The Seoul Metropolitan Government announces its plan to spend US$327 million to stop its loneliness epidemic. - Philippines Daily Inquirer/ANN
SEOUL (Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN): The Seoul Metropolitan Government announced that it would spend ₩451.3 billion (US$327 million to stop its loneliness epidemic.
The funds would enable various initiatives over the next five years to “create a city where no one is lonely.”
These efforts include a 24/7 hotline, in-person visits, and open spaces to help Seoul residents connect and communicate with each other.
Why does Seoul have a loneliness epidemic?
The World Health Organization (WHO) declared that social isolation and loneliness are an expanding global issue. As a result, South Korea has been experiencing more deaths due to this mental health condition.
Seoul’s Ministry of Health and Welfare reported that the number of deaths due to loneliness or “lonely deaths” rose to 3,661 in 2023. In contrast, South Korea had 3,559 lonely deaths in 2022 and 3,378 in 2021.
Lonely deaths involved people who lived in social isolation. Also, bodies that authorities discovered only after “a certain amount of time” qualify.
An Soo-Jung, a psychology professor at Myongji University, told CNN that policies for the loneliness epidemic are “absolutely necessary.”
“There needs to be careful consideration about how effectively these measures will be implemented,” she added.
An explained that careful consideration is necessary because South Korea defines loneliness differently.
“In Korea, people say they feel very lonely when they feel they’re not worthy enough or lack purpose.”
Previously, CNN reported that Gen Z and Millennial Koreans experience loneliness due to being sensitive to criticism. Moreover, they’re overly self-critical and afraid of failure.
A National Library of Medicine paper found that the loneliness epidemic reflects Korean culture’s emphasis on “relational orientation.”
In other words, Koreans tend to define themselves concerning others around them. As a result, they feel deep melancholy if they’re not “making a significant impact on others or society.”
“Our society demands highly collective social living but often fails to respect the individual – meaning people struggle to deal with solitude or the feeling of failure,” An added. - Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN
