Seoul to spend P19 billion to stop 'lonely deaths' in the country
Seoul, South Korea is allotting over $325 million (P19 billion) to create a “city where no one is lonely” over the next five years.
Due to the rising number of lonely deaths, or godoksa, among South Koreans, mostly middle-aged men, the local is launching an additional initiative in hopes of combating the lonely deaths epidemic, as per the CNN International report.
The new initiative, set to spend 451.3 billion won, or $327 million (P19 billion), will focus on a holistic approach. According to the local authorities, this includes providing its citizens with loneliness counselors available 24/7 via hotline and online and follow-up in-person visits and consultations.
Other than the professional approach to mental health, the local government also plans to launch activities that would have everyone involved, such as expanded psychological services and green spaces, nutritional meal plans for middle-aged and elderly residents, and communal activities dubbed “365 Seoul Challenge” that would allow each to explore outside and connect with others, like book clubs and sports, among others.
They will also introduce a dedicated “search system” to identify isolated residents who need help.
“Loneliness and isolation are not just individual problems, but tasks that society must solve together,” Seoul mayor Oh Se-hoon said in a news release. He added that the local government will “mobilize all of our municipal capacity” to help lonely people heal, “return to society,” and prevent re-isolation.
The experts, however, noted that while the measure would be helpful, more needs to be done “partly because loneliness in Korea is tied to certain unique parts of Korean culture that are difficult to change,” per the CNN report.
As per the data recently released by the country’s Ministry of Health and Welfare, there were a total of 3,661 lonely deaths recorded last year. They also found that 84.1% of these deaths were male at the ages of 50s to 60s.
Other than South Korea, Japan is also battling the same deaths, dubbed the hikikomori or severe social withdrawal, and the United Kingdom that both have launched initiatives to help those suffering from loneliness, which the World Health Organization said is a “pressing health threat.”