programs, allowing us to operate highly engaging, senior-customized programs. Most of the programs are fee-based.


IT Donga: What are the actual operational results or evaluations of each program?

CEO Hyun: There is a clear numerical difference. While typical municipal/county cultural centers attract about 4,000 visitors a month, Onew House, targeting mainly active seniors in their 50s to 70s, attracts about 9,000 monthly, approximately twice as many. The online platform (Onew-ONEW app or website) also sees over 20,000 monthly visitors for program information and magazine content.

The most popular recent program was the ‘Running Class.’ We identified running courses with gentle slopes suitable for seniors and collaborated with the sports brand ‘New Balance.’ Like running crews among younger generations, healthy seniors gathered in small groups to run lightly, followed by a meal, and the response was very positive.


IT Donga: What is the current business and operational status of Roche Korea?

CEO Hyun: Roche Korea currently consists of 15 employees and has secured KRW 2 billion in cumulative investment, reaching the Series A funding stage. The monthly revenue is approximately KRW 150 million, with a goal to achieve monthly profitability by the end of this year.

We are currently operating various partnerships with companies, including a running program with New Balance, a senior resident satisfaction program within apartment complexes with Samsung C&T Raemian, and a senior product curation with Hyundai Home Shopping.


IT Donga: Are there plans to expand to other regions beyond Bukchon Onew House?

CEO Hyun: We currently operate Onew House Bukchon, Onew Insadong, Hyundai Department Store Cheonho Branch, Hanathe Next Seocho Lounge/Seolleung Station Lounge/Euljiro Lounge, and Starfield Suwon Classcock. We plan to open additional Onew House branches near Changdeokgung, Cheonho-dong, and Magok within this year. Next year, we aim to expand to southern regions such as Daegu, Busan, and Pangyo. We are also exploring ways to integrate Onew House content into residential complexes or retail spaces through corporate partnerships.

We will soon add online community features to enable seniors to connect and communicate anytime through offline and online spaces. Additionally, we are planning an e-commerce platform to recommend products suitable for seniors in various categories such as fashion, food, and interior.

IT Donga: What is the ultimate goal of Roche Korea and Onew House?

CEO Hyun: We aim to become the app that every senior over 50 must install, becoming synonymous with senior lifestyle brands in Korea. Much like ‘MUSINSA’ is for the younger generation. We intend to enhance seniors’ daily lives and lifestyles by closely analyzing their needs and data while working alongside them.

We propose starting the day with Onew House (Onew app), receiving personalized content recommendations, participating in online communities, and engaging with other seniors in external spaces.

IT Donga Reporter Lee Moon-kyu munch@itdonga.com

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