A growing epidemic of social isolation in South Korea has prompted its capital city to invest more than 450 billion won (US$330 million) in a sweeping five-year initiative aimed at reducing loneliness in the city.
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The Seoul Metropolitan Government’s efforts include the launch of a convenience store where locals can enjoy free instant noodles while talking about their feelings, as well as a 24-hour counselling hotline.
Seoul is at the epicentre of the nation’s social isolation epidemic, with people living alone now making up more than 35 per cent of all households in the capital, according to The Korea Herald.
A recent Seoul Institute survey revealed that 62 per cent of single-person households reported experiencing loneliness, while 13.6 per cent were socially isolated.
A separate 2023 study by the city estimated that about 130,000 people aged between 19 and 39 were living in near-total social withdrawal.
Lonely deaths in South Korea – where someone dies by suicide or illness after living in social isolation – increased from 3,378 in 2021 to 3,661 in 2023, according to the South Korean Ministry of Health and Welfare.