Seoul fights isolation by expanding services for people living alone

In the South Korea, single-person households now represent 36 per cent of the population. Faced with rising numbers of people hard pressed to cope with loneliness, the city administration is boosting its support services, including moving assistance and emotional support. The programme, already in place for hospital visits with high satisfaction rates, aims to combat loneliness and daily difficulties.

Seoul (AsiaNews) – In a society where the number of people living alone continues to rise, the South Korean capital has decided to boost support by expanding services for its loneliest residents.

Created more than four years ago to assist those who need to go to hospital for visits, the programme set up by the Seoul Metropolitan Government now includes emotional support, the Korea Herald reported.

“Any Seoul resident living alone can use companion services,” said Social Policy Director Yoon Jong-jang, who noted that the goal is to help people manage their daily lives without difficulty.

According to the latest data (2024), single-person households are the most common living arrangement in the country, accounting for approximately 36 per cent of the total. In Seoul, they number 1.66 million or 40 per cent of the total.

Nearly half of those living alone report feeling often or sometimes isolated, compared to the national average of 38 per cent.

Starting next month, the isolation-fighting service will allow residents to request a companion for medical exams and rehabilitation sessions, remaining with users throughout the visit.

The cost will be 6,000 won (about US) per hour, a slight increase from the current 5,000 won, with a maximum limit of 10 times per month or 200 hours per year. People with lower-than-average incomes will receive up to 48 free sessions per year.

Since it was launched in November 2021, the programme has generated some 70,000 requests, with a satisfaction rate above 90 per cent.

Furthermore, those who live alone will be able to count on a companion for up to six hours if they change residence. It is not yet clear whether the service will also include more practical assistance, like furniture transportation.

A dedicated telephone line will also be available to connect lonely people with operators for conversations or direction, if necessary, to psychological support services.

South Korea is not the only Asian country undergoing this social transformation. In Japan, too, single-person households accounted for approximately 34 per cent of the total in 2023.

In Japan, nationwide public measures already exist. The Japanese cabinet now includes a ministerial-level post for loneliness and isolation, while the Japanese Diet passed a law in April 2024 that officially recognises the issue as a national problem, especially among hikikomori, that is reclusive adolescents and adults.

• south korea
• japan
• loneliness
• seoul
• aid
• companion services
• hikikomori