South Korea has a loneliness problem. To combat the issue, South Korea’s capital city, Seoul, will spend over $300 million to become a “city without loneliness.”
South Korea reported over 3,000 loneliness deaths last year. The term is a classification used to describe deaths from illness or suicide of people who mostly don’t engage with society.
Seoul is ready to spend about $327 million over the next five years to combat the issue. The city will set up a 24/7 hotline staffed with counselors, as well as in-person meetings to help those vulnerable to loneliness form community.
Seoul can be pretty lonely. About 40% of households in the city have one person in them.
The top official of the city government’s Care and Loneliness Policy Bureau told ABC News that the agency is planning to get help from private businesses like laundromats and convenience stores. The officials said they hope that if they can find the loneliest people in the public spaces where they do appear, it could help the city reach people at risk.
Loneliness is a global issue that public health officials have more actively recognized in recent years.
Last year, the World Health Organization announced a commission to explore the importance of social connections. It said loneliness can raise the risk of poor health outcomes like stroke, dementia, depression and suicide.